Which Illinois city opened McDonald’s first franchised restaurant in 1955?
Answer
Des Plaines
Des Plaines, Illinois, opened McDonald’s first franchised restaurant in 1955.
The restaurant was operated by Ray Kroc, who had become the company’s franchise agent after encountering the McDonald brothers’ successful San Bernardino operation. Kroc’s Des Plaines location helped demonstrate how a standardized McDonald’s restaurant could be reproduced in other communities.
The site is separate from the original McDonald brothers’ restaurant in San Bernardino, California. It is also separate from McDonald’s later corporate headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois.
The Des Plaines restaurant became an important branding milestone because consistent architecture, menus, service procedures, and signage made the McDonald’s identity recognizable beyond its original California location.