In McDonald's branding history, who designed the original Golden Arches restaurant concept?

Stanley Clark Meston designed the original Golden Arches restaurant concept for McDonald's.

Meston was an architect working with McDonald's founders Richard and Maurice McDonald on the design of their San Bernardino restaurant. The brothers wanted a building that would be highly visible from the road, and Meston developed the distinctive yellow arches that rose above the roofline. Structural engineer Charles Fish also contributed to the design.

The arches were not initially intended as a complete corporate logo. They were part of a carefully planned drive-in restaurant building, alongside features such as a streamlined form and a prominent sign. Their visual power eventually made them useful as a standalone brand mark.

Ray Kroc is often associated with McDonald's branding because he expanded the company nationally, but he did not design the original arches. The familiar arches-as-“M” logo emerged later, after the architectural concept had already been established.