Which company name appeared on McDonald’s original 1940 restaurant sign?

McDonald’s original 1940 restaurant sign used the name McDonald’s Bar-B-Q.

Richard and Maurice McDonald opened the first restaurant in San Bernardino, California, in 1940. Its early branding reflected the drive-in barbecue concept that preceded the streamlined hamburger business associated with the later McDonald’s chain.

The sign is often remembered incorrectly as a hamburger-focused identity because modern McDonald’s branding is inseparable from burgers. The brothers changed direction in 1948, reducing the menu and emphasizing fast counter service, after which hamburgers became the core product.

This early name shows that McDonald’s branding was not fixed from the beginning. The company’s visual and verbal identity evolved alongside its operating model, moving from a barbecue drive-in toward a standardized fast-food system.