Which McDonald's restaurant opened in 1955 and is often called the chain's first franchised location?

The McDonald's restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois, opened in 1955 and is often called the chain's first franchised location.

Ray Kroc opened the restaurant on April 15, 1955, after securing the rights to expand the McDonald brothers' operating system. Its design used the now-famous red-and-white color scheme and prominent Golden Arches, helping turn the restaurant itself into a recognizable branded object. The location became a model for the consistent appearance Kroc wanted across the growing chain.

The distinction between “first McDonald's” and “first franchised location” matters. Richard and Maurice McDonald opened their original restaurant in San Bernardino, California, in 1948. Kroc's Des Plaines restaurant was a later operation that helped launch the national franchise organization.

The Des Plaines building was eventually preserved as a museum site, although the original restaurant no longer operates as an ordinary McDonald's. This history is why different sources identify San Bernardino and Des Plaines for different “first” claims.