Ray Kroc opened McDonald's first franchised restaurant in Illinois.
The restaurant opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955. Kroc had become interested in the McDonald brothers' efficient restaurant operation after becoming their milkshake-machine distributor. He then developed the franchise organization that expanded the McDonald's name far beyond its original California locations.
The Des Plaines restaurant was a key branding milestone because it demonstrated how a standardized design, menu, service routine, and visual identity could be reproduced by franchisees. It also became an important symbol of Kroc's role in building the modern corporation.
Illinois was not the birthplace of the McDonald brothers' business. Their original restaurant was in San Bernardino, California. The distinction between the brothers' first location and Kroc's first franchised location is central to McDonald's corporate history.