Who designed McDonald’s Golden Arches restaurant architecture in the 1950s?

Stanley Clark Meston designed McDonald’s Golden Arches restaurant architecture in the 1950s.

Meston was an architect based in Southern California. Working with McDonald’s brothers Richard and Maurice, he developed the distinctive freestanding restaurant design with two tall yellow arches at either side of the building. The arches were visible from the road and helped the restaurants stand out to passing motorists.

The design was first used for a McDonald’s restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona, which opened in 1953. The arches were originally architectural features rather than a standalone corporate logo. Their later importance grew as McDonald’s expanded and customers began associating the shape with the brand.

A common mix-up is crediting Ray Kroc with designing the arches. Kroc was the company’s early franchising leader and later its chief executive, but Meston was the architect responsible for the building concept. Jim Schindler later adapted the arches into the familiar “M” logo.