The first McDonald's (1955)
Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald's franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois, on April 15, 1955. It was a single restaurant selling hamburgers for 15 cents.
The restaurant was an immediate success, and Kroc began franchising aggressively.
McDonald's grew into the world's largest restaurant chain by revenue, with over 40,000 locations.
Shows how a single restaurant can grow from one location into a major chain, though most restaurants never reach this scale.
