The first McDonald’s restaurant with Golden Arches opened in Downey, California, in 1953.
The Downey site was the third restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, who had introduced their faster, limited-menu service system in San Bernardino. Its freestanding design used two large yellow arches as visible roadside signs, helping motorists recognize the restaurant from a distance.
The Downey building is often called the oldest surviving McDonald’s restaurant. It is also commonly confused with the first McDonald’s location overall. The brothers’ original restaurant opened in San Bernardino in 1940, while the Downey building dates from 1953 and is the oldest surviving example of the recognizable arches design.
Ray Kroc began developing the national franchise business after joining the McDonald brothers in the 1950s. As the chain expanded, the arches became a central part of McDonald’s visual identity and eventually evolved into the company’s famous “M” logo.