What name did the first McDonald’s restaurant use when it opened in San Bernardino in 1940?

The first McDonald’s restaurant used the name McDonald’s Bar-B-Q when it opened in San Bernardino, California, in 1940. Richard and Maurice McDonald established the drive-in restaurant as an early family business before the brand became a global fast-food chain.

The original operation was broader than the later hamburger-focused format. It served barbecue and other drive-in fare, with carhops bringing food to customers. The McDonald brothers later reorganized the business, removed most of the menu, and reopened with a faster self-service system centered on hamburgers, fries, and milkshakes.

This early name is often confused with later McDonald’s branding, including the Speedee character and the Golden Arches. Those identities emerged during subsequent stages of the company’s development. The San Bernardino restaurant is therefore important not only as the starting point of the business, but also as evidence that McDonald’s original concept and name differed substantially from the streamlined hamburger brand that followed.