McDonald's USA First Store Museum: immortalizing Chicago's fast food history
Chicago isn’t attributed with opening the first McDonald’s, but it does house the country’s first McD’s museum store. Located in Des Plaines, IL, a nearby suburb, the history dates back to April 1955 when CEO Ray Kroc helped open what would transform into the world-wide, billion served franchise. This store marks the ninth overall opening of a McD’s succeeding the premier one which opened in 1940 in San Bernardino, CA.
The museum store doesn’t preserve the original shop since that one actually got demolished in 1984, but recognizing the importance of the location, a replica was built almost exactly like the original. The museum store contains a life-like mannequin wearing a paper hat standing in the window giving off the impression the fast food joint’s still open for business. A menu board in the window lists the prices of the food items: 15 cents for a burger, 10 cents for fries and a whooping 20 cents for a shake. At this point, the Big Mac and McRib had yet to be invented. Inside, the preparation room showcases the equipment used to make fries back then, Multi-mixers for the shakes and specialty barrels once filled with Coke, root beer and orangeade. On the outdoor sign, Speedee, McD’s original mascot, smiles down on visitors. Speedee represented the chain’s “speedy” fast food mentality until a certain clown named Ronald McDonald took over in the late ‘60s.
Instead of yearning for the days of yore, grab a real burger across the street at a functional McD’s. Artifacts and exhibits from the original restaurant before it got torn down are displayed on the walls. For those wanting to make a visit to the museum, it’s only opened seasonally from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and erratically at best. It’s suggested to call ahead to confirm the hours and to possibly arrange a tour.
Posted by Garin Pirnia
