How McDonald’s Started With 15¢ Burgers & a 30-Second Assembly Line in This Illinois Town

The First-Ever McDonald’s, Des Plaines

April 15, 1955 was just another Tuesday in Des Plaines until Ray Kroc opened his McDonald’s.

The Speedee System let him serve customers in 30 seconds flat. People had never seen anything like it. Burgers flew off the grill, fries stayed hot, and the cash register never stopped ringing.

Here’s the story of that crazy first day and the events that led up to it.

How Kroc Discovered McDonald’s

Ray Kroc sold Multimixer milkshake machines when he first met the McDonald brothers in 1954.

He grew curious after they ordered eight mixers for their San Bernardino restaurant when most places needed only one or two.

Kroc traveled from Chicago to California to see why they needed so many machines. He found Richard and Maurice McDonald running a streamlined restaurant serving hundreds of customers hourly.

The brothers mentioned they needed someone to expand their concept nationwide. Kroc immediately volunteered and returned to Illinois ready to build their system across America.

Speedee Service System

Richard and Maurice McDonald created their Speedee Service System in 1948 after closing their traditional drive-in for three months. They completely changed how their restaurant worked.

Taking ideas from car assembly lines, they made a system where each worker did just one job.

They cut their menu from 25 items to 9, focusing on foods they could make quickly. They got rid of carhops and made customers order at a counter instead.

Hamburger prices dropped to 15 cents. Sales doubled within a year as families came for fast, cheap meals.

Building The First Kroc Franchise

Ray Kroc chose Des Plaines for his first restaurant despite concerns about cold Illinois weather.

Architect Stanley Meston designed the red-and-white building with golden arches that would become famous worldwide.

Workers added a basement with a furnace to handle Midwest winters, something not needed at California locations. Construction finished just in time for the April opening.

Every detail matched the McDonald brothers’ plans while supporting Kroc’s vision for growth.

Special equipment designed for the Speedee Service System filled the kitchen, arranged for workers to move as little as possible.

The Iconic Speedee Sign

A large sign at the edge of the property caught drivers’ attention. It featured “Speedee,” a hamburger-headed chef character who became McDonald’s first mascot.

The sign had bright red neon letters saying “McDonald’s Hamburgers” and “We Have Sold Over 1 Million.”

Sign makers Andrew Bork and Joe Sicuro included a golden arch alongside the Speedee chef. Neon lights inside Speedee blinked in order to make the chef look like he was running.

This bright roadside sign helped establish McDonald’s look years before Ronald McDonald appeared.

Grand Opening Announcement

Kroc announced his new restaurant with ads in the Des Plaines Journal. The ads promoted the “Speedee Service System” and highlighted the parking lot for customers with cars.

The low prices grabbed attention: hamburgers for 15 cents, cheeseburgers for 19 cents, milkshakes for 20 cents, and soft drinks for 10 cents.

Opening Day Success

The Des Plaines McDonald’s welcomed its first customers on April 15, 1955.

Hundreds of curious locals filled the parking lot and lined up to try the new restaurant. The day ended with sales of $366.12, impressive when hamburgers cost just 15 cents each.

Customers were amazed at how quickly they received their food compared to regular diners. Kroc worked behind the counter himself, showing employees the correct procedures.

Implementing The Speedee System

Workers at the Des Plaines restaurant followed strict rules from the McDonald brothers.

Each person had a specific job in the kitchen’s assembly line to maximize speed. Cooks made hamburger patties ahead of time and kept them warm under heat lamps.

Every burger got the same toppings: ketchup, mustard, onions, and two pickles. No special orders allowed.

This system let a small team serve hundreds of customers per hour while keeping quality consistent.

McDonald’s, Des Plaines Today

The original McDonald’s Des Plaines restaurant and its replica museum no longer exist.

The museum was demolished in 2018 due to repeated flooding, and McDonald’s donated the land to the city of Des Plaines for a public park.

You can visit the former site at 400 North Lee Street in Des Plaines, Illinois, where a commemorative plaque marks this historic location.

The park is open daily from sunrise to sunset with free access.

For McDonald’s history enthusiasts, many artifacts from the Des Plaines restaurant are now displayed at McDonald’s global headquarters in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood at 110 N. Carpenter Street.

The headquarters building features a public museum section with memorabilia from Ray Kroc’s first franchise.

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