Post 200 The guide to the region's top businesses

A McDonald’s restaurant in San Jose, Calif. (Paul Sakuma/AP)

Major employers

McDonald's

Following on from its 2010 push for environmental sustainability, in March, the global fast-food company announced plans to ensure its food would come from sustainable sources. In July, the company kicked off a campaign to help customers “make nutrition-minded choices” by offering more food choices and better nutrition information about its products. Revenue continued to rise, with the company reporting worldwide sales of $20.18 billion for the first nine months of the year, up 13 percent over the same period in 2010. Locally, the company opened four restaurants and closed two others.

Trivia

Nearly 20 percent of McDonald's 33,000 restaurants worldwide are company-owned and 59 percent represent conventional franchises. The rest are licensed to foreign affiliates or development licensees.