Talk:Oldest McDonald's restaurant

Opening of first restaurants
(This was at Talk:History of McDonald's, but I've copied it here to add to it with sources such as Kroc's book:) I've compiled a list of the first few restaurants franchsed by the McDonald brothers - Kroc franchises (after 1955) aren't listed, but by 1959 there were 100 restaurants, most of them due to Kroc. The main source is this article, but there are others, some of which I've listed here. Google Street View can be used to see the sites.


 * 1 - 1398 North E St, San Bernardino CA - 1940 - rebuilt 1948, demolished and rebuilt in Golden Arches style 1957, demolished 1974, part of sign remains
 * 2 - 4050 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix AZ - May 1953 - demolished
 * 3 - 10207 Lakewood Blvd, Downey CA - 18 August 1953 - still open; until 1990 only McD independent of McDonald's Corporation
 * 4 - 12919 Victory Blvd, North Hollywood, CA - October 1953 (branded "Peak's") - demolished, replaced by newer McD
 * 5 - 909 East Main St, Alhambra CA - late 1953 - demolished, replaced by newer McD
 * 6 - 5423 Fruitridge, Sacramento CA - February 1954 - demolished
 * 7 - 1057 East Mission St, Pomona CA - September 1954 - still standing, largely intact with sign, now "AMA Donuts"
 * 8 - 563 East Foothill Blvd, Azusa CA - September 1954 (branded "Peak's") - closed 1984, demolished
 * 9 - 400 North Lee Ave, Des Plaines IL - 15 April 1955 - closed 1984, demolished, replaced by newer McD and museum, now also demolished. Kroc's first restaurant
 * 10 - 3115 North Blackstone Ave, Fresno CA - July 1955 - demolished, "retro" McD on the site. Kroc's first franchise
 * 11 - 1900 South Central, Los Angeles CA - 1956 - later "Tacos el Gavilan" but few changes to building; removal of Golden Arches from building and sign ca. 2011, now demolished
 * 12 - 981 West Rosecrans, Compton CA - 1957 - still standing, significantly modified, now "Image Management Systems"
 * 13 - 3425 Main St, Riverside CA - 1957 - demolished

So, of all the dozen or so original McDonald's reataurants, only one (Downey, #3) is still operating, with three other buildings still standing; until recently the LA location (#11) was the closest to pristine condition, but both it and its sign have recently been altered significantly, leaving Pomona (#7) as the second-best-peserved (it is missing the tops of its arches); the Compton site (#12) has been signficantly expanded, but the core building is largely intact. I hope this helps. Pro hib it O ni o ns (T) 12:40, 1 November 2011 (UTC)


 * Thanks this is great! Jjazz76 (talk) 20:31, 30 April 2023 (UTC)

In his book, Kroc says that his first three franchises were Fresno, Reseda, CA, and Los Angeles, all opened in the year after Des Plaines. The company states the following here: "1956 McDonald's Corporation adds 12 restaurants, including Chicago (2), Skokie, Waukegan, Joliet, and Urbana, lIIinois; Hammond, Indiana; Los Angeles (2), Torrance, and Reseda, California; and Dallas, Texas." Pro hib it O ni o ns (T) 11:58, 4 December 2011 (UTC)