The first McDonald’s restaurant opened in the Californian city of San Bernardino in 1940. Brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald came up with a completely new philosophy of customer service. They managed to implement a radically new approach to the restaurant business. They developed a simple menu and introduced a conveyor system of cooking inspired by Ford’s car factories. This allowed them to cook food quickly, reduce prices, and serve more customers. This innovative method became the prototype of the future global network that changed the world’s food culture.
In 1955, businessman Ray Kroc visited McDonald’s for the first time and, seeing the potential for franchising, took the position of a partner and began copying restaurants all over America – this is how the global McDonald’s was born. In 1961, Ray bought the rights to the brand from the McDonald brothers for $ 2.7 million, thereby becoming the full owner of McDonald’s.
He introduced strict standards for food preparation and created a Quality Control System. Thanks to this, personnel around the world were trained and adhered to high standards of preparation and service. Under his leadership, McDonald’s became a symbol of American culture and global consumption. Many love his retro style for its unique combination of optimism, futurism, and the aesthetics of freedom.
The first McDonald’s restaurants in Europe appeared in the 1970s. Their innovation was that McDonald’s often built their own buildings, had large halls, rooms for parties, and playgrounds. This was truly the first Open Space format, which introduced a loyal and friendly attitude to all visitors. When I was a kid, McDonald’s was a place to meet classmates, where we could chat, do homework together, or celebrate someone’s birthday.
Modern McDonald’s look practical and boring, which is why many travelers and locals of California return to the Oldest McDonald’s located at 10207 Lakewood Boulevard at Florence Avenue in Downey, California. It has been operating since 1953 and has retained the original design, which is now increasingly associated with the time of change, the space race, the cultural revolution, and faith in a better future.
It’s bright and futuristic design refreshes childhood memories, giving a completely new experience. Replacing the laconic, gray, and boring interior, it inspires positive colors that emphasize the romantic era of style of the 50s and 60s. Retro design and “atomic style” are probably coming back into fashion. Its teardrop shapes, smooth lines, furniture on thin legs, and streamlined silhouettes give things a sense of flight and novelty.
Now, thanks to Downey McDonald’s, we still have the opportunity to feel the spirit of a bygone era, to travel back 70 years and feel how time speaks through lines, shapes, and colors. And, of course, to experience the real taste of the classics: a juicy Big Mac, crispy French fries, tender Chicken McNuggets, and, of course, the legendary shake – a taste familiar from childhood.
