The McDonald brothers reopened their streamlined self-service restaurant system in 1948.
Richard and Maurice McDonald temporarily closed their San Bernardino restaurant while changing its operating model. They reduced the menu, removed carhop service, introduced counter ordering, and concentrated on food that could be prepared quickly and consistently.
This 1948 relaunch was a major branding and business turning point. The restaurant became associated with speed, standardized production, and a focused selection of popular items. The system later influenced the way McDonald's presented itself to customers and franchisees.
The year is sometimes confused with 1955, when Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald's franchise restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois. The brothers' original operational transformation came earlier, in 1948, before Kroc's major expansion of the brand.