Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald's franchise location in 1955.
The restaurant opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, on April 15, 1955. Kroc had encountered the McDonald brothers' efficient California restaurant while selling machines capable of mixing multiple milkshakes at once. He saw that their standardized system could be replicated through franchising.
Kroc's first location helped transform McDonald's from a regional restaurant operation into a nationally expanding brand. It displayed the McDonald's name and service model while demonstrating how a franchise could follow consistent procedures and presentation.
The year 1955 is not the founding date of the brothers' original restaurant. They opened their first business in San Bernardino in 1940 and introduced their streamlined fast-food system in 1948. Kroc's role belongs to the later franchising and expansion phase.