What was McDonald's first restaurant name before the brothers renamed it McDonald's?

McDonald's first restaurant name was McDonald's Bar-B-Q.

Richard and Maurice McDonald opened the original restaurant in San Bernardino, California, in 1940. It was a drive-in barbecue restaurant with carhop service, a format common in the United States at the time. The business used the family name and emphasized barbecue items rather than the limited, highly standardized menu later associated with McDonald's.

In 1948, the brothers closed the restaurant temporarily and reorganized it around a smaller menu and faster counter service. When it reopened, the business was known as McDonald's, reflecting the new Speedee Service System and its more focused operating model.

The earlier name is often overlooked because the global company is usually dated from later milestones, such as Ray Kroc's 1955 franchise organization. The original 1940 restaurant, however, is the starting point for the McDonald brothers' own restaurant business.