Which fast-food chain was founded by Ray Kroc?

The fast-food chain founded by Ray Kroc was McDonald’s.

Kroc did not create the original hamburger restaurant by himself. Brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald opened a hamburger stand in San Bernardino, California, in 1940 and later developed an unusually efficient “Speedee Service System.” Their streamlined kitchen emphasized a limited menu, fast preparation, and consistent portions.

Ray Kroc was a milkshake-mixer salesman who visited the brothers in 1954 after learning that their restaurant used several Multimixers. Impressed by the operation, he became the company’s franchise agent. In 1955, Kroc opened a McDonald’s restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois, and built the standardized franchising system that drove the brand’s national expansion.

A common mix-up is calling Kroc the sole original founder. The brothers founded the restaurant business, while Kroc is widely credited as the founder of McDonald’s Corporation and the person who transformed it into a global chain. He acquired the brothers’ business in 1961.