15th May 1940: The world’s first McDonald’s restaurant opened in California
Contact us to Add Your Business
The McDonald brothers had successfully run the ‘Airdrome’ hotdog stand in Arcadia, California, for three years before they began their first McDonald's Bar-B-Que restaurant in San Bernardino. The restaurant had twenty-five items on the menu, and was typical of restaurants of its time where customers arrived by car and were served by waiting staff known as car hops.
In 1948 the brothers streamlined their entire restaurant experience when they temporarily closed the restaurant for remodelling. It reopened in October 1948 with a new design where customers ordered food directly at the counter. The brothers also reduced the number of items on the menu and introduced their Speedee Service System that adopted an assembly line approach to simplify food preparation.
Many of these design innovations had first been introduced by the White Castle hamburger chain in the 1920s, but the success of the McDonald brothers’ restaurant saw them seek opportunities to expand their business. In 1953 they began to offer franchise opportunities, firstly of the serving system and then of the entire brand including the name and the architectural design.
The aggressive expansion of the McDonald’s brand was overseen by Ray Kroc, originally a provider of milkshake machines, who persuaded the McDonald brothers to franchise the restaurants throughout the country. The brothers agreed, and received 0.5% of gross sales in franchised restaurants. Kroc completely bought the brothers out in 1961. He paid them $2.7 million for the business, and went on to create the global chain we know today.
My mother worked there in the 50s. She is now 86 yrs old.
Wow
@XxShadowEclipsexX you do realize laws were different back then right?
Now she’s 88
Oh! so nice ! ❤️
Is your father Kroc?
Ray Kroc = Heartless Thief. If he was a genius, he woulda made a name for himself for his milkshakes.
If it wasn’t for Ray you never would’ve eaten at McDonald’s
didnt Ray Kroc mentor the young,pathological Bill Gates?
Ray Kroc Its a demon
If you watch the show on Netflix, he was evil.
So not only was Ray Kroc a thief, both McDonald brothers stole from White Castle.
Ray Kroc stole the idea from the McDonald brothers. He was working at the San Bernardino location and took what he saw and opened the Ohio location using both the name and the Arch design created by the McDonald brothers. Once he had sufficient money he bought the original location for pennies on the dollar of the historical value it was actually worth. He never cared about what happened to the brothers.??♂️
@BigAl 00 Productions Actually no, Ray Kroc lied and manipulated the McDonald brothers to sell the business.
@BigAl 00 They had no choice at least ray was nice enough to offer to buy the ownership
WebVMan the brothers sold the company to Kroc, he didn’t exactly steal it
If White Castel didn’t patent the system, which I don’t think they could, it was open for someone else to use their model. BTW, the assembly line was created by Ford. So, you could say that WC stole from him.
The milkshake machines that are always broken when you want a shake ??
I’m in South Africa and this just happened to me. I love their shakes but I just tried to order online and guess what? No milkshakes
McDonald’s employee Handbook and all computer lessons from being hired at McDonald’s teach you that ray kroc founded McDonald’s and 1955 we now all know this as Bullship
@ninelotus Ok you make a good point but claiming the “first” McDonalds is in Chicago? Cmon.
@BoomBoombroccolilol good joke
u guys wrong I.T. founded mcdonalds ? ? ???
@COODA nah hes not the real founder
@ArachnidPlays he said that ray kroc was not the founder lol, tf u talking bout
It’s like when Speedy died, Ronald McDonald took his place
Maximus Gagnon yep
And now the mascot is a Happy Meal.
I always thought the first one was opened in Illinois ??♂️ thanks for the information
I heard the first one opened in Lakewood California
I believe hats where the headquarters are. Not the restaurant
Sounds like ray kroc was a finesser and a fly dresser, huh ??
The Biggest robbery in history
What a load of Kroc
better building atmosphere and food location location location
three food items and six drink items
May I ask where you found the pictures in this video?
A variety of royalty-free image archives. The Google and Bing ‘copyrighg free’ searches can be useful, but I prefer archives to avoid any potential for mistakes.
McDonald’s was the fast food chain for the Disney movies
soo.. Kroc is hamburglar .
the whole video that’s the video that’s in Lakewood California that place that you’re showing is Lakewood
I’m in Canada and I’m so far away from California in the McDonald’s
Sucks
First one was actually opened in Australia
@zac salmon shut up dude the first McDonald’s is in California,USA
Insane
I heard Lakewood California
@Alec M *1940
Uh the first McDonald’s was made in 1954 California
Great thing about White Castle is they don’t care if you like them or not. No commercials. No toys. No food clowns.
@A. Nonny Mouse They had toys and happy meals? Okay. That’s news to me. And I do remember some commercials over the years. I think my first visit to a white castle was maybe ’77.
McDonald’s is still better then that bullshit new castle
@Robert Suarez It’s all what you prefer. McDonald’s does have great fries.
But I think n and out is the best burgers and the best fries in the world
@Robert Suarez I’ve never tried them.
First MacDonalds was in USSR Estonia . check it up yo.
Where??
Long gone are the days when it took two hands to handle a Burger King Whopper.