McDonald's evolution from drive-in to global fast-food icon
McDonald's Corporation has over 36K restaurants in over 100 nations
McDonald's Corporation stands as a global leader in the fast-food industry.
Renowned for its diverse menu, the chain offers hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken, french fries, soft drinks, milkshakes, a variety of desserts, a vegan menu and more. In the world of fast-food, few names resonate as loudly as McDonald's.
Let's explore the captivating narrative of how two brothers transformed a humble drive-in into an international icon.
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1. The McDonald brothers
Brothers Richard, Dick, and Maurice, nicknamed Mac, McDonald moved to California, abandoning their New England roots in the 1920s. After a setback in the film industry, they found success in managing drive-in restaurants.
In 1940, the brothers relocated their restaurant to San Bernardino, California, naming it "McDonald's Bar-B-Q," primarily focused on barbecue food.
The cheapest items on the menu were a large Root Beer or a large Coca Cola which each cost 10 cents. Beef, ham or pork sandwiches with a side of fries cost a whopping 35 cents. The priciest item from the 1943 menu was a hamburger steak sandwich with fries, which would cost a person an unbelievable 60 cents.
The menu included a warning to customers titled, "Don't Be Misled" and read, "Other places advertise their meat as "barbecued," when it is merely cooked in a stove...You are welcome to see our meat while it is actually being barbecued in our own Barbecue Pit."
The McDonald's logo at a restaurant location in Indianapolis. (iStock / iStock)
In 1948, the brothers revamped their operation with the "Speedee Service System," an innovative model focused on speed and simplicity. This laid the foundation for the fast-food paradigm we know today, says the McDonald's website.
Recognizing the hamburger's popularity and profitability, they narrowed down the menu to include 15-cent hamburgers, cheeseburgers, french fries, shakes, soft drinks and apple pie.
The brothers chose to shorten the name to "McDonald's," before reopening their doors on Dec. 12, 1948, according to historyoffastfood.com.
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2. Going global
Ray Kroc, a milkshake machine salesman, entered the scene, captivated by the McDonald brothers' ingenuity. On April 15, 1955, the first McDonald's franchise opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, marking the beginning of a global phenomenon.
"Ray Kroc’s vision was that there would be 1,000 McDonald’s restaurants solely in the United States," says the McDonald's website.
A McDonald's Hamburgers vintage sign in Winter Haven, Florida. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The 1960s witnessed McDonald's crossing borders and taking its golden arches to international markets opening in Canada and Puerto Rico, according to the McDonald's website.
With the introduction of the Big Mac in 1968 and the Happy Meal in 1979, McDonald's not only expanded its menu, but also cemented its place in the hearts of people worldwide.
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3. McDonald's restaurant design
The McDonald brothers were adamant about having an eye-catching building that showcased their Speedee Service System. Architect Stanley Meson's creation, known as the "Red and White," exceeded their expectations.
To enhance the roofline, Dick McDonald incorporated the iconic "golden arches." This architectural design, introduced in 1953, remained in use until it was succeeded by the Mansard Roof design in the late 1960s, according to McDonald's website.
Facade of the oldest continuously operating McDonald's restaurant in the world, Downey, California, Dec. 26, 2023. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images / Getty Images)
During the 1970s, McDonaldland Parks (Play Places) and the drive-thru became integral additions to the restaurant.
The exterior of the Mansard underwent numerous alterations over the intervening years.
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4. McDonald's today
McDonald’s is presently in 119 countries, where it has more than 35,000 restaurants and where more than 68 million customers are served daily, reports historyoffastfood.com.
The restaurant chain recently opened a spin-off called CosMc's in December 2023 in Bolingbrook, Illinois.
Statistics reveal that the "small-format, beverage-centric" establishment experienced more than twice the foot traffic compared to the average McDonald's location chainwide in December 2023, as per insights from the business analytics platform Placer.ai.
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From the iconic arches to the diverse menu, McDonald's continues to evolve, leaving an indelible mark on the fast-food industry.