Dick and Mac McDonald

Richard "Dick" McDonald (February 16, 1909 - July 14, 1998) and Maurice "Mac" McDonald (died 1971), were two early fast food pioneers, originally from New Hampshire, who established the first McDonald's restaurant in 1940.

Related Topics:
February 16 - 1909 - July 14 - 1998 - 1971 - Fast food - Pioneer - New Hampshire - McDonald's - 1940

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The brothers' first food venture was a hot-dog stand in Arcadia, California called the Airdome, opened in 1937. Using the profits generated, they closed it and opened their first restaurant, a barbecue drive-in named McDonalds', a small drive-in venture in San Bernardino, California, in 1940.

Related Topics:
Arcadia, California - 1937 - Restaurant - Drive-in - Venture - San Bernardino, California - 1940

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When the brothers realized that hamburgers were responsible for almost all their profits, they decided to concentrate on making them alone. Inspired by the assembly line of Henry Ford, in 1948 they closed their restaurant for several months, and pared service back to the essentials, offering a simple menu of hamburgers, french fries, and milkshakes, produced on a continuous basis (rather than made to order, as all restaurants had done) and with no substitutions offered. Food could thus be served nearly instantaneously. The carhops were fired; customers walked to a single window to place and receive their orders. They made the food preparation area visible to the customers, to exhibit its standards of cleanliness, and they eliminated all china and cutlery, serving only in paper bags.

Related Topics:
Hamburgers - Assembly line - Henry Ford - 1948 - French fries - Milkshakes

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The result was the "Speedee Service System." The brothers can arguably be said to have invented the modern fast-food restaurant, although similar ideas had already been implemented at White Castle and the similar Krystal. The food was not only served quickly, to a consistent standard; it was also cheap. A McDonald's hamburger cost only 15 cents, less than half of what it might cost at a typical diner.

Related Topics:
Fast-food restaurant - White Castle - Krystal - Diner

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The brothers also began franchising in 1953, beginning with Phoenix, Arizona. Franchised restaurants were built to a standard design featuring the Golden Arches, which in the early days were literally two arches, one on each side of the building.

Related Topics:
Franchising - 1953 - Phoenix, Arizona - Golden Arches

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In 1954 a milkshake salesman, Ray Kroc, became inspired by the evident finanial success of the brothers' concept, immediately grasping the restaurant's enormous potential. He partnered with the brothers, and within a few years turned their small restaurant into a huge franchise that would later become the McDonald's Corporation.

Related Topics:
1954 - Ray Kroc - McDonald's Corporation

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Kroc was not alone in seeing the potential of what the brothers had created; the Taco Bell and Burger King chains were founded by others who had visited McDonald's and attempted to duplicate it.

Related Topics:
Taco Bell - Burger King

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Kroc became frustrated with the brothers' willingness to accept their chain having a handful of restaurants; fearing that the restaurant had to expand massively to fill demand, before a competitor did. In 1961 he purchased the company from the brothers. Outraged at the one million dollars he had to pay each of them, he opened a new McDonald's restaurant near the original one (now renamed "The Big M" as they had neglected to retain rights to the name) to force it out of business.

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Although Kroc turned McDonald's into a global giant, its guiding principles remained largely unchanged from those the McDonald brothers had devised in 1948.

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Mac McDonald died of cancer in 1971.

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In 1984, Dick McDonald was served the ceremonial 50,000,000,000th (50 billionth) McDonald's burger, having cooked the first one (picture).

Related Topics:
1984 - Burger

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Richard McDonald died in Manchester, New Hampshire in 1998, at age 89.

Related Topics:
Manchester, New Hampshire - 1998

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Only part of the original sign remains of the first McDonald's, but plans exist for a company-sponsored museum.

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