Ray Kroc opened his 1955 McDonald's restaurant in Illinois.
The location was in Des Plaines, a suburb of Chicago. Kroc had become interested in the McDonald brothers' highly efficient restaurant operation after selling them Multimixer milkshake machines. He opened the Des Plaines restaurant as part of his plan to expand their system through franchising.
California remains central to McDonald's origins because the brothers opened their first restaurant in San Bernardino. However, the famous Kroc-era launch site was in Illinois, not California. This distinction separates the brand's founding restaurant from the restaurant that drove its national expansion.
The Des Plaines site later became a museum and historical landmark for the company. Its story connects McDonald's visual identity with the broader development of its franchise model and standardized restaurant design.