When did the first McDonald’s open?
Quick Answer
Brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald opened their first restaurant in San Bernardino, California, on 15 May 1940.
The Full Story
The McDonald brothers began with a barbecue drive-in in San Bernardino in 1940. In 1948 they redesigned it around a short menu and a fast assembly-line kitchen called the Speedee Service System, selling hamburgers for 15 cents. Milkshake-machine salesman Ray Kroc visited in 1954 and was amazed by the speed. He opened his first McDonald’s franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois, on 15 April 1955, and in 1961 he bought the brothers out for $2.7 million. McDonald’s now has roughly 40,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries.
Key Facts
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"The two brothers who invented fast food — and lost their name"
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