Which McDonald’s restaurant opened in 1955 and is widely called the company’s first franchised location?

The Des Plaines, Illinois, restaurant opened in 1955 and is widely called McDonald’s first franchised location.

Ray Kroc opened the Des Plaines restaurant on April 15, 1955, after becoming involved with the McDonald brothers’ restaurant system. It was the ninth McDonald’s restaurant overall, but it became an important model for the company’s franchise expansion and brand standardization.

The location is often confused with the original McDonald’s restaurant in San Bernardino, California. The San Bernardino site was opened by Richard and Maurice McDonald in 1940 and was the birthplace of the business. Des Plaines was instead the pivotal early franchise associated with Kroc’s expansion strategy.

The Des Plaines building later became a museum and was reconstructed as a replica after the original structure was demolished. Its significance comes from franchising and expansion, not from being the first McDonald’s restaurant ever opened.