What was the name of Ray Kroc's first McDonald's restaurant, opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955?

Ray Kroc's first McDonald's restaurant, opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955, was called McDonald's Store No. 1.

The restaurant marked Kroc's first major step in building the McDonald's franchise system after he became interested in the efficient operation run by Richard and Maurice McDonald in San Bernardino, California. Its design and menu reflected the brothers' Speedee Service System.

The Des Plaines location is often described as Kroc's first McDonald's, but it was not the first restaurant operated by the McDonald brothers. Their original business predated it, and Kroc's location represented the beginning of his franchising and expansion era.

The building was later preserved as a museum and replica site. That distinction makes the store important in branding history: it connected the original restaurant concept with the standardized visual and operating system that would spread internationally.