Richard and Maurice McDonald open the first McDonald’s restaurant.

The first McDonald’s restaurant was founded in 1940 by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald in San Bernardino, California. Originally, it was a traditional drive-in called “McDonald’s Bar-B-Q,” featuring a broad menu and 25-item selection. However, in 1948, the brothers radically streamlined the business, pioneering what they called the “Speedee Service System”—a precursor to modern fast food. They focused on a limited menu of burgers, fries, and beverages, optimizing speed, consistency, and low prices. This innovative approach laid the groundwork for the fast-food industry as we know it. The model caught the attention of milkshake machine salesman Ray Kroc, who would later franchise the concept and transform McDonald’s into a global empire.