Ray Kroc opened the McDonald's restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955.
The Des Plaines location was Kroc's first McDonald's restaurant and became a key milestone in the chain's branding history. Kroc had become interested in the McDonald brothers' efficient restaurant system after supplying them with milkshake machines, then pursued the opportunity to expand the concept through franchising.
The restaurant used the McDonald's name and Golden Arches identity while presenting a standardized version of the brothers' operating model. Its opening helped establish the visual and commercial template that Kroc would reproduce across the United States.
The date is sometimes confused with 1940, when the McDonald brothers opened their original San Bernardino restaurant, or 1948, when they introduced their streamlined service system. Des Plaines represents Kroc's first restaurant, not the beginning of the McDonald brothers' business.