Yellow was used for the first McDonald's restaurant sign featuring the Golden Arches in Downey, California.
The Downey restaurant opened in 1953 and is the oldest surviving McDonald's restaurant. Its prominent yellow arches formed part of the early roadside identity that helped motorists recognize the restaurant from a distance. The arches were architectural features before they became the company's simplified corporate logo.
The term “Golden Arches” refers to the yellow color as well as the arch shape. The original building included two arches, one on each side of the restaurant, rather than only the single M-shaped mark commonly seen in later branding.
The Downey site is often discussed alongside the later logo designed by Jim Schindler in 1962. These are related but distinct: the Downey arches are part of a surviving 1950s building, while Schindler's design converted the architectural idea into a graphic corporate symbol.