The Golden Arches were a McDonald’s restaurant design feature before becoming part of the company’s logo.
The arches were developed for early McDonald’s buildings as large yellow structures that could be seen by motorists. Their height and bright color made the restaurants distinctive at a distance, particularly along roads and in suburban commercial areas. The feature gave the chain a visual identity before the arches were treated as an abstract corporate mark.
Architect Stanley Clark Meston designed the Speedee Service System restaurant buildings associated with the arches. In 1962, Jim Schindler combined the two arches into the familiar “M” logo. This transition changed the arches from an architectural element into a symbol that could be reproduced on signs, wrappers, advertisements, and merchandise.
The phrase “Golden Arches” therefore refers both to the original building elements and, by extension, to McDonald’s corporate identity. They are not simply a nickname for the company’s yellow color, and they should not be confused with the separate red-and-yellow restaurant color scheme.