They even buried some silver in the backyard as a hedge against bank closures. And so, after seven years in business, Dick and Mac sold the theater in and shifted industries from entertainment to food service. In the next town over, Monrovia, on a decade-old thoroughfare called Route 66, they crafted some borrowed lumber into an octagonal open-air food stand and cut a deal with Sunkist to buy fallen fruit, 20 dozen oranges for a quarter. Fortified by spectacle, satisfied day-trippers would then sidle over to the Airdrome to sate more basic needs, their thirst and hunger, with a fresh orange drink and a hot dog.
This venture was so successful that the brothers were able to import their parents from New Hampshire and open two more stands. The future, they were certain, involved appealing to drivers. Soon, they believed, the work week would shrink to under four days, leaving Americans with abundant leisure time in which to tool around in their cars—and stop to eat.
They dismantled their stand and ventured farther east, to the growing desert city of San Bernandino, or San Berdoo as locals called it, a long-established trading hub 60 miles outside of Los Angeles. Ever thrifty, Dick and Mac outfitted these ladies in usherette uniforms recycled from the Beacon, embellishing the already theatrical flourish of service to your window.
The declaration of armistice allowed the curtain to rise on an era of playful abandon, which suddenly swept over the most banal aspects of life. Americans had been banking both their money and their desire for fun, and now they were making up for lost time. By , 40 million cars jammed the roads. Taxes collected on fuel sales allowed the construction of wide new thoroughfares offering access to large swaths of America and new possibilities for adventures.
All this meant a need for expanded services: gas stations and restaurants and motels. The journey became as critical as the destination. Eating meals outside the home became not just socially acceptable but a sign of carefree affluence. Eating a meal delivered directly to the window of your beloved new vehicle punctuated the feeling car ownership allowed. Roads that had once been thick with orange groves were now dotted with quick-serve restaurants.
While once a mound of ground beef was considered to be a tasteless and suspect blob of glop, suddenly the hamburger was de rigueur. Drive-ins became minefields of unsavory behavior, filled with loitering teenagers who smoked and blasted the jukebox and engaged in sexual shenanigans in the parking lot with the hired help. Staff seemed to churn through a revolving door; employees would quit or no-show, regularly leaving their employers in the lurch. None of this served to diminish sales.
A steady flow of customers kept a cast of 20 carhops hopping and the parking lot, with room for vehicles, brimmed to capacity, the go-to place in town for the younger set. In the face of this success, in , Dick and Mac made the bold, perhaps foolish, decision to step back and reassess, closing their doors for a hiatus.
Today's Top Stories. Hulton Archive Getty Images. American Stock Archive Getty Images. Bill Johnson Getty Images. John Beard Getty Images. Fairfax Media Archives Getty Images. Bill Pierce. Images Press Getty Images.
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Barbara Alper Getty Images. Paul Natkin Getty Images. NBC Getty Images. Bettmann Getty Images. After World War II , drive-in competition in San Bernardino grew, and the McDonald brothers discovered something surprising about their barbecue restaurant: 80 percent of their sales came from hamburgers.
The brothers closed their doors for three months and overhauled their business as a self-service restaurant where customers placed their orders at the windows. They fired their 20 carhops and ditched their silverware and plates for paper wrappings and cups so that they no longer needed a dishwasher. According to Love, they simplified their menu to just nine items—hamburgers, cheeseburgers, three soft drink flavors in one ounce size, milk, coffee, potato chips and pie.
Each of its person crew specialized in specific tasks, and much of the food was preassembled. All hamburgers were served with ketchup, mustard, onions and two pickles, and any customers who wanted food prepared their way would have to wait. Easterbrook was then forced to step down as CEO after it was revealed he was involved in a relationship with an employee.
Easterbrook was replaced by Chris Kempczinski in November , and he has since attempted to rehabilitate the McDonald's image with his new Instagram account.
It's now an operating museum. By , McDonald's had sold million burgers. He now owned the exclusive brand name rights and operation of all McDonald's locations.
The first international franchise location opened in in British Columbia. Later that year, another opened in Costa Rica. The chain is not only widespread , but it's also been called the "most valuable" fast-food restaurant chain and the biggest quick-service restaurant in the world. The McDonald brothers wanted the design of their franchised restaurants to be eye-catching and highlight their "Speedee Service System," a predecessor of the drive-through model and fast food as a whole.
Architect Stanley Meson designed a red-and-white exterior that appealed to the brothers. However, Dick McDonald felt that the roof looked too flat, and added the now-famous yellow "golden arches. The oldest operating restaurant still featuring the original red-and-white design is located in Downey, California. The roof no longer features golden arches. Instead, some locations feature a yellow accent piece on otherwise modern buildings.
Speedee, a chef with a hamburger for a head, appeared on the signs alongside the brand's original logo of two interlocking golden arches. Ronald McDonald was first introduced in during a Washington, DC-marketed advertisement for the restaurant. His hat was a tray with a styrofoam hamburger, fries, and a milkshake on top of it. McDonald's considered changing the character of Ronald McDonald to a cowboy or spaceman, but those ideas were quickly thrown out. His signature costume included a red-and-white striped shirt, yellow jumpsuit, and red hair.
Ronald McDonald also became the primary symbol for the Ronald McDonald House , an organization founded by McDonald's in that provides housing for parents of a child with cancer near to the hospital, as well as medical care.
In regards to Ronald McDonald promoting unhealthy eating habits in children, Skinner claimed , "this is about choice. In , McDonald's announced that the brand would be revamping Ronald's look. He would now wear a red and white striped rugby shirt, yellow cargo pants, and a vest or jacket instead of the signature jumpsuit.
Despite Ronald McDonald being featured less frequently in McDonald's advertising nowadays, the chain has yet to officially retire the character. Future locations would switch to the walk-up model.
In , a franchisee in Arizona had an ingenious idea to introduce the drive-through window to his location after seeing competitors utilize it. Customers could now pull up and receive their food from their cars. In , Forbes reported that by , self-service kiosks would be available in all US McDonald's locations. McDonald's said it still has cashiers, but that the company found people take more time to browse and sometimes order more when using the machine.
The very first McDonald's menu was large.
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