McDonalds - Animated History

Summary

In the late 1930s, the McDonald brothers shifted from New Hampshire to California, opening a food stand that evolved into McDonald's, focusing on a streamlined menu of burgers and fries. They revolutionized the industry with an assembly line kitchen and self-service model. In 1954, Ray Kroc joined, introducing the golden arches design and franchising the concept nationwide. By the 1960s, McDonald's expanded rapidly, becoming a global fast-food giant with iconic products like the Big Mac and Happy Meals, and by the early 21st century, operated over 35,000 outlets worldwide.

Takeaways

• 🏠 In the late 1930s, the McDonald family relocated from Manchester, New Hampshire to Hollywood, California.
• 👨‍🔧 Richard and Maurice McDonald initially worked as handymen at motion picture studios.
• 🍔 Their father, Patrick McDonald, opened an air dome food stand on Huntington Drive, which later added hamburgers to its menu.
• 🔄 In 1947, the McDonald brothers streamlined their menu to focus on hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and other select items, leading to a more efficient operation.
• 🏠 The restaurant underwent a significant redesign in 1952, aiming for efficiency and a distinctive appearance, including the iconic golden arches.
• 📈 Marketing strategies were implemented to transform McDonald's into a fast-food chain, including measures to speed up service and dining.
• 🤝 The first McDonald's franchise opened in Phoenix, Arizona in 1953, with the second one opening shortly after in Downey, California.
• 🌐 Ray Kroc joined McDonald's in 1954 and played a pivotal role in expanding the brand into a global franchise.
• 📈 Rapid growth characterized McDonald's in the following decades, with innovations like the Big Mac, Egg McMuffin, and Happy Meals contributing to its success.
• 🌟 By the early 21st century, McDonald's had become the world's most successful fast-food corporation, with over 35,000 outlets in more than 100 countries.

Q & A

When did the McDonald family move from Manchester, New Hampshire to Hollywood, California?

The McDonald family moved from Manchester, New Hampshire to Hollywood, California in the late 1930s.

What was the initial food item sold at the air dome food stand opened by Patrick McDonald?

Hot dogs were one of the first items sold at the air dome food stand.

What was the cost of hamburgers when they were first added to the menu at McDonald's?

Hamburgers were added to the menu at a cost of 10 cents.

In what year did the McDonald brothers streamline their menu to focus on hamburgers and other select items?

The McDonald brothers streamlined their menu in 1947.

What were the two main goals the McDonald brothers had when they decided to build a new restaurant in 1952?

The two main goals were to achieve further efficiency improvements and a more eye-catching appearance.

Who was the architect chosen by the McDonald brothers to design the new restaurant?

Stanley Clark Meston was the architect chosen to design the new restaurant.

What was the significance of the golden arches design in the McDonald's branding?

The golden arches design achieved a high level of noticeability and became a key part of McDonald's branding.

Who was the first franchisee of the McDonald's system with the new golden arches design?

Neil Fox was the first franchisee of the McDonald's system with the golden arches design.

In what year did Ray Kroc join the McDonald's chain?

Ray Kroc joined the McDonald's chain in 1954.

What was the name of the first McDonald's restaurant opened by Ray Kroc?

The first McDonald's restaurant opened by Ray Kroc was in Des Plaines, Illinois.

What was the growth rate of McDonald's in the 1990s?

In the 1990s, McDonald's grew so swiftly that a new restaurant opened somewhere in the world every five hours.

Outlines

00:00

🍔 The Birth and Evolution of McDonald's

The McDonald family relocated from Manchester, New Hampshire to Hollywood, California in the late 1930s. Brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald started as handymen in motion picture studios, while their father, Patrick McDonald, opened 'The Air Dome' on Huntington Drive near the Monrovia Airport. Initially selling hot dogs, they soon added hamburgers for 10 cents each. In 1947, the McDonald brothers streamlined their menu to focus on hamburgers, cheeseburgers, potato chips, coffee, soft drinks, and apple pie. The following year, they replaced potato chips and pie with french fries and milkshakes, and eliminated car hubs to create a self-service model. The restaurant's name was changed to 'McDonald's' in 1948. Seeking further efficiency and a distinctive appearance, they hired architect Stanley Clark Meston, who designed the iconic red and white tiled buildings with neon-trimmed 'Golden Arches.' The brothers implemented innovative marketing strategies to transform McDonald's into a fast-food chain, including measures to speed up service and dining. In 1953, they began franchising, with their first franchisee opening in Phoenix, Arizona. The oldest surviving McDonald's, opened by a franchisee in Downey, California, has never been required to comply with corporate remodeling requests. Ray Kroc joined the company in 1954, recognizing the potential of the McDonald's system, and began franchising nationwide. His first restaurant opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955, and he later resolved a conflict over franchise rights in Cook County, Illinois. Under Kroc's leadership, McDonald's expanded rapidly, with over 34 restaurants by 1958 and over 1,000 by the end of the decade. The company went public in 1965, and its product lineup and branding, including the Big Mac, Egg McMuffin, Happy Meals, and chicken nuggets, became synonymous with the McDonald's brand.

05:01

🌐 McDonald's Global Expansion and Success

McDonald's experienced rapid growth in the 1990s, with a new restaurant opening every five hours, making it the most popular family restaurant. It emphasized affordable food, fun, and flavors that appealed to both children and adults. By 1988, McDonald's had reached 10,000 restaurants and, by the early 21st century, operated over 35,000 outlets in more than 100 countries. The brand continued to expand both domestically and internationally, entering Canada in 1967. The video concludes by inviting viewers to explore more of their animated history shows and to engage with the content by liking, sharing, and subscribing.

Keywords

💡McDonald's

McDonald's is a global fast-food chain known for its burgers, fries, and other menu items. In the context of the video, it traces the origins of the McDonald's brand from a small food stand in California to a worldwide franchise. The video discusses how the McDonald brothers, Richard and Maurice, transformed their business into a streamlined operation focused on efficiency and a simple menu, which became the foundation of the McDonald's we know today.

💡Hamburger

A hamburger is a popular type of sandwich consisting of one or more cooked patties of ground meat, usually beef, placed inside a sliced bread roll. In the video, it is highlighted that hamburgers were one of the first items sold by the McDonald family's food stand and later became the primary focus of their menu, leading to the simplification of their offerings and the establishment of the McDonald's brand.

💡Franchise

A franchise is a business model where a company, known as the franchisor, licenses its business model and brand to another entity, known as the franchisee. In the video, the McDonald brothers sought to expand their business through franchising, which allowed other entrepreneurs to operate under the McDonald's brand, leading to rapid growth and the establishment of the chain as a global fast-food giant.

💡Ray Kroc

Ray Kroc was an American businessman who played a pivotal role in expanding McDonald's into a national and then global franchise. The video describes how Kroc, initially a seller of multi-mixer milkshake machines, became interested in the McDonald brothers' business model and eventually took over the franchising rights, leading to the explosive growth of McDonald's.

💡Efficiency

Efficiency in a business context refers to the ability to produce the maximum output with the minimum input. The video emphasizes how the McDonald brothers focused on streamlining their operations to maximize efficiency, setting up their kitchen like an assembly line and simplifying their menu, which became a hallmark of the fast-food industry and a key factor in McDonald's success.

💡Assembly Line

An assembly line is a manufacturing process in which parts of a product are added sequentially at workstations as the product moves down the line. In the video, the McDonald brothers are noted to have set up their kitchen like an assembly line to ensure maximum efficiency, which was a novel approach in the food service industry and contributed to the fast preparation of food, a defining feature of fast-food chains.

💡Golden Arches

The Golden Arches are the signature 'M' logo of McDonald's, symbolizing the brand worldwide. The video discusses how the McDonald brothers, in collaboration with architect Stanley Clark Meston, designed the new restaurants with gleaming red and white ceramic tiles and the distinctive yellow sheet metal arches trimmed in neon, which became the iconic Golden Arches and a symbol of the brand's identity.

💡Fast Food

Fast food refers to food prepared and served quickly, typically in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to customers in a packaged form for take-out/takeaway. The video narrates the transformation of McDonald's from a sit-down restaurant to a fast-food chain, emphasizing the speed of service and convenience, which are central to the fast-food industry.

💡Franchisee

A franchisee is an individual or entity that enters into a franchise agreement with a franchisor to operate a business under the franchisor's brand and system. In the video, the first franchisee of McDonald's was Neil Fox, and the second was a team that included Fox's brother-in-law. These franchisees played a role in expanding the brand beyond the original location in California.

💡Menu Simplification

Menu simplification refers to the process of reducing the number of items on a menu to streamline operations and improve efficiency. The video describes how the McDonald brothers initially offered a wide range of barbecue items but later simplified their menu to just a few items, including hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and later french fries and milkshakes, which was a strategic move to increase efficiency and focus on their most popular items.

💡Self-Service

Self-service in a restaurant context means that customers serve themselves, typically by ordering at a counter and picking up their food. The video mentions that the McDonald brothers eliminated car hubs and made their restaurant a self-service operation, which was a significant change from the traditional sit-down service model and contributed to the speed and efficiency that are characteristic of fast-food chains.

Highlights

The McDonald family moved from Manchester, New Hampshire to Hollywood, California in the late 1930s.

Brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald started as handymen at motion picture studios.

Patrick McDonald opened an air dome food stand on Huntington Drive, Route 66 near Monrovia Airport.

Hamburgers were added to the menu at a cost of 10 cents with unlimited orange juice for five cents.

The restaurant was renamed McDonald's Barbecue with a menu of 25 items, mostly barbecue.

In 1947, the McDonald brothers streamlined their menu to focus on hamburgers, cheeseburgers, potato chips, coffee, soft drinks, and apple pie.

Potato chips and pie were replaced with french fries and milkshakes after the first year.

The car hubs were eliminated, transitioning the restaurant to a self-service model.

The kitchen was set up like an assembly line for maximum efficiency.

The restaurant's name was changed to simply McDonald's in 1948.

In 1952, a new building was designed for efficiency and appearance by architect Stanley Clark Meston.

The new design featured red and white ceramic tiles and the iconic golden arches.

Marketing techniques were implemented to transform McDonald's into a fast-food chain.

The first franchisee, Neil Fox, opened a McDonald's in Phoenix, Arizona, in May 1953.

The oldest surviving McDonald's restaurant opened in Downey, California, in August 1953.

Ray Kroc joined the chain in 1954 and played a key role in expanding it into a global franchise.

Kroc's first McDonald's restaurant opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, in April 1955.

The Des Plaines restaurant established the color scheme that would be used for all McDonald's franchises.

McDonald's grew rapidly, reaching 34 restaurants in 1958 and 1004 by the end of the decade.

The company's stock began trading publicly in 1965.

Innovative products like the Big Mac, Egg McMuffin, Happy Meals, and chicken nuggets were introduced.

McDonald's expanded to Canada in 1967 and reached 10,000 restaurants by 1988.

By the early 21st century, McDonald's operated over 35,000 outlets in more than 100 countries.

A new McDonald's opened somewhere in the world every five hours during the 1990s.

Transcripts

in the late 1930s the McDonald family

moved from Manchester New Hampshire to

Hollywood California where brothers

Richard and Maurice McDonald began

working as handyman at motion picture

studios their father Patrick McDonald

opened the air dome a food stand on

Huntington Drive route 66 near the

Monrovia Airport in the Los Angeles

County California with hot dogs being

one of the first items sold hamburgers

were later added to the menu at a cost

of 10 cents with all you can drink

orange juice at five cents the

restaurant was renamed McDonald's

barbecue and had 25 menu items mostly

barbecue in 1947 after the McDonald

brothers realized that most of their

profits came from selling hamburgers

they closed down their car Hawk drive-in

to establish a streamlined system with a

simple menu which consisted of only

hamburgers cheeseburgers potato chips

coffee soft drinks and apple pie after

the first year potato chips and pie were

swapped out for french fries and

milkshakes the car hubs were eliminated

making the new restaurant a self-service

operation Richard and Maurice - great

care and setting up their kitchen like

an assembly line to ensure maximum

efficiency the restaurants name was

changed again this time to simply

McDonald's in 1948 in 1952 the brothers

decided they needed an entirely new

building in order to achieve two goals

further efficiency improvements and a

more eye-catching appearance they

collected recommendations for an

architect and interviewed at least four

finally choosing Stanley Clark mestan an

architect practicing a nearby fontana

the new restaurants design achieved a

high level of noticeability

thanks to gleaming surfaces of red and

white ceramic tile and 225 foot yellow

sheet metal arches trimmed in neon

called golden arches design further

marketing techniques who are implemented

to change mcdonald's from a sit-down

restaurant to a fast-food chain they use

such things as turning off the heating

to prevent people wanting to stay salon

fixed and angled seating so the customer

would sit over their food promoting them

to eat faster spreading the seats

further apart so being less of a

sociable place to dine in and giving

their customers branded cone-shaped cups

forcing them to hold their drink whilst

eating which would speed up the eating

process in late 1953 with only

rendering of messed ins design in hand

the brothers began seeking franchisees

their first franchisee was Neil Fox a

distributor for general petroleum

corporation boxes stand the first with

messed ins golden arches design opened

in May 1953 at Central Avenue and Indian

School Road in Phoenix Arizona

their second franchisee was the team of

Fox's brother-in-law who opened their

stand in August 1953 in Downey

California but down east and has the

distinction of being the oldest

surviving McDonald's restaurant the

downy stand was never required to comply

with the mcdonald's corporation

remodeling and updating requests over

the years because it was franchised not

by the McDonald's Corporation but by the

McDonald brothers themselves to Williams

and Landon Ray Kroc joined the chain in

1954 and built it into an eventually

global franchise making it the most

successful fast-food corporation in the

world in 1954

Ray Kroc a seller of prints Castle brand

multi mixer milkshake machines learned

that the McDonald brothers were using

eight of his machines in their San

bernandino restaurant his curiosity was

piqued and he went to take a look at the

restaurant he was joined by good friend

Charles Lewis who had suggested to Kroc

several improvements to the McDonald's

burger recipe believing the McDonald's

formula was a ticket to success Kroc

suggested they franchised their

restaurants throughout the country the

brothers were skeptical however the

self-service approach could succeed in

colder Rainier climates furthermore

their thriving business in San

Bernardino and franchises already

operating the plan made them reluctant

to risk a national venture Kroc offered

to take the major responsibility for

setting up the new franchises elsewhere

he returned to his home outside of

Chicago with rights to set up McDonald's

restaurants throughout the country

except in a handful of territories in

California and Arizona already licensed

by the McDonald brothers the brothers

were to receive one half of one percent

of gross sales crocks first McDonald's

restaurant opened in April 1955 at 400

North Lee's streets in Des Plaines

Illinois near Chicago the desplaines

interior and exterior was painted by

master painter Eugene right Eugene was

asked to come up with a color scheme and

he chose yellow and white with dark

brown and red being secondary trim

colors those colors would go on to

become the colors of all McDonald's

franchises once the Des Plaines

restaurant had become

Crocs are franchisees for his McDonald's

chain in 1956 he discovered that the

McDonald brothers had licensed the

franchise rights for Cook County

Illinois to the fragile act ice cream

company Kroc was incensed that the

McDonald's had not informed him of this

arrangement he purchased the rights back

for 25 thousand dollars two hundred

thirty thousand four hundred dollars

today five times with the fragile acts

had originally paid and pressed forward

McDonald's grew rapidly from 34

restaurants in 1958 to 1004 the end of

the decade boosted by steady growth the

company's stock began trading publicly

in 1965 their products and symbols would

define the McDonald's brand including

the Big Mac 1968 the Egg McMuffin 1973

Happy Meals 1979 and chicken nuggets

1983 the chain continued to expand

domestically and internationally

extending to Canada in 1967 reaching a

total of 10,000 restaurants by 1988 and

operating more than 35,000 outlets in

more than 100 countries in the early

21st century growth was so Swift in the

1990s that it was set a new McDonald's

opened somewhere in the world every five

hours it effectively became the most

popular family restaurant emphasizing

affordable food fun and flavors that

appealed to children and adults alike

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