This is what it was like to go to McDonald's in the 1950s

Erin McDowellJul 10, 2020, 22:24 IST

The first official McDonald's franchise opened on April 15, 1955, in Des Plaines, Illinois.Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The McDonald brothers started selling 15-cent burgers in the 1940s, and the oldest still-operating McDonald's location opened in Downey, California, in 1953.
The company took off in the 1950s with the involvement of Ray Kroc, who opened the first McDonald's franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois, on April 15, 1955.
When the restaurant opened, the menu only had nine items.
Some vintage photos of the Des Plaines location are still around today, as are photos of a replica restaurant that became a museum. In 2017, it was announced that the museum would be demolished due to lack of tourism.

The McDonald brothers, Richard and Maurice, began selling barbecue and burgers out of their drive-up restaurants in the 1940s.

However, it wasn't until Ray Kroc stumbled upon the brothers' operation in 1954 that McDonald's started to resemble the fast-food giant we know today.

The first McDonald's franchise opened on April 15, 1955, and the experience of visiting the restaurant, from the menu to how you would order, was vastly different.

Here's what it was like to go to McDonald's in the 1950s.

The first official McDonald's franchise opened on April 15, 1955, in Des Plaines, Illinois.

Exterior view of the first McDonald's fast-food restaurant with its neon arches illuminated at night, Des Plaines, Illinois. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Though the McDonald's is no longer in operation, the site was turned into a museum to commemorate what it was like to visit the restaurant in 1955.

The McDonald's No. 1 museum's exterior. Tim Boyle/Newsmakers/Getty Images

Before there were drive-thru windows and delivery apps, McDonald's customers would drive into the parking lot and place their orders at the counter.

Customers could walk up to the window and place their orders. Tim Boyle/Newsmakers/Getty Images

The original menu only had nine items on it — hamburgers, cheeseburgers, french fries, milk, root beer, orangeade, Coca Cola, coffee, and three kinds of milkshakes: chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.

The menu only had nine items on it. Ralf-Finn Hestoft/Corbis/Getty Images

The original menu only had nine items on it — hamburgers, cheeseburgers, french fries, milk, root beer, orangeade, Coca Cola, coffee, and three kinds of milkshakes: chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.

When customers placed their orders at the counter, a server would write them down on a ticket like this one.

The first McDonald's locations took orders using a ticket like this one. Tim Boyle/Getty Images

The Speedee Service System that made McDonald's successful was originally based off Henry Ford's assembly-line production of automobiles.

McDonald's revolutionized fast-food with its speedy service. Ralf-Finn Hestoft/Corbis/Getty Images

Unlike other fast-food restaurants that made their burgers to order, all McDonald's burgers were made the same way and placed under a heat vent ready to serve.

McDonald's burgers used to have the chain's original mascot, Speedee, on the packaging. Ralf-Finn Hestoft/Corbis/Getty Images

When McDonald's first opened, its fries looked and tasted pretty similar to what you'll get today.

The fries also came with the same Speedee packaging. Ralf-Finn Hestoft/Corbis/Getty Images

If you stopped by a McDonald's in 1955, you'd definitely want to pick up one of the chain's Triple Thick Milkshakes, made in what was called a Multimixer.

Ray Kroc found the McDonald's brothers while selling Multimixers. Ralf-Finn Hestoft/Corbis/Getty Images

Back in 1955, there were no dining rooms or drive-thrus, but McDonald's thrived on its drive-up model.

The first McDonald's signs advertised the chain's 15-cent burgers. Ralf-Finn Hestoft/Corbis/Getty Images

A futuristic solar-powered McDonald's just opened at Disney World, and it's open to the public. Take a look inside.

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This is what it was like to go to McDonald's in the 1950s

The first official McDonald's franchise opened on April 15, 1955, in Des Plaines, Illinois.

Though the McDonald's is no longer in operation, the site was turned into a museum to commemorate what it was like to visit the restaurant in 1955.

Before there were drive-thru windows and delivery apps, McDonald's customers would drive into the parking lot and place their orders at the counter.

The original menu only had nine items on it — hamburgers, cheeseburgers, french fries, milk, root beer, orangeade, Coca Cola, coffee, and three kinds of milkshakes: chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.

When customers placed their orders at the counter, a server would write them down on a ticket like this one.

The Speedee Service System that made McDonald's successful was originally based off Henry Ford's assembly-line production of automobiles.

Unlike other fast-food restaurants that made their burgers to order, all McDonald's burgers were made the same way and placed under a heat vent ready to serve.

When McDonald's first opened, its fries looked and tasted pretty similar to what you'll get today.

If you stopped by a McDonald's in 1955, you'd definitely want to pick up one of the chain's Triple Thick Milkshakes, made in what was called a Multimixer.

Back in 1955, there were no dining rooms or drive-thrus, but McDonald's thrived on its drive-up model.