Ray Kroc

Kroc understood something the brothers missed.

The system was valuable precisely because it was theirs.

Because it had a name, an identity, a track record.

Customers who'd eaten at McDonald's in one location would recognize it in another location.

A copy wouldn't have that.

Copy was just another hamburger stand.

The brothers had invented something remarkable, but they weren't willing to do what it took to spread it across the country.

At this point, Kroc admitted he was mostly thinking about multi-mixers.

Every new McDonald's still meant eight more machines.

Think how crazy that is in hindsight.

He still thinks the path to wealth at this point is multi-mixers, but in his quest to sell the multi-mixers, he would go on to build one of the largest companies in the history of the world.

On April 15th, 1955, Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald's.

The lot was mediocre.

There was no established traffic pattern.

There was very little public exposure.

Just a red and white building with golden arches, a tiny kitchen, and 52-year-old saleswoman who had bet everything on a 15-cent hamburger.

Art Bender, the McDonald's Brothers manager, flew out to help.

What they learned would prove invaluable for future openings.

But first, they nearly didn't survive this one.

The problem started with the building.