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{{Short description|American fast food company founders}}
{{Short description|American fast food company founders}}
{{About||the Canadian Olympic hurdler|Rich McDonald|the American contemporary figurative artist|Richard MacDonald}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Richard McDonald
| name = Richard and Maurice McDonald
| image =
| occupation = Businessman
| alt =
| known_for = Founding [[McDonald's]]
| caption =
| years_active = 1940–1998
| birth_name = Richard James McDonald
| module = {{Infobox| decat = yes | child = yes
⚫
| title = '''Richard McDonald'''
⚫
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1909|02|16}}<ref> [https://www.legacy.com/news/culture-and-history/born-february-16/ legacy.com]</ref>
| label1 = Birth Name
⚫
| birth_place = [[Manchester, New Hampshire]], U.S.
| data1 =
⚫
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1998|07|14|1909|2|16}}
| death_place = Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S.
| label2 = Born
| resting_place = Mount Calvary Cemetery, Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S.
| data2 = {{Birth date|1909|02|16}}<ref> [https://www.legacy.com/news/culture-and-history/born-february-16/ legacy.com]</ref> [[Manchester, New Hampshire]], U.S.
| label3 = Died
| occupation = [[Entrepreneur]]
⚫
| data3 = {{Death date and age|1998|07|14|1909|2|16}}<br />Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S.
| years_active = 1948–1998
| spouse =
| known for = Co-founder of [[McDonald's]]
}}
}}
| module2 = {{Infobox | decat = yes | child= yes
{{Infobox person
| name = Maurice McDonald
| title = '''Maurice McDonald'''
| image =
| label1 = Birth Name
| data1 =
| alt =
| caption =
| label2 = Born
⚫
| data2 = {{Birth date|1902|11|26}}<ref> [https://www.legacy.com/news/culture-and-history/born-november-26/ legacy.com]</ref>
| birth_name = Maurice James McDonald
⚫
<br/>Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S.
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1902|11|26}}<ref name="Franchise"/><!--please use reliable source to verify full birth date. Thanks.-->
| label3 = Died
| birth_place = Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1971|12|11|1902|11|26}}
| data3 = {{Death date and age|1971|12|11|1902|11|26}} <br />[[Palm Springs, California]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Palm Springs, California]], U.S.
| resting_place = [[Desert Memorial Park]], [[Cathedral City, California]], U.S.
| occupation = Entrepreneur
| years_active = 1948–1971
| spouse =
| children =
⚫
| known for = Co-founder of McDonald's
}}
}}
}}
⚫
'''Richard James McDonald''' (February 16, 1909 – July 14, 1998) and '''Maurice James McDonald''' (November 26, 1902 – December 11, 1971), collectively known as the '''McDonald Brothers''', were American entrepreneurs who founded the [[fast food]] company [[McDonald's]]. They opened the original McDonald's restaurant in 1940 in [[San Bernardino, California]], where they created the Speedee Service System to produce their meals, a method that became the standard for fast food. After hiring [[Ray Kroc]] as their franchise agent in 1954, they continued to run the company until they were bought out by Kroc in 1961.

'''Richard "Dick" McDonald''' (February 16, 1909 – July 14, 1998) and '''Maurice "Mac" McDonald''' (November 26, 1902 – December 11, 1971), collectively known as the '''McDonald Brothers''', were American entrepreneurs who founded the [[fast food]] company [[McDonald's]].

⚫
The brothers opened the original McDonald's restaurant in 1940 in [[San Bernardino, California]], where they created the Speedee Service System to produce their meals, a method that became the standard for the fast food industry. After hiring [[Ray Kroc]] as their franchise agent in 1954, they continued to run the company until they were bought out by Kroc in 1961.


==Early life==
==Early life==
The McDonald brothers were born in [[Manchester, New Hampshire]], to [[Irish people|Irish]] parents Patrick James from [[Dingle]] and Margaret Anna Curran McDonald, who came to the [[United States]] as children.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/KL6J-7RC/maurice-james-mcdonald-1902-1971|title=Maurice J Mc Donald, "New Hampshire Birth Certificates - Birth certificate states birthplace of father and mother|accessdate= December 29, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/mcdonald-brothers-open-restaurant-nh-shoe-factories-close/ | title=When Dad Lost His Job, the McDonald Brothers Started a Fast-Food Empire | date=3 February 2017 }}</ref> Maurice was born in 1902, and Richard was born in 1909.<ref name="Franchise">{{Cite book |last=Chatelain |first=Marcia |year=2020 |chapter=Chapter One: Fast Food Civil Rights |title=Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America |location=New York City |publisher=[[Robert Weil (editor)|Liveright Publishing]] |pages=25 |isbn=978-1-63149-394-2 }}</ref> In the 1920s, the family moved to California, where Patrick opened a food stand in [[Monrovia, California|Monrovia]] in 1937.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://johnmuldoon.ie/2013/05/from-immigration-to-mega-wealth/|author=Muldoon, John P.|title=From Immigration to Mega-Wealth|date=May 28, 2013|accessdate=July 12, 2021|publisher=johnmuldoon.ie|archivedate=September 18, 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130918024835/http://johnmuldoon.ie/2013/05/from-immigration-to-mega-wealth/}}</ref>
The McDonald brothers were born in [[Manchester, New Hampshire]], to [[Irish people|Irish]] parents Patrick James from [[Dingle]] and Margaret Anna Curran McDonald, who came to the [[United States]] as children.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/KL6J-7RC/maurice-james-mcdonald-1902-1971|title=Maurice J Mc Donald, "New Hampshire Birth Certificates - Birth certificate states birthplace of father and mother|accessdate= December 29, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/mcdonald-brothers-open-restaurant-nh-shoe-factories-close/ | title=When Dad Lost His Job, the McDonald Brothers Started a Fast-Food Empire | date=3 February 2017 }}</ref> Maurice was born in 1902, and Richard was born in 1909.<ref name="Franchise">{{Cite book |last=Chatelain |first=Marcia |year=2020 |chapter=Chapter One: Fast Food Civil Rights |title=Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America |location=New York City |publisher=[[Robert Weil (editor)|Liveright Publishing]] |pages=25 |isbn=978-1-63149-394-2 }}</ref> In the 1920s, the family moved to California, where Patrick opened a food stand in [[Monrovia, California|Monrovia]] in 1937.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://johnmuldoon.ie/2013/05/from-immigration-to-mega-wealth/|author=Muldoon, John P.|title=From Immigration to Mega-Wealth|date=May 28, 2013|accessdate=July 12, 2021|publisher=johnmuldoon.ie|archivedate=September 18, 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130918024835/http://johnmuldoon.ie/2013/05/from-immigration-to-mega-wealth/}}</ref>


==Careers==
== Careers ==
In the 1940s the brothers were operating a successful drive-in restaurant, but found several factors were cutting into their profits: some of the more expensive menu items, such as barbecue sandwiches, were rarely ordered, and they used actual dishes, which were constantly lost or broken, plus the reputation of drive-ins becoming seedy hangouts for teenagers were driving whole families away.
The first restaurant the McDonald brothers opened in 1937 was in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Richard Pillsbury|title=No Foreign Food: The American Diet In Time And Place|date=2018|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=9780429967214|pages=181}}</ref> In the 1940s the McDonald brothers operated a successful [[drive-in restaurant]], but found several factors were cutting into their profits. Some of the more expensive menu items, such as barbecue sandwiches, were rarely ordered, and they used actual dishes, which were constantly lost or broken, plus the reputation of drive-ins becoming seedy hangouts for teenagers were driving whole families away.


In 1948, the brothers fully redesigned and rebuilt their restaurant in San Bernardino to focus on a reduced menu consisting of their nine most profitable and cost-effective items: In addition to their 15-cent hamburger, the menu included a cheeseburger, soft drinks, milk, coffee, potato chips, and a slice of pie.<ref name=OurHistory>{{cite web|url=https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-company/who-we-are/our-history.html|title=OurHistory|publisher=[[McDonald's]]|accessdate=April 26, 2021}}</ref> Their restaurant was about a mile from [[route 66]] at 1398 North E Street at West 14th Street in San Bernardino. The site is now a museum.<ref name="original"/> The first months of the revived restaurant were a struggle, as many customers expected carhops to serve them like other drive-in restaurants, rather than having to walk up to the restaurant's window to order. The brothers persisted, keeping their simple menu, aside from replacing the potato chips with french fries. The restaurant soon appealed to drivers on the go who could get a quick meal with no waiting, and it also appealed to families that could eat a whole meal cheaply.
In 1948, the brothers fully redesigned and rebuilt their restaurant in San Bernardino to focus on a reduced menu consisting of their nine most profitable and cost-effective items: In addition to their 15-cent hamburger, the menu included a cheeseburger, soft drinks, milk, coffee, potato fries, and a slice of pie.<ref name=OurHistory>{{cite web|url=https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-company/who-we-are/our-history.html|title=OurHistory|publisher=[[McDonald's]]|accessdate=April 26, 2021}}</ref> Their restaurant was about a mile from [[route 66]] at 1398 North E Street at West 14th Street in San Bernardino. The site is now a museum.<ref name="original"/> The first months of the revived restaurant were a struggle, as many customers expected carhops to serve them like other drive-in restaurants, rather than having to walk up to the restaurant's window to order. The brothers persisted, keeping their simple menu, aside from replacing the potato chips with french fries. The restaurant soon appealed to drivers on the go who could get a quick meal with no waiting, and it also appealed to families that could eat a whole meal cheaply.


The McDonald brothers' restaurant was a success, and with the goal of making $1 million before they turned 50,<ref name="Gilpin 1998">{{cite news |last=Gilpin |first=Kenneth N. |date=July 16, 1998 |title=Richard McDonald, 89, Fast-Food Revolutionary |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/16/business/richard-mcdonald-89-fast-food-revolutionary.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=June 5, 2017}}</ref> the McDonald brothers began [[franchising]] their system in 1953, beginning with a restaurant in [[Phoenix, Arizona]], operated by Neil Fox.<ref name=OurHistory/>
The McDonald brothers' restaurant was a success, and with the goal of making $1 million before they turned 50,<ref name="Gilpin 1998">{{cite news |last=Gilpin |first=Kenneth N. |date=July 16, 1998 |title=Richard McDonald, 89, Fast-Food Revolutionary |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/16/business/richard-mcdonald-89-fast-food-revolutionary.html |newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=June 5, 2017}}</ref> the McDonald brothers began [[franchising]] their restaurant system in 1953. The first franchise was a restaurant in [[Phoenix, Arizona]], operated by Neil Fox.<ref name=OurHistory/>


The brothers drew the attention of [[Ray Kroc]], a [[Milkshake#Milkshake machines|milkshake mixer]] salesman for Prince Castle.<ref name="Snyder2010">{{cite book|author=Neil Snyder|title=Vision, Values, and Courage: Leadership for Quality Management|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ifEVvFvPVTkC&pg=PA133|date=June 15, 2010|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-4516-0252-4|pages=133}}</ref> After they purchased eight of his Multi-Mixers for their [[San Bernardino, California]] restaurant, Kroc visited that restaurant in 1954.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Our History: Ray Kroc & The McDonald's Brothers |url=https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/about-us/our-history.html|access-date=2021-09-12|website=McDonald's|language=en-us}}</ref> That year the McDonald brothers hired Kroc as their franchise agent. Kroc took 1.9% of gross sales, of which the McDonald brothers got 0.5%.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.marketplace.org/2017/02/09/ray-kroc-mcdonalds-fast-food/|title=The true origin story behind McDonald's|author=Brancaccio, David|work=[[Marketplace (radio program)|Marketplace]]|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=February 9, 2017|access-date=September 7, 2023|archive-date=September 7, 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230907140006/https://www.marketplace.org/2017/02/09/ray-kroc-mcdonalds-fast-food/}}</ref><ref>Gross, Daniel (October 1996). ''Forbes' Greatest Business Stories of All Time''. [[John Wiley & Sons]]. {{ISBN|978-0-471-14314-7}}</ref>
The brothers drew the attention of [[Ray Kroc]], a [[Milkshake machine|milkshake mixer]] salesman for Prince Castle.<ref name="Snyder2010">{{cite book|author=Neil Snyder|title=Vision, Values, and Courage: Leadership for Quality Management|date=June 15, 2010|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-4516-0252-4|pages=133}}</ref> After they purchased eight of his Multi-Mixers for their [[San Bernardino, California]] restaurant, Kroc visited that restaurant in 1954.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Our History: Ray Kroc & The McDonald's Brothers |url=https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/about-us/our-history.html|access-date=2021-09-12|publisher=McDonald's}}</ref> That year the McDonald brothers hired Kroc as their franchise agent. Kroc took 1.9% of gross sales, of which the McDonald brothers got 0.5%.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.marketplace.org/2017/02/09/ray-kroc-mcdonalds-fast-food/|title=The true origin story behind McDonald's|author=Brancaccio, David|work=[[Marketplace (radio program)|Marketplace]]|url-status=live|date=February 9, 2017|access-date=September 7, 2023|archive-date=September 7, 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230907140006/https://www.marketplace.org/2017/02/09/ray-kroc-mcdonalds-fast-food/}}</ref><ref>Gross, Daniel (October 1996) ''Forbes' Greatest Business Stories of All Time'' [[John Wiley & Sons]] {{ISBN|978-0-471-14314-7}}</ref>


Kroc became frustrated with the McDonald brothers' desire to maintain a small number of restaurants. The brothers also consistently told Kroc he could not make changes to things such as the original blueprint. Kroc eventually decided he wanted control of the company entirely, Kroc bought the company in 1961 for $2.7 million, calculated so as to ensure each brother received $1 million after taxes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/197544|title=Ray Kroc: Burger Baron|date=October 9, 2008|website=[[Entrepreneur (magazine)|Entrepreneur]]|language=en-US|access-date=May 29, 2019}}</ref> on November 27, they made the choice to shut McDonald’s down temporarily.
Kroc became frustrated with the McDonald brothers' desire to maintain a small number of restaurants. The brothers also consistently told Kroc he could not make changes to things such as the original blueprint. Kroc eventually decided he wanted control of the company entirely, Kroc bought the company in 1961 for $2,700,000 ({{Inflation|US|2700000|1961|fmt=eq|r=-5}}), calculated so as to ensure each brother received $1,000,000 ({{Inflation|US|1000000|1961|fmt=eq|r=-5}}) after taxes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/197544|title=Ray Kroc: Burger Baron|date=October 9, 2008|website=[[Entrepreneur (magazine)|Entrepreneur]]|language=en-US|access-date=May 29, 2019}}</ref>


At the closing, Kroc became annoyed that the brothers would not transfer to him the real estate and rights to the original San Bernardino location. The brothers had told Kroc they were giving the operation, property and all, to the founding employees. In his anger, Kroc later opened a new McDonald's restaurant near the original McDonald's, which had been renamed "The Big M" because the brothers had neglected to retain rights to the name. "The Big M" closed six years later.<ref>{{cite book|title=Grinding It Out|url=https://archive.org/details/grindingitoutmak00kroc|url-access=registration|year=1977<!--|first=R. -->|last=Kroc|page=[https://archive.org/details/grindingitoutmak00kroc/page/123 123]|publisher=H. Regnery |isbn=9780809282593}}</ref> Speaking to someone about the buyout, Richard McDonald reportedly said that he had no regrets.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/16/business/richard-mcdonald-89-fast-food-revolutionary.html|title=Richard McDonald, 89, Fast-Food Revolutionary|last=Gilpin|first=Kenneth N.|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|language=en-US|url-status=live|issn=0362-4331|date=July 16, 1998|access-date=July 25, 2023|archive-date=September 21, 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210921134515/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/16/business/richard-mcdonald-89-fast-food-revolutionary.html}}</ref>
At the closing, Kroc became annoyed that the brothers would not transfer to him the real estate and rights to the original San Bernardino location. The brothers had told Kroc they were giving the operation, property and all, to the founding employees. In his anger, Kroc later opened a new McDonald's restaurant near the original McDonald's, which had been renamed "The Big M" because the brothers had neglected to retain rights to the name. "The Big M" closed six years later.<ref>{{cite book|title=Grinding It Out|year=1977|first=R.|last=Kroc|page=123]|publisher=H. Regnery |isbn=9780809282593}}</ref> Speaking to someone about the buyout, Richard McDonald reportedly said that he had no regrets.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/16/business/richard-mcdonald-89-fast-food-revolutionary.html|title=Richard McDonald, 89, Fast-Food Revolutionary|last=Gilpin|first=Kenneth N.|newspaper=The New York Times|url-status=live|issn=0362-4331|date=July 16, 1998|access-date=July 25, 2023|archive-date=September 21, 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210921134515/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/16/business/richard-mcdonald-89-fast-food-revolutionary.html}}</ref>


On November 30, 1984, Richard McDonald, the first cook behind the grill of a McDonald's, was served the ceremonial 50 billionth McDonald's hamburger by Ed Rensi, then-president of McDonald's USA, at the [[Grand Hyatt New York|Grand Hyatt hotel]] in New York City.<ref>{{cite news|author1=Anderson Heller, Susan|author2=Dunlap, David W. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/21/nyregion/new-york-day-by-day-50-billion-and-still-cooking.html|title=50 Billion and Still Cooking|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|page=B3|date=November 21, 1984|access-date=May 28, 2021}}</ref><ref name=HotelOnline>{{cite web|title=Restaurant Innovator Richard McDonald Dies at 89: Pioneered McDonald's, World's Largest Restaurant System|url=http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PressReleases1998_3rd/July98_DickMcDonald.html|author=Velasco, Alejandra Yáñez|publisher=Hotel Online|access-date=May 14, 2012|date=July 1998}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.el-mundo.es/magazine/2004/244/1085657108.html|title=La reina de la cocina (rápida) cumple 100 años|date=May 30, 2004 |newspaper=[[El Mundo (Spain)|El Mundo]]|language=es|accessdate=May 28, 2021|archivedate=February 12, 2005|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050212165825/http://www.el-mundo.es/magazine/2004/244/1085657108.html}}</ref>
On November 30, 1984, Richard McDonald, the first cook behind the grill of a McDonald's, was served the ceremonial 50 billionth McDonald's hamburger by Ed Rensi, then-president of McDonald's USA, at the [[Grand Hyatt New York|Grand Hyatt hotel]] in New York City.<ref>{{cite news|author1=Anderson Heller, Susan|author2=Dunlap, David W. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/21/nyregion/new-york-day-by-day-50-billion-and-still-cooking.html|title=50 Billion and Still Cooking|newspaper=The New York Times|page=B3|date=November 21, 1984|access-date=May 28, 2021}}</ref><ref name=HotelOnline>{{cite web|title=Restaurant Innovator Richard McDonald Dies at 89: Pioneered McDonald's, World's Largest Restaurant System|url=http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PressReleases1998_3rd/July98_DickMcDonald.html|author=Velasco, Alejandra Yáñez|publisher=Hotel Online|access-date=May 14, 2012|date=July 1998|archive-date=January 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170119175950/http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PressReleases1998_3rd/July98_DickMcDonald.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.el-mundo.es/magazine/2004/244/1085657108.html|title=La reina de la cocina (rápida) cumple 100 años|date=May 30, 2004 |newspaper=El Mundo (Spain)|language=es|accessdate=May 28, 2021|archivedate=February 12, 2005|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050212165825/http://www.el-mundo.es/magazine/2004/244/1085657108.html}}</ref>


==Death and legacy==
==Death and legacy==
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==External links==
==External links==
* {{Google maps|url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/N+E+St+%26+W+14th+St,+San+Bernardino,+CA+92405/@34.1256443,-117.2941649,3a,75y,231.24h,90.16t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sGLH-zS9CmSx1c561BfE1BA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x80c3530d8225704b:0xf11556d0669f6055!8m2!3d34.1257832!4d-117.2941675|title=Google Maps street view of Original McDonalds}}
⚫
* {{Find a Grave|6634290|Richard McDonald}}
* {{Find a Grave|14303576|Maurice McDonald}}
* {{Find a Grave|14303576|Maurice McDonald}}
⚫
* {{Find a Grave|6634290|Richard McDonald}}


{{McDonald's}}
{{McDonald's|state=collapsed}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Business and economics}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Business and economics}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:McDonald, Richard and Maurice}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McDonald, Richard and Maurice}}
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:1902 births|McDonald, Maurice]]
[[Category:1909 births]]
[[Category:1909 births|McDonald, Richard]]
[[Category:1971 deaths]]
[[Category:1971 deaths|McDonald, Maurice]]
[[Category:1998 deaths]]
[[Category:1998 deaths|McDonald, Richard]]
[[Category:American people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:Brother duos]]
[[Category:Brother duos]]

Latest revision as of 17:29, 27 November 2024

Richard and Maurice McDonald
OccupationBusinessman
Years active1940–1998
Known forFounding McDonald's
Richard McDonald
Born(1909-02-16)February 16, 1909[1] Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S.
DiedJuly 14, 1998(1998-07-14) (aged 89)
Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S.
Maurice McDonald
Born(1902-11-26)November 26, 1902[2]
Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S.
DiedDecember 11, 1971(1971-12-11) (aged 69)
Palm Springs, California, U.S.

Richard "Dick" McDonald (February 16, 1909 – July 14, 1998) and Maurice "Mac" McDonald (November 26, 1902 – December 11, 1971), collectively known as the McDonald Brothers, were American entrepreneurs who founded the fast food company McDonald's.

The brothers opened the original McDonald's restaurant in 1940 in San Bernardino, California, where they created the Speedee Service System to produce their meals, a method that became the standard for the fast food industry. After hiring Ray Kroc as their franchise agent in 1954, they continued to run the company until they were bought out by Kroc in 1961.

Early life

[edit]

The McDonald brothers were born in Manchester, New Hampshire, to Irish parents Patrick James from Dingle and Margaret Anna Curran McDonald, who came to the United States as children.[3][4] Maurice was born in 1902, and Richard was born in 1909.[5] In the 1920s, the family moved to California, where Patrick opened a food stand in Monrovia in 1937.[6]

Careers

[edit]

The first restaurant the McDonald brothers opened in 1937 was in Los Angeles.[7] In the 1940s the McDonald brothers operated a successful drive-in restaurant, but found several factors were cutting into their profits. Some of the more expensive menu items, such as barbecue sandwiches, were rarely ordered, and they used actual dishes, which were constantly lost or broken, plus the reputation of drive-ins becoming seedy hangouts for teenagers were driving whole families away.

In 1948, the brothers fully redesigned and rebuilt their restaurant in San Bernardino to focus on a reduced menu consisting of their nine most profitable and cost-effective items: In addition to their 15-cent hamburger, the menu included a cheeseburger, soft drinks, milk, coffee, potato fries, and a slice of pie.[8] Their restaurant was about a mile from route 66 at 1398 North E Street at West 14th Street in San Bernardino. The site is now a museum.[9] The first months of the revived restaurant were a struggle, as many customers expected carhops to serve them like other drive-in restaurants, rather than having to walk up to the restaurant's window to order. The brothers persisted, keeping their simple menu, aside from replacing the potato chips with french fries. The restaurant soon appealed to drivers on the go who could get a quick meal with no waiting, and it also appealed to families that could eat a whole meal cheaply.

The McDonald brothers' restaurant was a success, and with the goal of making $1 million before they turned 50,[10] the McDonald brothers began franchising their restaurant system in 1953. The first franchise was a restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona, operated by Neil Fox.[8]

The brothers drew the attention of Ray Kroc, a milkshake mixer salesman for Prince Castle.[11] After they purchased eight of his Multi-Mixers for their San Bernardino, California restaurant, Kroc visited that restaurant in 1954.[12] That year the McDonald brothers hired Kroc as their franchise agent. Kroc took 1.9% of gross sales, of which the McDonald brothers got 0.5%.[13][14]

Kroc became frustrated with the McDonald brothers' desire to maintain a small number of restaurants. The brothers also consistently told Kroc he could not make changes to things such as the original blueprint. Kroc eventually decided he wanted control of the company entirely, Kroc bought the company in 1961 for $2,700,000 (equivalent to $27,500,000 in 2023), calculated so as to ensure each brother received $1,000,000 (equivalent to $10,200,000 in 2023) after taxes.[15]

At the closing, Kroc became annoyed that the brothers would not transfer to him the real estate and rights to the original San Bernardino location. The brothers had told Kroc they were giving the operation, property and all, to the founding employees. In his anger, Kroc later opened a new McDonald's restaurant near the original McDonald's, which had been renamed "The Big M" because the brothers had neglected to retain rights to the name. "The Big M" closed six years later.[16] Speaking to someone about the buyout, Richard McDonald reportedly said that he had no regrets.[17]

On November 30, 1984, Richard McDonald, the first cook behind the grill of a McDonald's, was served the ceremonial 50 billionth McDonald's hamburger by Ed Rensi, then-president of McDonald's USA, at the Grand Hyatt hotel in New York City.[18][19][20]

Death and legacy

[edit]

Maurice McDonald died from heart failure[21] at his home in Palm Springs, California, on December 11, 1971, at the age of 69.[22]

Richard McDonald also died from heart failure in a nursing home in Manchester, New Hampshire, on July 14, 1998, at the age of 89.[23] He was buried at the Mount Calvary Cemetery in Manchester.[10][19][24]

In the 2016 film The Founder, a biopic about Ray Kroc and his business relationship with the McDonald brothers, Richard (Dick) McDonald is played by Nick Offerman,[25][26] and John Carroll Lynch portrays Maurice (Mac) McDonald.[26]

The site of the first McDonald's was purchased in 1998 by Albert Okura, founder of restaurant chain Juan Pollo, who moved his company's headquarters to the location and established an unofficial McDonald's museum on the site.[9][27]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ legacy.com
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