Which McDonald's restaurant opened in 1955 as the first franchised location of the modern chain?

The first franchised location of the modern McDonald's chain opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955. Ray Kroc opened the restaurant while expanding the McDonald brothers' operating model through franchising.

The McDonald brothers had already established their original restaurant in San Bernardino, California, in 1940 and had developed the Speedee Service System. Kroc's Des Plaines restaurant represented a new stage: a systematic national expansion based on standardized operations and branding.

The Des Plaines site is often confused with the San Bernardino restaurant. San Bernardino was the brothers' original location, while Des Plaines was Kroc's first franchise restaurant and an important landmark in the chain's growth.

The Des Plaines building later became a museum-style reconstruction and interpretation site. Its significance comes from the connection between franchising, standardized design, and the rise of the McDonald's brand.