The single arch appeared on McDonald's restaurant signs before the joined Golden Arches logo.
The early McDonald's restaurant design used a pair of tall yellow arches as architectural features, but the single-arch form also appeared in signs and visual materials before the familiar joined “M” was adopted. These early arches belonged to the company's building identity rather than beginning as a conventional corporate logo.
In 1962, Jim Schindler combined the separate arches into the symbol now known worldwide. The change allowed the arches to function independently of the restaurant building and helped McDonald's maintain a consistent appearance as franchise locations multiplied.
The single arch is sometimes confused with Speedee, the chef character used in McDonald's earlier branding. Speedee represented the Speedee Service System and belonged to an earlier visual era; the arch developed from restaurant architecture and eventually became the dominant corporate mark.