McDonald’s was founded on May 15, 1940, 82 years ago in San Bernardino, California. It was formally made a franchise corporation on April 15, 1955. McDonald's started in 1940 as a small restaurant in San Bernardino, California. The Golden Arches logo was used for the first time in 1953 in Phoenix, Arizona, when the company changed their business model.
In 1955, Ray Kroc, a businessman, joined the company. Later, he bought the chain from the McDonald brothers. McDonald's former global headquarters were in Oak Brook, Illinois, but the company moved to Chicago in June 2018.
McDonald's is the largest restaurant chain in the world. It serves over 69 million customers in over 100 countries each day. Rent, royalties, and fees are paid by the McDonald's Corporation's franchisees. Sales in company-operated restaurants also help pay these costs.
According to two reports from 2018, McDonald's is the world's second-largest private employer, with 1.7 million employees. McDonald's has the ninth-highest global brand valuation, as of 2020.
Who founded McDonald’s?
The first McDonald's restaurant was opened by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald at 1398 North E Street at West 14th Street in San Bernardino, California, on May 15, 1940. White Castle had put into practice the principles of the modern fast-food restaurant that the brothers introduced in 1948, but they expanded their use of the same principles in 1948.
In 1962, the Golden Arches were incorporated as McDonald's universal mascot. In 1965, Ronald McDonald was introduced as the mascot of McDonald's. The present corporation credits its founding to franchised businessman Ray Kroc on April 15, 1955.
This was, in fact, the ninth opened McDonald's restaurant overall, although this location was destroyed and rebuilt in 1984. Kroc was recorded as being an aggressive business partner, driving the McDonald brothers out of the industry.
How did McDonald’s start?
Richard and Maurice McDonald opened the first McDonald's restaurant in San Bernardino, California in 1940. The brothers introduced principles of the modern fast-food restaurant in 1948, that are still used to this day.
On May 4, 1961, McDonald's filed its first trademark application for “McDonald's” with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. McDonald's applied for a trademark for a new logo with an overlapping M symbol.
Previously, McDonald's used a single arch for their buildings. The current version of the Golden Arches logo was not used until November 18, 1968, when the company was given a U.S. trademark. Franchisee businessman Ray Kroc was credited as the founder of the corporation on April 15, 1955.
As Kroc wrote in his autobiography, Kroc and the McDonald brothers fought over who would control the business. In 1961, he bought out the McDonald brothers and began to expand the company worldwide. The sale cost the company more than $2 million. In 1971, the San Bernardino restaurant was demolished, and the site was sold to the Juan Pollo chain in 1998.
Juan Pollo's headquarters is now located in this area, as well as a McDonald's and a Route 66 museum. McDonald's has become a symbol of globalization because it has opened many stores in different countries.
FAQs
Q. Who founded McDonald’s?
A. McDonald’s was founded by siblings Richard and Maurice McDonald, but later was turned into a franchise corporation and eventually bought by Ray Kroc.
Q. Where was the first McDonald’s?
A. The first McDonald’s was located in San Bernardino, California, United States.
Q. How old was Ray Kroc when he bought McDonald’s?
A. Ray Kroc was 52, 60 years ago, when he opened his first McDonald's franchise.
Q. How old is McDonald’s?
A. The original brand is 82 years old, while the franchise corporation was founded in 1955, making it 67 years old.
