Who designed the Golden Arches for McDonald's first franchised restaurant sign in 1953?

Stanley Clark Meston designed the Golden Arches for McDonald's first franchised restaurant sign in 1953.

Meston was an architect who worked with McDonald's franchisee Neil Fox on the restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona. The design used two large yellow arches at opposite sides of the building, making the restaurant visible from the road and giving it a distinctive roadside identity.

The arches were originally architectural features rather than a standalone logo. Their shape later became the basis of McDonald's most recognizable brand symbol. In 1962, designer Jim Schindler combined the arches into the familiar golden M used in corporate branding.

A common mix-up is crediting Ray Kroc with designing the arches. Kroc expanded McDonald's nationally, but Meston created the original architectural design. The Phoenix restaurant's arches therefore predated the modern logo.