McDonald's: American corporation

BY The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica | Last Updated: Sep 10, 2021

McDonald’s, in full McDonald’s Corporation, American fast-food

chain that is one of the largest in the world, known for its hamburgers,

especially its Big Macs. Company headquarters are in Chicago.

Early history

The first McDonald’s restaurantwas opened in 1940 by brothers

Maurice (“Mac”) and Richard McDonald in San Bernardino,

California. It originally was a drive-in that offered a wide selection of

items. However, in 1948 the brothers decided to revamp the business,

and after a three-month renovation, a newly envisioned McDonald’s

opened. The small restaurant was designed to produce huge quantities

of food at low prices. To achieve this, the brothers limited the

menu—which only featured hamburgers, potato chips (later replaced

by french fries), drinks, and pie—and developed a simple, efficient

format that they named the Speedee Service System. This included a

self-service counter that eliminated the need for waiters and

waitresses, and customers received their food quickly because

hamburgers were cooked ahead of time, wrapped, and warmed under

heat lamps. These innovationsallowed the brothers to charge just 15

cents for a basic hamburger, about half the price of competing

restaurants. McDonald’s was a huge success, and the brothers began a

franchise program.

Appliances for McDonald’s were purchased from a salesman named

Ray Kroc, who was intrigued by their need for eight malt and shake

mixers. In 1954 he visited the restaurant to see how a small shop could

sell so many milk shakes. Realizing there was great promise in their

restaurant concept, Kroc became a franchise agent for the brothers. In

April 1955 Kroc launched McDonald’s Systems, Inc., later known as

McDonald’s Corporation, in Des Plaines, Illinois, and there he also

opened the first McDonald’s franchise east of the Mississippi River. In

1961 Kroc bought out the McDonald brothers.

Reference: https://www.britannica.com/topic/McDonalds