In which city did Ray Kroc open McDonald’s first franchised restaurant in 1955?

Ray Kroc opened McDonald’s first franchised restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955. The restaurant became the first outlet of the McDonald’s System that Kroc developed after encountering the McDonald brothers’ highly efficient operation.

The Des Plaines location was built to showcase standardized service, limited menu choices, and rapid preparation. Its opening helped demonstrate that the brothers’ San Bernardino restaurant format could be reproduced in other markets.

The original building was later demolished, but McDonald’s operated a replica and museum site nearby for many years. The site is remembered as a major milestone in the company’s transformation from a regional restaurant into a global franchise business.

San Bernardino is a frequent alternative answer because it was the location of Richard and Maurice McDonald’s original restaurant. Oak Brook later became McDonald’s corporate headquarters, but neither city answers the specific 1955 franchise question.