Who designed the original McDonald’s restaurant arches used in the 1950s?

Stanley Clark Meston designed the original McDonald’s restaurant arches used in the 1950s.

Meston was the architect responsible for the distinctive building design associated with McDonald’s early expansion. His plans placed tall golden arches on opposite sides of the restaurant, making the buildings visible from the road and giving the chain a memorable appearance.

The arches served a practical advertising purpose before they became a corporate logo. Motorists could identify a McDonald’s restaurant from a distance, even before the company had the modern standardized sign system used today.

Meston is sometimes confused with Jim Schindler. Meston designed the architectural arches, while Schindler later adapted the idea into the 1962 Golden Arches logo.