Ray Kroc
đ€ SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
Now it was war.
It closed the door between them.
In a few years, their marriage would be over.
But Ray had no time for that now.
He needed a site for his first location, a model for everything that would follow.
He found a lot in Des Plaines, Illinois, seven minutes from his house.
Then trouble started.
The minute Kroc sat down with his contractor, a problem became obvious.
The McDonald's Brothers building was designed for California.
It was a concrete slab.
There was no basement, a swamp cooler on the roof.
Illinois was not California.
Where am I going to put the furnace, Mr. Kroc?
The contractor asked.
Damned if I know, what do you suggest?
The contractor suggested a basement.
He'd need one for storage anyway.
He couldn't leave potatoes sitting outside like they did in San Bernardino.
Kroc called the brothers and explained, well, sure, you need a basement, they said, so build one.
He reminded them that the contract required any changes to be documented by a registered letter.