My mother grew up in Riverside, CA- the town next to San Bernardino- and my grandfather loved to drive to the original McDonald and buy enough food to feed the whole family for just a couple of bucks. He continued to love their original cheeseburger until the mid-'70's, when he said they started expanding their menu too much and got skimpy on the cheeseburgers. He discovered In n Out Burger and switched his loyalty to them. The young guy across the street from him was a manager at In n Out and gave my grandfather a hat like the crew wore. He wore it all the time and was even buried in it. In n Out was smart, they never expanded their menu and kept it simple. That enabled them to keep their prices lower than other fast food joints for comparable products.

I got 3 school days off a year when I was growing up - 1 in the spring after the first warm rain to go forage for morels and 2 in the dead of winter to chop firewood. Each of those days started with just my dad and me taking a trip to McDonald's for breakfast. I thought it was so cool getting hot cakes in those Styrofoam serving containers and it was such a huge treat. And I remember vividly the day my dad took me to McDonald's for my first Big Mac once I was old enough to finish one, it was like a rite of passage and I felt so grown up. I can even recall the table we were sitting at. Funny where your memories later in life land.

Hamburger 15 cents, Fries 12 cents, Coke 10 cents. Hourly wage in Cleveland at McDonalds 75 cents and all the burgers you can eat. Fries made from real potatoes on the premises. 1962.

I live In Muncie Indiana & one of our McDonald's still has the original arches from the 60s😊

My first real job in high school was working at a McDonalds. I have never worked so hard for so little in my life.

I worked at 2 of these in high school from 88-89 (back in the days when high school kids actually got after-school jobs). I was surprised at how much one could learn about running a business doing this type of work, and learned a lot of good life lessons. The first one I worked at was off of a US Highway, and I still remember when there'd be a slow Sunday afternoon, then suddenly a huge charter bus would pull in...and our manager would yell back to the grill "12 REGS DOWN!(small burger patties) 6 QUARTERS DOWN!(1/4 lb patties) DROP TWO BAGS OF FRIES!"

Growing up in the 60s, we never ate at McDonald's. My father, who was king of our house wouldn't consider it. Every hamburger we ate, my mom cooked and served it between two slices of Wonder Bread. I didn't eat McDonald's really until the early 70s when I was 15.

McDonald's to this day is my favorite fast food joint. The coffee is the best. In our area, you can find many old men meeting in the morning at McDonald's to solve the world's problems, while drinking coffee. :)

Fun Fact: TODAY Show's Willard Scott was the first Ronald McDonald.

I worked at a couple of McDonald's. It was in the late 90's until 2001. I worked as a fry cook and basic maintenance.

'61 - I was 6 and once a month, our next door neighbor would take his sister (my 1st grade classmate) and me to Mighty Mo's in District Heights, Md for a burger and fries brought to the car on real plates. It was a real treat for us. Every drive in stall was always full and they were THE place to get a great burger. My dad was in the Air Force and that summer, we moved away. '66 - We traveled to Md and visited our old neighbors that summer. One evening, it was suggested we go to Mighty Mo's. It was dead there. My mom asked where everyone was and the neighbor pointed down the street to the golden arches. "That's McDonald's. Their burgers are 15 cents". '72 - Visited our old neighbors once again. I was a senior. Mighty Mo's was long gone but those golden arches were still gleaming down the street. Like so many others, Mighty Mo's couldn't compete with fast, cheap burgers.

I loved the McDonald’s stands in the 70s when, you could either eat outside or in your car! I also remember back then, you could also get onion rings, they were the best fast food onion rings, I ever ate but, I remember when, they buildings started getting larger they done away with the onion rings and, that’s when, the beef patties changed, let’s just say the burgers also didn’t taste the same neither. Seems like when, they had the smaller stands the burgers were a little bit thicker and tastier. There was one or 2 that was still in Cincinnati that was open till like the mid 70s, the smaller stands and, still had the same burger and onion rings. So, every time we were around the area where one was at, that’s where we’d grab bite. Those smaller stands were the best.

When I was growing up McDonald's were drive up restaurants where you went in purchased your food and ate in your car. Indoor seating was added later to the restaurants. One of the worst changes was when they stopped cooking the french fries in beef fat. Prior to that the french fries were the best in the world. Really special.

I remember back in the day, when McDonald's was a good 👍and affordable place to eat. The, last time I at McDonald's was in 2011. The food wasn't very good and McDonald's is getting to expensive to eat at. I had a #2 combo, which was a Big Mac, Medium Fries 🍟and a Medium Coke which used to be $5.00 and now for the same Combo it's $10.00. All the Fast Food Restaurants are very expensive.

Unlike the other restaurants you do where some people never heard of them, it you haven't heard of McDonalds you are living on another planet

6:10 RIP Willard Scott

I remember my first time at a McDonald's as a teeenager in the 1960's. Myself and 3 buddies drove there, went to the counter to order and brought the burgers back to the car to eat them. As we backed-up the car to leave, the manager came running out waving his arms and yelling for us to stop. We thought that we had done something wrong. When he got to the car he said, "I just want to thank you guys for throwing your trash in the trash can." I guess people throwing trash on the ground was a big enough problem to where using the trash cans warranted a special "thank you".

What I miss is the apple, cherry, etc. pies that were fried and had a nice sugary coating. They switched to the bake pies about 30 or so years ago that are horrible. This was part of the "PC" movement that started in the early 90's.

We had a large family 7 of us kids money was short, so only once a year did we get McDonalds and it was a treat 😊as an adult I do not care for it... but enjoyed it as a child. Thanks for another great informative video, love your channel you never disappoint 🥂🍾

I've been to that oldest existing McDonald's in Downey, CA. My uncle lived in Downey and took us there when we visited back in the 80s.

Any chance you could do Sizzler ? I remember going with my family in the 60’s and 70’s and they were great family low cost eateries. Love your channel, thanks!

This is great. I encourage anyone to watch the movie "Founder". It is the story of McDonalds and how the Brother's were totally ripped off by Ray Kroc. The movie was very well done. I felt so sorry for the Brother's.

I've spent many happy hours of my childhood and adulthood at McDonald's. A friend of mine from highschool ended up being the manager of a McDonald's. In 1975, a McDonald's had opened up near my friend's house. It wasn't there very long but it was cool to be able to grab a quick meal literally on the way to my friend's house. When I had kids of my own I took them to McDonald's. The last time was when my daughters were still in highschool. 🍔🍟🥤

I went there in SoCal in the 50s, loved the place. Then grew to loathe the place. Now, in Thailand, I went to one recently, and it was darn good.

Don't forget the McDonaldland lawsuits from Sid and Marty Croft, that brought an end to the Best charactors.

Going to McDonald's growing up was reserved for road trips to see family on the other side of our state. Otherwise, our family didn't eat out. My husband's family was the same way. I recently watched, "The Food That Built America" series on the History Channel. Absolutely fascinating!

Some where in the '90's, the CEO decided to take the Fast out of fast food; reduced the cashiers; installed holding bins where 'fresh' burgers were constructed to order; added a slew of new products, and slowed the entire operation. I miss the original concept.

Our family would sometimes go to Burger Chef also back in the sixties.

When I was a kid in the 70s, McDonald's wasn't really our go-to place for hamburgers. There was a burger joint called Mr. Quick that we got take out from quite a bit until it closed in 76, 77. There was also a Dairy Queen we took out from a lot, and in fact my older sister got a job there and met her future husband. Their 48th anniversary is practically around the corner. Another burger joint we went to was an independent place called Daniel's Hamburgers, which was real good. I don't remember having my first Big Mac until I was 10 in the mid 70s. There just wasn't a McDonald's near us for several years. Now, as the 80s approached, we took out from McDonald's and ate there a little more. And one did open in the early 80s behind our local mall. After I got my license, I went there quite a bit, dine in and takeout. Hamburgers became a frequent meal for me in the 80s and 90s. McDonald's was a frequent haunt, so was Whataburger. I'm often not too impressed with McDonald's today. They're often greasy and just bleh! Also, a Bedford, Texas McDonald's treated me very badly a couple years ago. They were very nasty to me. I'm permanently banned from that location because I flipped the managers off in response to my treatment.

Worked at McDonald's in 1966 to 67 while in high school making a whole 1$an hour. Still have my name tag and bolo tie we wore. Great experience.

I look forward to your videos Recollection Road. Happy Holidays!

I remember when they ran a promotion in the 70s that, if you could say the Big Mac song, you got one for free. "Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun."

All my best memories revolve around food….. restaurants, school lunches and home cooked meals!

Thanks again for your research and production of your videos. Clearly your increasing sub count is proof. Side bar, my Grandmother dated Ray Kroc in High School in Oak Park IL. After 2 dates she dropped him, stating that he was a " drip".

My Dad's best friend would take my brother and I to McDonalds in his brand new 1958 Lincoln Mark III. It was a pink convertible with a white interior. Man, were we the cat's meow. I think it was probably the most beautiful car ever made. As far as consistency in food, I tried eating at a McDonalds in Paris, France and, yup, the food tasted EXACTLY the same. Just amazing.

Awesome work on this one love McDonald’s now Bobs Big Boy. Just patiently waiting Mr. Recollection.

In 1987 I had my first job out of High school at McDonald’s it was a good experience. I Have an idea for another video Cornet stores was a west coast based 5 and 10 that had stores as far as Colorado I’ve have not been able to find much information on Cornet stores

Ours has changed. No eating inside, no breakfast, they open at 10:30 and close at 10:30 (we don't go there anymore).

as an 80s kid/90s teen, I remember when mcdonalds toys were acutally.....toys. You could play with. and playplaces. I LOVED playing at one

I love seeing the old pics of the staff, all teenagers and the only adult was management. As it should be today

When I was a kid I didn’t like the 2 pickles on my burger - so I threw them up inside the outdoor patio umbrella. There were 100 pickles up there lol. - .74c got me a burger fries and small coke!

After working for them for 13 years, I was one of the funnest jobs I had. being able to learn all the stations and even doing maintenance was really a experience. after 2004, that all changed when forced out by bad management. now, Micky-D's is just another fast food restaurant as times have changed and the company has lost its way. no longer unique, its just another place to eat....

i growen up in the 80's going mcdonald's was a treat. when when the mcdonald's in our town shut down and had a head to toe make over & opened backed up they had jack mckight out there & they where doing a15 cent hamburgers & 30 cent cheeseburger promo as a grand reopening. my dad bought $10 worth of hamburgers & $10 worth of cheeseburgers after that i never wanted to look at mcdonald's hamburger again.

Old enough (sadly) to remember the golden arches. Didn't really eat there until high school. I do miss the old style franchises and absolutely love this series.

The original Big Mac and classic french fries were my favorite combo back in the 80's. Along with McDonaldland cookies and a Shamrock shake! Nothing compares...

As a small child I was disappointed to see the original golden arches designs being remodeled in the 70s including the one nearest my home we got takeout from in San Jose, CA! However, there was one holdout franchise that never updated the building there on Almaden that was also declared a landmark like the one in Downey! It now has additional structures near it as well as at least a Burger King near it but the original building remains!

I haven't been to a McDonald's in years. The reason being is because the food is not as good as it used to be. My husband and I always say that McDonald's shrank their food and raised their prices.

I remember my first Big Mac. Held it with two hands. Now you can pick it up with chop sticks. Boy, times have changed!!!! 👌

It was the early 1960's when the first McDonald's opened it's doors on 24th St. in my hometown of Port Huron, MI. I remember riding my bicycle over to it numerous times for those delicious 10 cent French fries. One of the favorite items of both my Dad and I were the Filet-O-Fish sandwiches. Seeing some of the pictures in your video is like a flashback to that time!

As a former GM of McDonald's for over 40 years I still love to look back on the beginnings of the chain. I have many good memories.

The first Micky Ds opened up in my area in 1963 when I was in 1st grade. Going there for dinner was a real treat. In 63' we had a 55' Rocket 88 Olds just like the one parked in the lot in the thumbnail picture and the picture at 3:35.

My father took us to McDonald’s after our swimming lessons when we lived in Santa Ana in 1964. The only problem was it was Friday and we could only get the fish sandwich.

Every Saturday, I would give my 4 youngest children a choice of where to go for dinner. The choices were, McDonald's, Burger King, White Castle, (Which was my favorite), Wendy's, IHOP, Pizza Hut, KFC, Arby's, and a slew of others including diners. Almost always the largest number of votes, including my wife's was McDonald's. I had to overrule them on occasion so everyone had a chance to go to where they would like and since I was driving, I had the final say. Always if it wasn't their first, McDonald's was always their second choice. If I had known that we would spend so much time and money there. I would have tried to get a franchise. In the long run, it would have been cheaper.

Even when Ive traveled to other countries Ill eventually wind up in a Mcdonalds at least once. Sometimes you just need a break from all the regional foods and need to tuck into a Big Mac and fries. In Chang Mai, Thailand, the minute you walk in the door the counter employees all shout in unison "Welcome to McDonalds!!" It was so endearing.

Too. bad Maccas uses Tyson chicken. I remember as a kid, I loved getting a Happy Meal after volleyball games. Thanks for sharing this video RR

On Friday nights in '66, a car full of us would get a buck's worth of gas (at around $.20 p/gal!), then head to McDonalds and spend around $.75 each for 3 burgers, fries and a malt. So, for around a dollar each we were stylin' and we could cruise around all night!

When I was little it was probably the highlight of my life to go there, and especially the birthday parties, which I went to many. Today I still eat there every day on the way to work and sometimes even on my day off. I enjoy it and am not ashamed of it either.

In the 70's I liked McD's but loved Burger King. Both served tasty food back then and now today and for a long time now, both are terrible. I hadn't been to McD's in many years, but went with some relatives a month ago. It's bad enough that the prices are so high, but can the $15+ an hour workers put a sandwich together correctly? At least their coffee is good.

Man -- Talk about memories !! Thank you !!!!

McDonald’s was late franchising into Wheeling WV. I was probably 12 before first going to one. But I knew Big Mac ingredients by heart from the commercials. I later worked at a McDonalds in North Carolina (frying quarter pounders) that my much younger sister practically grew up in !

Let me get this straight….the McDonald brothers kept their original restaurant, changed the name and altered the sign so it was their own, but Ray Kroc who had made millions from their business and their name that he bought and expanded world-wide couldn’t let the brothers have their little corner of the world so ran them out of business by building a McDonald’s around the corner from them? Greed never ceases to amaze me.

That Downey McDonalds is up the street from us. Need to visit that place again.

After watching the movie about the brothers it was eye opening. My heart really went out to them. They really got the shaft and Kroc was beyond evil for how he went about taking their business from them.

Ray Kroc was mean to the brothers who had made him beyond rich. They only had one restaurant and he had to shut that down. Greedy man.

I remember the old fashioned McDonald’s building, when they only sold regular hamburgers, cheeseburgers, French fries, soft drinks and shakes. They didn’t even have the apple pies out yet, or fish sandwich! My dad would take me to get our takeaway order,since also before the drive through! I remember the uniforms the boys would wear, they were the cooks, and the woman took the orders. This was in the mid to late 60’s. I remember when McDonald’s changed the building in the early 70’s.

President Trump loves McDonalds .

their burger were much larger back than compared to now

On my birthday, I got what I wanted for dinner. That would be our once-a-year trip to McDonald's. I would always get 2 double cheese plain, large fry and an orange drink. I still make that order today. Well, sometimes I get quarter pounders instead.

Another fantastic travel back through history! Will you consider doing a video on the California restaurant Fosters Freeze? I think you would make a wonderful video about the franchise

Thank you....

I remember as a kid the best 2 places to have a birthday party was either Chuckie Cheese or Mcdonalds.

Growing up, my family rarely ate out. When we did it was a treat. I dont remember going to McDonalds till I was 16 and a friend drove me there. We got the Egga Muffins. I have not ate more than a handful of burgers there but did consume many breakfasts there. Now if I were to ask my Grandson where he would like to eat, the answer is all ways "McDonalds". Too bad I wont take him there.

Here in Australia, we have been marking 50 years since our first McDonalds opened in Sydney in 1971. In Australia, McDonalds is invariably nicknamed by the Australian public, "Maccas".

Remember when the apple pies were fried and actually tasted good?

I enjoyed this segment when I was a kid I used to go to San Bernardino to the McDonald's my dad used to enjoy taking this over there because it was the original we lived in Riverside so it was just a hop skip and a jump to the McDonald's and San Bernardino keep up the great work

My first job was at McDonald's when I was 16. It was great, I learned a lot and ate free. Lol! The sandwiches aren't so good, but their fries are still the best!!!

Thank you for the video

My dad's friend worked in the one in Des Plaines for Ray A. Kroc. He was quite an operator, got to hand it to him.

My memories of McDonald's came in the late '60s, early '70s when one opened in my hometown. I remember we would go after church, a sort of treat for us. It was also my first job in 1977, and they taught me how to work. By that, I mean they implemented what I later learned was called 'management by hassling'. A friend became a swing manager, and I got a glimpse of the pamphlet. 'If you got time to lean, you got time to clean' was one of them. During my last 2 years in High School, Mcdonalds became a focal point for my social life as well, as most of my friends worked there too, so it was like a club that required me to work for money, so much so that when they built a new site to overcome the original's lack of a drive-thru, I had pangs of nostalgia even though I was still in my late 20's. It became a Chinese restaurant, and whenever I went in I could still imagine hopping behind the counter and taking my position at the grill, or fighting with the bun toaster while talking with my friends and making plans for after work. Every Friday and Saturday night, if you closed, you didn't feel left out, as most of them would wander by, and gather in the parking lot waiting for you to get off work. Sometimes, you would help a bit for free, as it never felt like a burden. Good times.

I wonder why he did not mention the first Ronald McDonald was Willard Scott the famous weatherman.

We didn't have a McD's in my small Canadian town - we had a Red Barn - which I loved as a kid. Another competitor that McD's killed off sadly

Enjoyed very much.

I live in Sierra Vista AZ where the Very First Drive Thru Window was installed at any McDonald's. They opened it because soldiers from Fort Huachuca were not allowed into McDonald's in uniform so McDonald's build the first drive thru window

two things i love about MD are the fries and Coke. The fries taste different than other places. Now the Coke is something special. it has a taste of its own even when compared to can coke or mex coke . its just taste different than coke anywhere else. When they had the dine in still going in my area, i would grab a $1 coke and drink 2 or 3 large ones . i once asked a guy that was maintianing the pop machine and he told me that MD has a special formula coke . i still can't figure out why they have not reopened the ones in the Seattle area .

In the early 1960s my dad would sometimes take us to a McDonald's and I remember we always had to wait extra long for our food because my sister could not stand onions. So what is said here about having to wait for any order you wanted your way is absolutely true! I am surprised though that they started in CA. The one we went to was, I believe, in Lanham, Maryland or Chevy Chase or thereabouts, and I clearly remember the 15-cent price, so it had to have been extremely early on in Kroc's expansion. That was so very long ago that I assumed it was an east coast thing originally.

i remember hamburgers were king, now everybody wants cheeseburgers

I still have fond memories of going to McDonald's as a kid in the 70's. And then, I worked for them in the 80's. Nowadays, if I was forced to choose between working for McDonald's or starving to death, I'd starve to death. No, seriously. I would starve to death. I Would Freaking Starve To Death. It would be less painful.

I went to high school, Maine HS. That was the first place we went to after school was out. that was in the 50's Ate for less than a buck and the food was really great.

Growing up in the 1960s, we only knew McDonald's from TV commercials. So every summer when our family went on a road trip for vacation, we would holler every time we saw a billboard for McDonald's and beg our dad to take us there. In the mid-70s, McDonald's was the first fast food franchise to come to our small town. The day of its opening, they had a huge parade down Main Street with Ronald McDonald handing out free coupons, Mayor McCheese and those other characters. I remember my dad moaning and saying now all the others would come. He's right, 5 years later our town had them all! 🙂💕🍔🍔🍔🍔🍔

For many years, I have eaten at McDonald's restaurants since I was a kid. And I remember the burgers and fries. They were one of my favorite foods there.

Ray Crock was a real jerk for forcing the shutdown of the McDonald Brothers landmark store. Absolute GREED.

I still remember the first time my family and I went to McDonalds, it was Saturday afteroon in 1972 and Ronald McDonald was going to be there.I did not get to stay there long enough to see him because a rain storm had came and we had to leave before the weather got too bad, but at least I had a chance to go which was fun.😊

when i was in the sixth grade, in Downey CA me and a friend would ride our bikes from Downy elem to the Mcdonalds for lunch, for 35 cents, i got a hamburger fries & coke. the year was 1966 & 1967

My childhood memories of McDonald's extends to TV ads. I personally never ate at one until my 20s! (other chains were closer to our home). I can't say how good the food was before the early 80's, (I've herard that it used to be much better.) but it's "meh" now., I will say though that their coffee is great, I would MUCH rather have McDonald's coffee over whatever Starbuck's calls their regular coffee. And it's cheaper!

i remember the old tv commercial mcdonalds is your kind of place the hap hap happy place

Some of us are a bit too old! LOL! There were no McDonald's around when I was of an age to enjoy the Play Place, but my kids certainly loved it. I remember going on road trips with them in rural Kansas and Nebraska. When they'd see a Mickey D's they'd shout, 'Civilisation!'

As a kid of the 80s every Halloween from 87-about 92 a happy meal came in a witch pumpkin or ghost bucket 🪣. I remember the ghost given the name of McBoo. I miss the original fries and the McDonald Land cookies had a special flavor. The McDLt sandwiches where very tasty too.

The happy meal was invented by burger chef

Someone needs to see the movie the founder. Ray Kroc stole the business from the McDonald's brother

103rd an Kedzie Ave was the first McDonald's in Chicago, right next door to a prince castle in 1973 , Now the entire block is now a McDonald's Hamburger 🍔 stand , ‼️