Primo McDonald’s al mondo: storia, proprietario e fatturato
First McDonald’s in the world: history, owner and turnover
The history of McDonald’s begins long before the Golden Arches became an international symbol. From a local restaurant with a fairly wide offering, the company gradually transformed into a chain based on speed, simplicity and standardized procedures. Today, McDonald’s has a presence in numerous markets and generates billions of dollars in sales, but its origins date back to a small business that started in California.
Where was the first McDonald’s in the world born?
The world’s first McDonald’s was opened in 1940 by brothers Richard “Dick” McDonald and Maurice “Mac” McDonald in San Bernardino, California. Initially it was called McDonald’s Bar-B-Q and was a traditional American drive-in, with service directly to cars and a more extensive menu than the one that would make the brand famous.
In 1948 the two brothers temporarily suspended the activity to completely reorganize the restaurant. When they reopened, they introduced the Speedee Service System, a method designed to prepare and serve orders quickly.
The offer was concentrated on nine essential products, including hamburgers, cheeseburgers, soft drinks, milk, coffee, chips and cake. In 1949, French fries replaced packaged fries and smoothies arrived. This gradual transformation laid the foundation for the modern fast-food model.
The role of Ray Kroc
In 1954, Ray Kroc, then a salesman of professional blenders, visited the McDonald brothers’ restaurant. He was impressed by the speed of the service and the possibility of replicating the system in other cities.
On April 15, 1955, he opened his first restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois, belonging to McDonald’s System Inc., the predecessor of today’s McDonald’s Corporation. For this reason, the Des Plaines establishment is sometimes referred to as the “first McDonald’s”, even though the brothers’ original restaurant had already been active since 1940.
In 1961, Kroc bought the rights to the McDonald brothers’ company for $2.7 million. In the following years, the offer continued to expand with products that became iconic: the Filet-O-Fish entered the US national menu in 1965, the Big Mac in 1968, the Quarter Pounder in 1973 and the Chicken McNuggets in 1983.
Who is McDonald’s owner?
Those who search for “McDonald’s owner” should know that today there is no single individual owner. The brand belongs to McDonald’s Corporation, a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MCD. Ownership is then distributed among institutional shareholders and private investors.
Ray Kroc is considered the decisive figure in the expansion of the chain, but he is not its original founder. The founders were Dick and Mac McDonald, while Kroc developed the franchise system and turned the business into an international enterprise.
In addition, many restaurants are not operated directly by the company. They operate through independent franchisees, who use the McDonald’s brand and system by paying rents, rents and commissions to the corporation.
How much does McDonald’s bill?
To the question “How much does McDonald’s invoice” it is necessary to distinguish between corporate revenues and overall sales of the system.
In 2025 McDonald’s Corporation recorded:
- $26.885 billion in consolidated revenue;
- $139.4 billion in total system sales;
- $8.563 billion in net income.
System sales include receipts from directly operated and franchised restaurants. They therefore do not correspond entirely to the turnover accounted for by McDonald’s Corporation. Corporate revenues are mainly derived from sales of company premises and rents, royalties and commissions paid by franchisees.
Da ristorante locale a marchio globale
McDonald’s è cresciuto grazie a un modello facilmente replicabile, fondato su procedure uniformi, riconoscibilità e servizio rapido. Anche la sua offerta non nacque nella forma attuale: partì da pochi prodotti centrali e si sviluppò nel tempo seguendo abitudini, occasioni di consumo e preferenze locali.
La storia del primo ristorante dimostra quindi che il successo del marchio non dipese soltanto dall’hamburger, ma dalla capacità di trasformare una piccola attività californiana in un sistema organizzato su scala mondiale.