Richard and Maurice McDonald explained

Richard and Maurice McDonald
Occupation:Businessman
Known For:Founding McDonalds
Years Active:1940–1998
Module:
Decat:yes
Child:yes
Richard McDonald
Label1:Birth Name
Data1:Richard James McDonald
Label2:Born
Data2:16 February 1909[1] Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S.
Label3:Died
Data3:
Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S.
Module2:
Decat:yes
Child:yes
Maurice McDonald
Label1:Birth Name
Data1:Maurice James McDonald
Label2:Born
Data2:26 November 1902 Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S.
Label3:Died
Data3:
Palm Springs, California, U.S.

Richard James "Dick" McDonald (February 16, 1909 – July 14, 1998) and Maurice James "Mac" McDonald (November 26, 1902 – December 11, 1971), collectively known as the McDonald Brothers, were American entrepreneurs who founded the fast food company McDonald's.

The brothers opened the original McDonald's restaurant in 1940 in San Bernardino, California, where they created the Speedee Service System to produce their meals, a method that became the standard for the fast food industry. After hiring Ray Kroc as their franchise agent in 1954, they continued to run the company until they were bought out by Kroc in 1961.

Early life

The McDonald brothers were born in Manchester, New Hampshire, to Irish parents Patrick James from Dingle and Margaret Anna Curran McDonald, who came to the United States as children.[2] [3] Maurice was born in 1902, and Richard was born in 1909.[4] In the 1920s, the family moved to California, where Patrick opened a food stand in Monrovia in 1937.[5]

Careers

The McDonald brothers were operating a successful drive-in restaurant in the 1940s, but found several factors were cutting into their profits: some of the more expensive menu items, such as barbecue sandwiches, were rarely ordered, and they used actual dishes, which were constantly lost or broken, plus the reputation of drive-ins becoming seedy hangouts for teenagers were driving whole families away.

In 1948, the brothers fully redesigned and rebuilt their restaurant in San Bernardino to focus on a reduced menu consisting of their nine most profitable and cost-effective items: In addition to their 15-cent hamburger, the menu included a cheeseburger, soft drinks, milk, coffee, potato chips, and a slice of pie.[6] Their restaurant was about a mile from route 66 at 1398 North E Street at West 14th Street in San Bernardino. The site is now a museum. The first months of the revived restaurant were a struggle, as many customers expected carhops to serve them like other drive-in restaurants, rather than having to walk up to the restaurant's window to order. The brothers persisted, keeping their simple menu, aside from replacing the potato chips with french fries. The restaurant soon appealed to drivers on the go who could get a quick meal with no waiting, and it also appealed to families that could eat a whole meal cheaply.

The McDonald brothers' restaurant was a success, and with the goal of making $1 million before they turned 50,[7] the McDonald brothers began franchising their system in 1953, beginning with a restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona, operated by Neil Fox.[6]

The brothers drew the attention of Ray Kroc, a milkshake mixer salesman for Prince Castle.[8] After they purchased eight of his Multi-Mixers for their San Bernardino, California restaurant, Kroc visited that restaurant in 1954.[9] That year the McDonald brothers hired Kroc as their franchise agent. Kroc took 1.9% of gross sales, of which the McDonald brothers got 0.5%.[10] [11]

Kroc became frustrated with the McDonald brothers' desire to maintain a small number of restaurants. The brothers also consistently told Kroc he could not make changes to things such as the original blueprint. Kroc eventually decided he wanted control of the company entirely, Kroc bought the company in 1961 for $2,700,000, calculated so as to ensure each brother received $1,000,000 after taxes.[12]

At the closing, Kroc became annoyed that the brothers would not transfer to him the real estate and rights to the original San Bernardino location. The brothers had told Kroc they were giving the operation, property and all, to the founding employees. In his anger, Kroc later opened a new McDonald's restaurant near the original McDonald's, which had been renamed "The Big M" because the brothers had neglected to retain rights to the name. "The Big M" closed six years later.[13] Speaking to someone about the buyout, Richard McDonald reportedly said that he had no regrets.[14]

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.[15] [16] [17]

Death and legacy

Maurice McDonald died from heart failure[18] at his home in Palm Springs, California, on December 11, 1971, at the age of 69.[19]

Richard McDonald also died from heart failure in a nursing home in Manchester, New Hampshire, on July 14, 1998, at the age of 89.[20] He was buried at the Mount Calvary Cemetery in Manchester.[7] [16] [21]

In the 2016 film The Founder, a biopic about Ray Kroc and his business relationship with the McDonald brothers, Richard (Dick) McDonald is played by Nick Offerman,[22] [23] and John Carroll Lynch portrays Maurice (Mac) McDonald.[23]

The site of the first McDonald's was purchased in 1998 by Albert Okura, founder of restaurant chain Juan Pollo, who moved his company's headquarters to the location and established an unofficial McDonald's museum on the site.[24] [25]

Notes and References

  1. https://www.legacy.com/news/culture-and-history/born-february-16/ legacy.com
  2. Web site: Maurice J Mc Donald, "New Hampshire Birth Certificates - Birth certificate states birthplace of father and mother. December 29, 2023.
  3. Web site: When Dad Lost His Job, the McDonald Brothers Started a Fast-Food Empire . 3 February 2017 .
  4. Book: Chatelain, Marcia . 2020 . Chapter One: Fast Food Civil Rights . Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America . New York City . . 25 . 978-1-63149-394-2 .
  5. Web site: From Immigration to Mega-Wealth. Muldoon, John P.. May 28, 2013. July 12, 2021. johnmuldoon.ie. September 18, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130918024835/http://johnmuldoon.ie/2013/05/from-immigration-to-mega-wealth/.
  6. Web site: OurHistory. McDonald's. April 26, 2021.
  7. News: Gilpin . Kenneth N. . July 16, 1998 . Richard McDonald, 89, Fast-Food Revolutionary . The New York Times. June 5, 2017.
  8. Book: Neil Snyder. Vision, Values, and Courage: Leadership for Quality Management. June 15, 2010. Simon and Schuster. 978-1-4516-0252-4. 133.
  9. Web site: Our History: Ray Kroc & The McDonald's Brothers . 2021-09-12. McDonald's. en-us.
  10. Web site: The true origin story behind McDonald's. Brancaccio, David. Marketplace. en-US. live. February 9, 2017. September 7, 2023. September 7, 2023. https://archive.today/20230907140006/https://www.marketplace.org/2017/02/09/ray-kroc-mcdonalds-fast-food/.
  11. Gross, Daniel (October 1996). Forbes' Greatest Business Stories of All Time. John Wiley & Sons.
  12. Web site: Ray Kroc: Burger Baron. October 9, 2008. Entrepreneur. en-US. May 29, 2019.
  13. Book: Kroc, R. -->. Grinding It Out. registration. 1977. 123. H. Regnery . 9780809282593.
  14. News: Richard McDonald, 89, Fast-Food Revolutionary. Gilpin. Kenneth N.. The New York Times. en-US. live. 0362-4331. July 16, 1998. July 25, 2023. September 21, 2021. https://archive.today/20210921134515/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/16/business/richard-mcdonald-89-fast-food-revolutionary.html.
  15. News: Anderson Heller, Susan. Dunlap, David W. . 50 Billion and Still Cooking. The New York Times. B3. November 21, 1984. May 28, 2021.
  16. Web site: Restaurant Innovator Richard McDonald Dies at 89: Pioneered McDonald's, World's Largest Restaurant System. Velasco, Alejandra Yáñez. Hotel Online. May 14, 2012. July 1998.
  17. Web site: La reina de la cocina (rápida) cumple 100 años. May 30, 2004 . El Mundo. es. May 28, 2021. February 12, 2005. https://web.archive.org/web/20050212165825/http://www.el-mundo.es/magazine/2004/244/1085657108.html.
  18. Web site: The Tragic Real-Life Story Of The McDonald Brothers. Stice, Joel. Mashed. March 15, 2019. May 26, 2021. May 30, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200530035245/https://www.mashed.com/147897/the-tragic-real-life-story-of-the-mcdonald-brothers/.
  19. Web site: Maurice J. McDonald Dies at 69; Hamburger Chain's Co Founder. The New York Times. December 14, 1971. May 26, 2021. August 12, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170812114532/https://www.nytimes.com/1971/12/14/archives/maurice-j-mcdonald-dies-at-69-hamburger-chains-cofounderi.html.
  20. News: Richard McDonald, 89, Fast-Food Revolutionary. Gilpin. Kenneth N.. July 16, 1998. The New York Times. October 21, 2017. en-US. 0362-4331.
  21. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/132882.stm "Fast food supremo dies"
  22. Web site: Nick Offerman's Character in 'The Founder' Is Based on This Real Historical Figure. Eschner, Kat. Smithsonian Magazine. February 16, 2017. May 26, 2021. February 17, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170217062944/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/nick-offermans-character-founder-based-real-historical-figure-180962147/.
  23. Web site: 'The Founder': Burgers, Fries and a Couple of Wiseguys. Itzkoff, Dave. The New York Times. January 18, 2017. May 26, 2021. January 18, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170118205809/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/18/movies/the-founder-john-carroll-lynch-nick-offerman.html.
  24. Web site: Original McDonald's Site & Museum . . June 12, 2020 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200612175154/https://www.route66ca.org/original-mcdonalds-site-museum/ . June 12, 2020.
  25. News: Elliott . Farley . California's unofficial McDonald's museum is a fast food fever dream . sfgate.com . Oct 27, 2023.