Red and white dominated the McDonald's restaurant design created in the 1950s.
The early standardized restaurants used a strongly contrasting red-and-white exterior, making them easy to spot from roads and highways. The design worked alongside the large yellow arches, which projected above the building and became an important visual attraction.
The color combination was part of a broader strategy of consistency. McDonald's restaurants were designed to look related even when they appeared in different locations, helping customers recognize the chain before entering.
Modern McDonald's restaurants use a wider range of materials and colors, including gray, brown, and glass. That later architectural variety can make the original red-and-white appearance easy to overlook, but it was central to the chain's early visual identity.