The McDonald brothers named their simplified 1948 self-service restaurant McDonald's.
Maurice and Richard McDonald originally operated a barbecue restaurant in San Bernardino, California. In 1948, they closed it temporarily, removed most table-service items, and reopened with a smaller menu centered on hamburgers, fries, and milkshakes. The new operating model emphasized speed, low prices, and standardized preparation.
The business name came from the brothers' surname and the possessive form used in the restaurant brand. It should not be confused with the earlier McDonald's Bar-B-Q, which had offered a broader barbecue-focused menu. Ray Kroc later expanded the concept through franchising, but the original 1948 restaurant and name predated his involvement. The apostrophe in McDonald's is also part of the familiar written brand, even though some international signage and legal styles have varied.