Talk:Oldest McDonald's restaurant

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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 [1], 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 [2]

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 [3]

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. ProhibitOnions ^(T) 12:40, 1 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

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

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[4]: "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." ProhibitOnions ^(T) 11:58, 4 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]