Before we continue with this update, let’s make it clear that we loathe most of McDonalds food. I say most because the fries are like crack to us. However, the food gives us tummy aches & the sodas are overly sweet. So why are we posting about McDonalds? Because it’s definitely a major part of American Popular culture & as Asian immigrants, we’re fascinated by it. Is it because of the eerily look of Ronald McDonald? Is it the fact that it’s on almost every corner in the US? We honestly couldn’t tell ya but after we heard about the first McDonalds owned by Richard & Maurice McDonald still exists in San Bernardino, California, we had to swing by. Unfortunately, it was closed by the time we got there but we managed to snap a shot. Now, Ray Kroc would like you to believe the first McDonalds is in Des Plaines, Illinois or something like that but that’s after he bought the company from the McDonald brothers. The San Bernardino spot originally opened as a BBQ stand in 1940 then became a burger spot in 1948.
We then found out that there was an oldest running McDonalds in Downey, California that had a museum & has been open since 1953. We managed to capture a few photos there. It’s the second restaurant franchised by the McDonald brothers, prior to the involvement of Ray Kroc & it still has the two original 30-foot (9.1 m) “Golden arches” and a 60-foot (18 m) animated neon “Speedee” sign.