What product was Ray Kroc selling when he first visited the McDonald brothers' restaurant?

Ray Kroc was selling milkshake mixers when he first visited the McDonald brothers’ restaurant. He worked as a salesman for Prince Castle, a food-service equipment company whose Multi-Mixers could prepare several milkshakes at once.

In 1954, Kroc became curious after learning that Richard and Maurice McDonald had purchased eight of his machines for their San Bernardino, California, restaurant. Most customers did not need that many mixers, so Kroc traveled there to see what was happening. He found an unusually efficient operation built around a short menu, fast service, and the brothers’ Speedee Service System.

The visit changed the direction of Kroc’s career. He persuaded the brothers to let him develop McDonald’s franchises outside territories they had already assigned. Kroc later bought the company in 1961 and drove its national expansion.

A common mix-up is calling Kroc a burger salesman or saying he invented McDonald’s. The brothers founded and operated the original restaurant; Kroc’s distinctive role began as a salesman who recognized the potential of their unusually high-volume business.