ARCOs Dorados Holdings Inc operates as a franchisee of McDonalds restaurants The company has the exclusive right to own operate and grant franchises of McDonalds restaurants in 20 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean including Argentina Aruba Brazil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Curacao Ecuador French Guiana Guadeloupe Martinique Mexico Panama Peru Puerto Rico Trinidad and Tobago Uruguay the US Virgin Islands of St Croix and St Thomas and Venezuela As of December 31 2021 it operated or franchised 2261 restaurants The company was founded in 2007 and is based in Montevideo Uruguay