(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File) McDonald’s has taken the leap and is increasing wages to retain workers and encourage others to join the ranks of its employees. The wage increase was announced but the lede was buried. There is a catch. The rise in wages only pertains to company-owned restaurants, not franchises. This is an important distinction. Only a small fraction of restaurants are company-owned. Most McDonald’s are franchise operations. Just 5% of the 13,900 McDonald’s restaurants in the United States are company-owned. So, 95% of McDonald’s employees will only see pay raises if the franchise owner makes a decision to do so. Look for higher prices on menu items to counter higher wages.