Illinois was home to the first McDonald’s restaurant opened by Ray Kroc in 1955.
Kroc opened the location in Des Plaines, Illinois, after becoming involved with the McDonald brothers’ restaurant concept. The site served as an early demonstration of the standardized McDonald’s model that Kroc would expand through franchising.
The Des Plaines restaurant is distinct from the brothers’ original location in San Bernardino, California. The California restaurant came first historically, while the Illinois restaurant became central to the company’s later corporate expansion.
The Des Plaines site was eventually preserved as a museum and historical attraction, although the original building was later reconstructed after the restaurant itself closed.