McDonald's is, hands-down, the most popular fast food restaurant in the US and one of the most popular franchises in the world. Each day, the restaurant serves about 1% of the world's population, which is a staggering 68 million people. It's not unlikely that somewhere, someone reading this is eating food from McDonald's.
McDonald's is a huge part of life for most Americans, including the president. I, for one, consider myself an expert of the Golden Arches, but even I have to admit that there's a lot I don't know about the beloved restaurant.
Here are 19 things you may not have known about the place you've been eating all your life.
McDonald's was started by two brothers in California.
In 1937, Richard and Maurice McDonald (who went by Dick and Mac) were running a failing movie theater when they decided to buy a hot dog stand nearby. The Airdrome Hot Dog Stand would be their first foray into the restaurant business.
The first McDonald's opened as a barbecue restaurant.
The brothers opened the first drive-in McDonald's Bar-B-Que in 1940 in San Bernardino, California. It wasn't until 1948 that it was re-branded as a place for burgers and fries.
The oldest McDonald's is in Downey, California.
That first restaurant is no longer around, but you can still visit one of the earliest locations. The oldest one still in operation is in Downey, California, which became the fourth McDonald's ever opened in 1954. It's even maintained some of the original branding.
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