Richard and Maurice McDonald founded McDonald's in San Bernardino, California, in 1940.
The brothers opened a drive-in restaurant named McDonald's Bar-B-Q in 1940, then streamlined the operation in 1948 around a limited menu and fast counter service. This system became known as the Speedee Service System.
Ray Kroc was not the original founder. He became the brothers' franchising agent in 1954 and later bought the company in 1961. Kroc helped expand the brand nationally and internationally, which is why some accounts mistakenly credit him alone with founding McDonald's.
The first restaurant associated with the brothers' business was in San Bernardino, while the famous Golden Arches emerged during the company's later expansion. McDonald's headquarters moved to Chicago in 2018 after decades in Oak Brook, Illinois.