Ray Kroc opened the first restaurant operated by the McDonald's System in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955.
Kroc was a milkshake-mixer salesman who became interested in the McDonald brothers' highly efficient restaurant operation. He secured franchise rights and opened the Des Plaines location, using it as a model for expansion and standardized presentation.
The brothers had already opened their original restaurant in San Bernardino in 1940, so Kroc did not found the original McDonald's restaurant. Instead, his major role was turning the brothers' local system into a national and later international chain.
The Des Plaines restaurant closed as an operating location and was later represented by a museum. Kroc's company purchased the brothers' business in 1961, further consolidating control of the brand.