Will McDonald's Be Open On Thanksgiving 2024?

Not everybody can sit down for a lavish Thanksgiving meal of roasted turkey, endless sides, and homey desserts like apple or pumpkin pie, which requires plenty of purée. Some folks may have to work, be on the road, or are just not willing or able to get together with family and friends for the big feast. For those people, it can be one of the trickiest days of the year to feed yourself: A lot of grocery stores, including major chains like Trader Joe's and Walmart, have historically been closed (although it's still possible to find open supermarkets, often with limited hours). Sit-down restaurants can be an option, particularly in bigger cities, although you'll often have to order a limited prix fixe menu, sometimes at a high price.

That leaves fast food as an easier option, particularly for travelers and workers who may be time-limited. And if you're thinking fast food, there's a good chance you're hankering for some McDonald's. Fortunately, McDonald's restaurants are generally open on Thanksgiving. However, be warned that you shouldn't absolutely count on being able to get your hands on one of the chain's best burgers, whether you're big on the cheeseburger or the Big Mac. Most McDonald's restaurants (over 90% in the U.S.) are not directly operated by the company — they're owned and run by franchisees, and it's those independent operators who get to decide whether or not their individual restaurants open on November 28. 

As of late October, McDonald's hasn't made any indication about its opening plans for Thanksgiving in 2024, nor did the company respond to an email from Chowhound about restaurant openings on Thanksgiving. However, in past years, McDonald's has indicated that it expects most of its restaurants to be open on the holiday. Be warned that open restaurants may also have reduced hours. To find out if and when your local restaurant is open, it's best to call them directly, look it up in the McDonald's app, or use the store locator on the McDonald's website, which should list specific opening hours.

If your nearest McDonald's turns out to be closed (or there are just none nearby), don't worry: A solid number of other fast food chains tend to be open on Thanksgiving: On recent past holidays, a good number of Wendy's, Burger King, Taco Bell, and Starbucks locations have been serving customers. The bad news is that, just like McDonald's, hours can sometimes be shorter and certain stores may be closed. For example, an individual franchisee may decide to close their stores, even if others owned by somebody else in the same region remain open. Again, try to check directly with the restaurant you want to visit to find out if they'll be open.