McDonald's flips golden arches in honor of International Women's Day

By Gina Cherelus

(Reuters) - Diners at McDonald's should not be alarmed if they see the restaurant chain's iconic 'M' logo turned upside down on Thursday at different locations across the country.

For the first time in its history, the company has flipped its 'golden arches' logo to show a 'W' in honor of International Women's Day on Thursday, according to restaurant officials.

A McDonald's in Lynwood, California, which is owned and operated by a woman, first flipped its 'M' at the sign in front of the restaurant to celebrate women everywhere, the company said in a statement. By Thursday, all of McDonald's social media profiles, including Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, were displaying an upside-down logo.

The move was intended to honor "the extraordinary accomplishments of women everywhere and especially in our restaurants," Wendy Lewis, the company's global chief diversity officer, said in a statement on Tuesday.

More than 62 percent of McDonald's employees are women, including six out of 10 restaurant managers, Lewis said.

About 100 restaurants across the country plan to participate in the gesture, and customers will also see the flipped logo on packaging and crew member's hats and shirts, the company said in a statement.

(Reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York; Editing by Bernadette Baum)