On April 15, 1955, Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald’s restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois, a moment that would reshape the fast-food industry. With his visionary approach, Kroc transformed the McDonald’s concept developed by Dick and Mac McDonald in San Bernardino, California, into the world’s leading fast-food enterprise.

When the McDonald brothers introduced their ‘Speedee Service System’ in 1948, they pioneered the fast-food industry. Their small menu operated through production lines alongside disposable packaging, a game-changer. Kroc, during his milkshake machine sales work, was astounded by the McDonald’s operation, which led him to recognize its potential for growth across the nation. He formed a franchising company with the brothers to develop into the McDonald’s Corporation.

The Des Plaines restaurant adopted several concepts that transformed into signature aspects of fast food dining:

• The iconic golden arches design
• Standardized menus and preparation methods
• Strict quality control across locations

With its industrial standards of efficiency and cleanliness, Kroc’s business model not only revolutionized the fast-food industry but also set a new benchmark for dining worldwide. Five years after McDonald’s founding date, the company operated over 200 locations, expanding to more than 40,000 restaurants serving 69 million customers daily.

McDonald’s first franchise started serving 15-cent hamburgers and introduced the Speedee character before Ronald McDonald established his position as the main mascot. A reconstruction of Des Plaines’ original structure emerged as a historical museum following its demolition in 1984 because it protects critical phases of dining evolution and business progress.

McDonald’s began as a modest vendor but became a multi-billion-dollar corporation through continuous development and customer satisfaction. McDonald’s initial franchising operation has established legacy standards that every McDonald’s restaurant maintains in its global presence through its signature branding elements.