Who Invented McDonald's?

While many are the loyal customers of the McDonald's, not all of them are aware of who invented McDonald's. The concept of this fast food restaurant was developed by Mac and Dick Macdonald in 1940 when they shifted their hot dog stand from Monrovia Airport to the 14th and E Street in United States Route 66, San Bernadino, California. During that time, they realized that their hamburgers were selling like hot cakes. Eight years later, they finally changed their business by using the Speedee Service System. The system was to create a line of production on hamburgers made before they were ordered. The concept then conquered the industry and was totally in contrast to ordinary restaurants.

They created history by cutting out almost half of their competitors. The rapid growth of their business resulted in them reducing more costs and thus has been the key towards to McDonald's success. In 1953, Mac and Dick Macdonald decided to make their fast food restaurant into the franchise scheme. They met with Neil Fox and opened their first franchise restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona. At that very same year, the second and third restaurants were opened in Saginaw, Michigan and Downey, California.

Later on, in 1955, an entrepreneur named Ray Kroc made an arrangement with the two men who invented McDonald's to open up the McDonald's Systems Incorporation. His entry into the business made a great impact into the development of McDonald's. He open the ninth franchise restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois and further improved the sales until 1958 the company achieved the 100 millionth hamburger sold. In 1959, it was reported that more than 100 franchises have been opened.

To extend the business of the fast food restaurant, Kroc then launched their first billboard advertisement in 1959. He renamed the company to McDonald's Corporation in 1960 and bought up the Macdonald brothers in 1961. The negotiations were not done well and Kroc and the Macdonald brothers went separate ways. This news appeared to be incredibly awful in United States and the Macdonald's family even wrote about their deal with Kroc and promoted their side of the story.

In 1961, McDonald's Corporation established a Hamburger University to pioneer the training of franchise owners. This was to maintain the franchisees' loyalties due to the highly competitive market. The company continued with their business expansion and achieved its 100 billionth hamburger sold in 1963. The company's 500th franchise was opened in Toledo, Ohio.

In 1967, the first McDonald's restaurant was opened outside the United States in Richmond, British Columbia. There were franchises opening in other districts of the world in 1990s and 2000s.

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