Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald's franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955.
Kroc had become acquainted with Richard and Maurice McDonald after supplying their restaurant with Multimixer milkshake machines. He recognized that their standardized kitchen and limited menu could be expanded through franchising. Kroc opened his Des Plaines restaurant on April 15, 1955.
The location is closely tied to McDonald's later corporate branding. It served as a demonstration restaurant and was eventually preserved as a museum site. Kroc also established the company that became McDonald's Corporation, creating a structure for franchise development and national expansion.
Kroc is often called the founder of McDonald's in popular accounts, but that wording simplifies the history. The McDonald brothers created the original restaurant and service system. Kroc's major contribution was turning their regional operation into a large franchise organization, and he bought the business from them in 1961.