Who designed the McDonald's restaurant buildings whose arches inspired the Golden Arches symbol?

Stanley Clark Meston designed the McDonald's restaurant buildings whose arches inspired the Golden Arches symbol.

Meston was an architect who worked with McDonald's in the 1950s, when the company was developing a distinctive building design for its expanding drive-in restaurants. His design used tall yellow arches on either side of the building, making the locations highly visible to passing motorists.

The arches were not initially created as a corporate logo. They were architectural elements that became associated with the restaurant chain through repeated use. Their later combination into an “M” transformed the building design into a portable graphic identity.

Ray Kroc is often connected with McDonald's expansion, but he did not design the buildings. Richard and Maurice McDonald founded the original restaurant operation, while Meston supplied the influential architectural design.