Phoenix opened the first McDonald's restaurant built with the brand's Golden Arches in 1953.
The restaurant was operated by franchisee Neil Fox, who opened it in Arizona using a building designed around the distinctive arch structures. The arches had first been developed as architectural features for McDonald's restaurants before becoming the company's best-known visual symbol.
This Phoenix location is an important step between the early San Bernardino restaurant and the later standardized McDonald's look. The arches were initially part of the building design rather than simply a flat logo printed on signs.
San Bernardino is often selected by mistake because it was the site of the McDonald brothers' original restaurant. Des Plaines is also associated with early McDonald's history because it housed Ray Kroc's first franchised restaurant in 1955.