What was the name of McDonald's barbecue restaurant before it became known for hamburgers in 1948?

Before McDonald's became hamburger-focused in 1948, its restaurant was called McDonald's Bar-B-Q.

Richard and Maurice McDonald opened their first restaurant in San Bernardino, California, in 1940. It was a drive-in barbecue restaurant with a broad menu and carhop service. The brothers later redesigned the business around speed, consistency, and a much smaller menu.

In 1948, they closed temporarily and reopened with a self-service format centered on hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries, milkshakes, and soft drinks. The change helped establish the operating model later known as the Speedee Service System.

The earlier name is sometimes confused with the later McDonald's brand. The Golden Arches and the modern restaurant identity came after this operational transformation, not before it.