Original Mc Donald's - 1953 - Downey, California

Built in 1953. This was taken nov 10 th 2014 still in business. 15 min north of Disneyland Calif


Il existe toujours (photos de 2014)

The McDonald's #1 Store Museum is housed in a replica of the former McDonald's restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois, opened by Ray Kroc in April 1955. The company usually refers to this as The Original McDonald's, although it is not the first McDonald's restaurant but the ninth; the first was opened by Dick and Mac McDonald in San Bernardino, California, in 1940, while the oldest McDonald's still in operation is the third one built, in Downey, California, which opened in 1953. However, the Des Plaines restaurant marked the beginning of future CEO Kroc's involvement with the firm. It opened under the aegis of his franchising company McDonald's Systems, Inc., which became McDonald's Corporation after Kroc purchased the McDonald brothers' stake in the firm.



The actual Des Plaines restaurant was demolished in 1984, but McDonald's realized they had a history to preserve, so they built a replica. With golden arches soaring over a glass and metal, red-and-white tiled exterior, the building largely follows the McDonald brothers' original blueprints, which they had introduced when they began franchising in 1953; a Phoenix, Arizona, restaurant was the first built in this manner. Kroc's restaurant was the first McDonald's built in a colder climate, and some adaptations were made to the design, including a basement and a furnace.

The entrance sign is original, with early cartoon mascot "Speedee," representing the innovative Speedee Service System, inspired by assembly-line production, the McDonald brothers had introduced in 1948. It has, however, been moved from its original location at the south end of the property. The sign boasts "We have sold over 1 million." The replica museum offers irregular summer hours and is often closed; tours are by appointment. The ground floor exhibits original fry vats, milkshake Multimixers (which Kroc had sold when he first encountered the San Bernardino McDonald's restaurant), soda barrels, and grills, attended to by a crew of male mannequins in 1950s uniforms. Visitors can walk in through the back or peek through the order windows in front (there was no sit-down restaurant section in 1955). In the basement is a collection of vintage ads, photos, and a video about McDonald's history.

The world's largest chain of fast food restaurants that serve around 68 million customers each day in 119 countries began operation in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant run by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald at 1398 North E Street at West 14th Street in San Bernardino, California. The original restaurant was named "McDonald's Famous Barbeque" and served over forty barbequed items.


McDonald Brother's store in San Bernadino, California

In October 1948, after the McDonald brothers realized that most of their profits came from selling hamburgers, they closed down their successful carhop drive-in to establish a streamlined system with a simple menu of just hamburgers, potato chips, and orange juice. The following year, French fries and Coca-Cola were added to the menu. This simplified menu and food preparation using assembly line principles allowed them to sell hamburgers for 15 cents, or about half as much as at a sit-down restaurant.



In 1953, the McDonald brothers began to franchise their successful restaurant, starting in Phoenix, Arizona and Downey, California; the latter is today the oldest surviving McDonald's restaurant. In 1954, the McDonald brothers licensed Ray Kroc, a seller of Multimixer milkshake machines, to setup McDonald restaurants throughout the country. Subsequently a new restaurant was opened in  Des Plaines, Illinois, near Chicago, on April 15, 1955, the same day that McDonald became a corporation. The company usually refers to this as The Original McDonald's as it marked the beginning of the phenomenal growth of the most popular fast food franchise in history.


Exterior shot of the first store in Des Plaines, Illinois

Original crew members in front of first store in Des Plaines, Illinois.




Both McDonalds at San Bernardino, California and Des Plaines, Illinois, now houses replica museum with exhibits such as the original fry vats, milkshake Multimixers, which Kroc had sold when he first encountered the San Bernardino McDonald's restaurant, soda barrels and grills, attended to by a crew of male mannequins in 1950s uniforms. Visitors can walk in through the back, or peek through the order windows in front. There is also a collection of vintage ads, photos and a video about McDonald's history.
http://www.amusingplanet.com/2012/09/worlds-first-mcdonald-restaurant.html