What was the original name of the McDonald brothers’ 1940 restaurant in San Bernardino?

The original name of the McDonald brothers’ 1940 restaurant in San Bernardino was McDonald’s Bar-B-Q.

Richard and Maurice McDonald opened the restaurant in 1940 on U.S. Route 66 in San Bernardino, California. It began as a drive-in barbecue restaurant, with carhop service and a substantially broader menu than the later hamburger-focused operation.

In 1948, the brothers closed the restaurant temporarily and reorganized it around a smaller menu, self-service, and a faster production method. Hamburgers, fries, and milkshakes became central to the new format. This change created the operating model that later attracted Ray Kroc’s attention.

The original name is often overlooked because the company’s global identity is associated with hamburgers rather than barbecue. It is also distinct from later names and slogans connected with the Speedee Service System. The San Bernardino site is now associated with the McDonald’s history museum and replica restaurant.