What was the name of Ray Kroc’s company when he began franchising McDonald’s in 1955?

Ray Kroc’s company was called McDonald’s System, Inc. when he began franchising McDonald’s in 1955.

Kroc created the company after becoming interested in the McDonald brothers’ highly standardized restaurant operation. The system emphasized fast service, limited menu items, consistent preparation, and a recognizable restaurant format—principles that became central to McDonald’s branding.

The name is often mixed up with McDonald’s Corporation, the later corporate name, or with Speedee Service System, the brothers’ earlier operating concept. McDonald’s System, Inc. referred to Kroc’s franchising organization during this formative period.

Kroc opened a McDonald’s restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955. His franchising structure helped transform a regional restaurant concept into a standardized national brand, with signs, packaging, uniforms, and customer experience designed to feel familiar across locations.