McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. McDonald's restaurants are found in 119 countries and territories around the world. McDonald's primarily sells hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken, french fries, breakfast items, soft drinks, shakes and desserts (cakes, biscuits, gelatin, pastries, ice cream, pies, candies and Fruit). According to Interbrand, McDonald's is now the sixth most valuable brand in the world, with a market capitalization of more than $77 billion.
McDonalds was established by Patrick McDonald, he first opened a restaurant in Monrovia, California in 1937 and named it Airdrome. After 3 years Patrick invited his two sons Maurice and Richard (Mac and Dick), to help with the flipping of the burgers. His sons thought of changing the business location, so they moved the building 64 km to be finally located in San Bernardino, California. The restaurant was renamed "McDonald's."
After running it successfully for 11 years, they decided to improve it. They wanted to make food faster, sell it cheaper and spend less time worrying about replacing cooks and car hops (is a waiter or waitress who brings food to people in their cars at drive-in restaurants). The brothers closed the restaurant and redesigned its food-preparation area to work less like a restaurant and more like an automobile assembly line. Their old drive-in had already made them moneyed, but the new restaurant - which became McDonald's - made the brothers renowned. Restaurateurs traveled from all over the country to imitate their system of fast food preparation, which they called the Speedee Service System, which they introduced in 1948. The original mascot of McDonald's was a man with a chef's hat on top of a hamburger shaped head whose name was "Speedee” and later by 1967 this was replaced with Ronald McDonald when the company first filed a U.S. trademark on a clown shaped man having puffed out costume legs.
In 1954, Ray Kroc a paper cup salesman and a multi-mixer salesman was amazed by a huge order for 8 multi-mixers from a restaurant in San Bernardino, California. There he found a small but booming restaurant run by brothers Dick and Mac McDonald, and was surprised by the effectiveness of their business. They produced a limited menu, focused on just a few items; burgers, fries and beverages, which allowed them to focus on quality at every step. Ray sold them their milkshake machines and wanted to know if the McDonald brothers would be interested in selling him the franchise rights to their restaurant. Kroc suggested that they expand their restaurants throughout the country. When they hesitated to take on this additional load, Kroc volunteered to do it for them. Ray Kroc became the first franchisee appointed by Mac and Dick McDonald. After Kroc was able to get the contract with the McDonald brothers, he opened his first restaurant in Des Plaines Illinois on April 15 1955.
McDonald's becomes known for the motto (Q.S.C. & V.) Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value. Ray Kroc personally delivered free hamburgers to Salvation Army workers in Chicago during Christmas. In 1958 McDonald's sold its 100 millionth hamburger and Fred Turner becomes Vice President of the company. In 1960, the McDonald's advertising campaign "Look for the Golden Arches" gave sales a large increase. Kroc believed that advertising was an investment that would return with huge profits, and advertising has always played a key role in the development of the McDonald's Corporation.
In 1961, Ray Kroc bought all rights to the McDonald's concept from the McDonald's brothers for $2.7 million, aiming at making McDonald's the number one fast-food chain in the country. Ray launched a training program, later called Hamburger University. There, franchisees and operators were trained in the scientific methods of running a successful McDonald’s. It also had a research and development laboratory to develop new cooking, freezing, storing and serving methods. Today, more than 80,000 people have graduated from the program. In 1968, McDonald's opened its 1,000th restaurant. Kroc became chairman and remained CEO until 1973 when he let Fred L. Turner to become the company's president and chief administrative officer. Kroc was a firm believer in giving something back into the community where you do business. So, in 1974 he opened a Ronald McDonald House, to find and support programs that directly improve the health and well being of children across the world
In 1976 President and Chief Executive Fred Turner was named Chairman of the Board of Directors succeeding Ray Kroc, who was named Senior Chairman.
The End of a Legend Right up until he died on January 14, 1984, Ray Kroc never stopped working for McDonald's. Even when he was confined to a wheelchair, he still went to work in the office nearly every day. He would keep an eye over the McDonald's restaurant near his office, phoning the manager to remind him to pick up the trash, clean his lot, and turn on the lights at night.
