Des Plaines was home to Ray Kroc's first McDonald's franchise restaurant, opened in 1955.
Kroc's Des Plaines restaurant, located at 400 Lee Street, became a key model for the McDonald's brand. It used the Speedee Service System developed by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald, emphasizing a limited menu, assembly-line preparation, and fast service. The restaurant also helped establish the recognizable red-and-white architectural style associated with early McDonald's locations.
Although the McDonald brothers opened their first restaurant in San Bernardino, California, in 1940, Kroc's Des Plaines location was a pivotal step in building the nationwide franchise organization. It was not the first McDonald's restaurant overall, but it was the first opened by Kroc as part of the expansion that made the brand nationally prominent.
The original Des Plaines building was later reconstructed as a museum and is commonly called the McDonald's Store Museum. The site is therefore connected both with the company's franchise history and with the preservation of its early branding.