What was McDonald's original restaurant name when it opened in San Bernardino in 1940?

The original restaurant opened in 1940 was called McDonald’s Bar-B-Q.

Richard and Maurice McDonald established the business in San Bernardino, California, as a drive-in barbecue restaurant. Its early menu was broader than the focused menu later associated with McDonald’s, and carhops served customers at their vehicles.

In 1948, the brothers temporarily closed the restaurant and rebuilt the operation around a limited menu, counter service, and faster preparation. The business then became known for hamburgers, cheeseburgers, French fries, milkshakes, and the Speedee Service System. The original barbecue name is therefore an important reminder that McDonald’s did not begin as the streamlined hamburger chain familiar today.