McDonald’s fast food restaurants have had a Ronald McDonald clown mascot since 1966. The McDonald’s nickname of “Rotten Ronnie’s” has been cited in print since at least the 1990s and is popular in Canada.
 
McDonald’s has also been called “Mickey D’s.”
 
 
Wikipedia: McDonald’s
McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is the world’s largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 68 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948 they reorganized their business as a hamburger stand using production line principles. Businessman Ray Kroc joined the company as a franchise agent in 1955. He subsequently purchased the chain from the McDonald brothers and oversaw its worldwide growth.
 
History
The business began in 1940, with a restaurant opened by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald at 1398 North E Street at West 14th Street in San Bernardino, California (at 34.1255°N 117.2946°W). Their introduction of the “Speedee Service System” in 1948 furthered the principles of the modern fast-food restaurant that the White Castle hamburger chain had already put into practice more than two decades earlier. The original mascot of McDonald’s was a man with a chef’s hat on top of a hamburger shaped head whose name was “Speedee”. Speedee was eventually replaced with Ronald McDonald by 1967 when the company first filed a U.S. trademark on a clown shaped man having puffed out costume legs.
 
Urban Dictionary
Rotten Ronnie’s
McDonald’s shitty ass food.
I’m starving. Let’s got get some Rotten Ronnie’s.
by Derek Gieni Jan 21, 2004
 
Urban Dictionary
Rotten Ronnies
A stupid McDonalds restaurant thats not really a restaurant. its like deep fried crap served on a bun. People who think its good turn into a fat-ass with 4 ass’s and sue.
(...)
by Sooey May 28, 2004
 
The Hawk Road
August 3rd, 1999:
(...)
I checked my email and let Hugh know I was there, then had a McFeast meal, which before Australia I’d never heard of, sealing the friendship between Rotten Ronnie and me.
 
Airliners.net Discussion Forum
Topic: RE: Ronald McDonald. Creepy Clown? Market Tool?
Username: Mx5_boy
Posted 2001-01-15 01:19:13 and read 1248 times.
We have the RM Houses here in Oz too, I guess they are worldwide.
 
Back to the creepy clown. Rotten Ronnie scared the crap out of me when I was a young kid. You know how Maccas used to have Childrens Parties?
     
Google Groups: alt.security.alarms
Alarminex
4/6/02
(...)
We don’t have any “Rotten Ronnie”  commercials down here. Must be one of those “up north” things. Although we *do* have some actual people down here who would qualify to be called that.
     
Tribe.ca
tEkKiD
04-29-2002, 03:49 PM
you dissin’ rotten ronnie ?
its better than NO JOB.
 
Listology
Nicknames for McDonald’s…Global Foodservice Retailer
Submitted by RosieCotton on Wed, 08/10/2005 - 12:39
(...)
Rotten Ronnie Oddo’s (Canadian English Slang)
Ronchin Ronnies(Canadian English Slang)
     
RedFlagDeals.com
Thread: Nicknames for restaurants and/or food items
Paolo
Apr 19th, 2007 10:01 AM
McDonalds = Rotten Ronnies.
(...)
gordholio
Apr 19th, 2007 10:43 AM
A friend used to call McDonald’s, Rotten Ronnie’s.
   
Straight.com
Don’t hate Nickelback; just ignore them
By Mike Usinger, November 20, 2008
(...)
As for hating them, that’s sort of like hating McDonald’s. As much as I choose not to spend my fine-dining dollars at Rotten Ronnie’s, I don’t think anyone can accuse a Big Mac of being an affront to humanity.
 
EnglishPatterns
Restaurant Nicknames:
by SVOdude » Tue May 15, 2012 11:10 pm
(...)
McDonalds:
Rotton Ronnies
 
(Trademark)
Word Mark RONALD MCDONALD
Goods and Services IC 042. US 100. G & S: DRIVE-IN RESTAURANT SERVICES. FIRST USE: 19660917. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19660917
Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING
Serial Number 72279671
Filing Date September 5, 1967
Current Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Registration Number 0874861
Registration Date August 12, 1969
Owner (REGISTRANT) MCDONALD’S CORPORATION CORPORATION DELAWARE MCDONALD’S PLAZA OAKBROOK ILLINOIS 60521
Attorney of Record RHONDA K. URBIK
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Affidavit Text SECT 15. SECTION 8(10-YR) 20100107.
Renewal 2ND RENEWAL 20100107
Other Data THE MARK “RONALD MCDONALD” IS NOT INTENDED TO IDENTIFY ANY PARTICULAR LIVING INDIVIDUAL.
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE