Ray Kroc, a milkshake mixer salesman, ventured to California in 1954 to visit McDonald's hamburger stand, where he heard they were running eight mixers at once. Kroc was impressed by how rapidly customers were served and, seeing an opportunity to sell many more milkshake machines, encouraged brothers Dick and Mac McDonald to open a chain of their restaurants. Kroc became their business partner and opened the first McDonald's in Des Plaines, Illinois in 1955. McDonald's and the Golden Arches have since become an internationally-recognized symbol of quick-service hamburgers, fries, chicken, breakfast items, salads and milkshakes.

McDonald's is ranked #9 on Entrepreneur's 2013 Franchise 500® listing.

Here are some of our most popular McDonald's articles:

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/231148

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230530

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230704

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/229959

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230554