Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald’s franchise location in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955.
Kroc had become interested in the McDonald brothers’ restaurant in San Bernardino, California, after supplying it with Multimixer machines. He obtained franchise rights and opened the Des Plaines restaurant as a model for a standardized national chain.
The building used a design associated with architect Stanley Meston’s Golden Arches concept. Its sign, red-and-white color scheme, and consistent food-service system helped establish visual features that customers would later associate with McDonald’s branding.
San Bernardino is a common alternative answer because it was the location of Richard and Maurice McDonald’s original restaurant. Oak Brook became McDonald’s corporate headquarters later, while Chicago is associated with the company’s broader history but not Kroc’s first franchise restaurant.