Richard and Maurice McDonald
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2021) |
Richard McDonald | |
|---|---|
| Born | Richard James McDonald February 16, 1909 |
| Died | July 14, 1998 (aged 89) Bedford, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Resting place | Mount Calvary Cemetery, Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Co-founder of McDonald's |
| Spouse(s) | Dorothy McDonald |
Maurice McDonald | |
|---|---|
| Born | Maurice James McDonald November 26, 1902 |
| Died | December 11, 1971 (aged 69) Riverside, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Desert Memorial Park, Cathedral City, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Co-founder of McDonald's |
| Spouse(s) | Dorothy Carter[citation needed] |
The McDonald brothers – Richard James (February 2, 1909 – July 14, 1998) and Maurice James (November 26, 1902 – December 11, 1971) – were American entrepreneurs who founded the fast food company McDonald's. They opened the original McDonald's restaurant in San Bernardino, California in 1940, where they created the Speedee Service System to produce their meals, a method that would become the standard for fast food. After partnering with Ray Kroc in 1954, they continued to run the company until they were bought out by Kroc in 1961.
Early life[edit]
The McDonald brothers were born in Manchester, New Hampshire, to Patrick J. McDonald and Margarete McDonald, Irish immigrants who came to the United States as children.[1]
Careers[edit]
In 1948, the brothers fully redesigned and rebuilt their restaurant in San Bernardino to focus on a reduced menu consisting of nine items: In addition to their 15 cent hamburger, the menu would include a cheeseburger, soft drinks, milk, coffee, potato chips and a slice of pie.[2]
The McDonald brothers' restaurant was a success, and with the goal of making $1 million before they turned 50,[3] the McDonald brothers began franchising their system in 1953, beginning with a restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona, operated by Neil Fox.[2]
In 1954, the McDonald brothers partnered with Ray Kroc. The franchiser took 1.9 percent of the gross sales, of which the McDonald brothers got 0.5 percent.[4]
On November 30, 1984, Richard McDonald, the first cook behind the grill of a McDonald's, was served the ceremonial 50 billionth McDonald's hamburger by Ed Rensi, then-president of McDonald's USA, at the Grand Hyatt hotel in New York City.[5][6][7]
Death and legacy[edit]
Maurice McDonald died from heart failure[8] at his home in Palm Springs, California, on December 11, 1971, at the age of 69. He was buried at the Desert Memorial Park, in Cathedral City, California.[9]
Richard McDonald also died from heart failure in a nursing home in Manchester, New Hampshire, on July 14, 1998, at the age of 89.[10] He was buried at the Mount Calvary Cemetery in Manchester.[3][6][11]
In the 2016 film The Founder, a biopic about Ray Kroc and his business relationship with the McDonald brothers, Richard McDonald is played by Nick Offerman,[12][13] and John Carroll Lynch portrays Maurice McDonald.[13]
The first McDonald's, according to the California Route 66 Association, is owned by Albert Okura and is a museum.[14]
References[edit]
- ^ "From immigration to mega wealth".
- ^ a b "OurHistory". McDonald's. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
- ^ a b Gilpin, Kenneth N. (July 16, 1998). "Richard McDonald, 89, Fast-Food Revolutionary". The New York Times. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
- ^ Gross, Daniel (October 1996). Forbes' Greatest Business Stories of All Time. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-14314-7
- ^ Anderson Heller, Susan; Dunlap, David W. (November 21, 1984). "50 Billion and Still Cooking". The New York Times. p. B3. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
- ^ a b Velasco, Alejandra Yáñez (July 1998). "Restaurant Innovator Richard McDonald Dies at 89: Pioneered McDonald's, World's Largest Restaurant System". Hotel Online. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
- ^ "La reina de la cocina (rápida) cumple 100 años"". El Mundo (in Spanish). May 30, 2004. Archived from the original on February 12, 2005. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
- ^ Stice, Joel (March 15, 2019). "The Tragic Real-Life Story Of The McDonald Brothers". Mashed. Archived from the original on May 30, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ "Maurice J. McDonald Dies at 69; Hamburger Chain's Co Founder". The New York Times. December 14, 1971. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ Gilpin, Kenneth N. (July 16, 1998). "Richard McDonald, 89, Fast-Food Revolutionary". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
- ^ "Fast food supremo dies" July 15, 1998. BBC News. Accessed January 6, 2007.
- ^ Eschner, Kat (February 16, 2017). "Nick Offerman's Character in 'The Founder' Is Based on This Real Historical Figure". Smithsonian Magazine. Archived from the original on February 17, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ a b Itzkoff, Dave (January 18, 2017). "'The Founder': Burgers, Fries and a Couple of Wiseguys". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ "Original McDonald's Site & Museum". California Route 66 Association. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
External links[edit]
- Google. "Google Maps street view of Original McDonalds" (Map). Google Maps. Google.
