McDonald’s was founded by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald.
The brothers opened a restaurant in San Bernardino, California, and later developed the Speedee Service System, which simplified food preparation and emphasized standardized, quickly served menu items. Their operating model became a major influence on the modern fast-food industry.
Richard and Maurice McDonald are often confused with Ray Kroc, who did not found the original restaurant. Kroc was a milkshake-mixer salesman who became the company’s franchising agent and later built McDonald’s into a global corporation. The distinction is important: the brothers created the restaurant system, while Kroc drove its large-scale expansion.
The original business began as a drive-in restaurant in 1940. In 1948, the brothers reorganized it around a limited menu and counter service. That change helped establish the highly repeatable format later copied by many restaurant chains.