What was the name of McDonald’s original 1940 restaurant, before it became a hamburger-focused brand?

McDonald’s original 1940 restaurant was called McDonald’s Famous Barbecue.

Richard and Maurice McDonald opened the restaurant in San Bernardino, California, in 1940. Its early menu centered on barbecue, with carhop service and a broad selection of items. The brothers later reorganized the business around a much smaller menu and faster preparation system.

In 1948, the restaurant reopened after a major change in strategy. Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries, milkshakes, and soft drinks became the focus, while carhop service was replaced by counter ordering. This shift created the operating model that eventually became McDonald’s.

A common mix-up is treating the 1940 restaurant name as if it were the company’s later slogan or logo. It was the original business name, not the name of a mascot or advertising campaign. The later “Speedee Service System” helped define the brand’s identity, but it came after the barbecue restaurant’s opening.