McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hamburger stand, and later turned the company into a franchise, with the Golden Arches logo being introduced in 1953 at a location in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1955, Ray Kroc, a businessman, joined the company as a franchise agent and in 1961 bought out the McDonald brothers. Previously headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, it moved to nearby Chicago in June 2018. McDonald's is also a real estate company through its ownership of around 70% of restaurant buildings and 45% of the underlying land.
Headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
The oldest operating McDonald's restaurant is the third one built, opened in 1953. It is located at 10207 Lakewood Blvd. at Florence Ave. in Downey, California (at 33°56′50″N 118°07′06″W / 33.9471°N 118.1182°W / 33.9471; -118.1182).
French fries, a soft drink, McSpicy Chicken Fillet, and tomato ketchup packet
A Croque McDo from France
A chain store or retail chain is a retail outlet in which several locations share a brand, central management and standardized business practices. They have come to dominate the retail and dining markets and many service categories, in many parts of the world. A franchise retail establishment is one form of a chain store. In 2005, the world's largest retail chain, Walmart, became the world's largest corporation based on gross sales.
Heritage W.H. Smith stall at Pickering railway station in North Yorkshire
Opening the first of its chain of teashops in 1894, branch of Lyons in Reading, Berkshire pictured in 1945
A Subway franchise restaurant