Saturday, July 19, 2008

The History of McDonald's (Part 2)

(GPS: n34 07.520 w117 17.665)

1398 N. "E" Street, San Bernardino, CA

Continuing the "history that really, really, really matters." This is the area where brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald started the fast food restaurant that many know and love.
Last time I covered the oldest working McDonald's and mentioned some of the history there. You can look at the links below that give you most of the important stuff involved here. The brothers had been in the restaurant business for sometime, but decided to create a restaurant with the emphasis on making quick hamburgers.
Here is the little plaque noting the original site which is now a McDonald's museum and a historic Route 66 museum. Notice the original mascot, Speedee, on it.
This is a picture of the original menu. Click the picture to get a bigger view of it. I think you may be amused at some of the names they gave the food compared to what we have now. "Aristocratic Hamburgers?"
The second McDonald's was made in Phoenix, Arizona. It was the first one to use the golden arches.
Last time, in part 1, I showed the oldest working McDonald's in Downey which was next, but also has the golden arches. Eventually, Ray Kroc visited the Downey one, liked the idea, and purchased the franchise from the McDonald brothers. Ray started his restaurant in Chicago, Illinois:
For further information refer to these two links:
http://www.route-66.com/mcdonalds/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_and_Mac_McDonald