Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald’s restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955.
Kroc was a milkshake-mixer salesman who became interested in the McDonald brothers’ unusually efficient restaurant operation. He obtained the rights to franchise their system and opened a new location at 400 Lee Street in Des Plaines. The restaurant used the McDonald’s name and visual style while demonstrating that the standardized format could be expanded beyond California.
The Des Plaines restaurant became an important branding landmark because it connected the local McDonald brothers’ business with the national chain that followed. Kroc’s location featured the recognizable arches and a carefully controlled menu and operating system. It later closed as a working restaurant, but a reconstructed version now stands at the site as a museum.
Oak Brook is a frequent answer because McDonald’s corporate headquarters were located there for many years. Chicago is also associated with the company’s history, but Des Plaines is the specific Illinois town tied to Kroc’s first restaurant.