Featured image credit: Bryan Hong
In-N-Out Burger has become so synonymous with California’s fast food culture that it’s hard to remember we launched the mother of all fast food chains. That’s right. The first-ever McDonald’s restaurant started right in the city of San Bernardino. But this isn’t a blog about the first McDonald’s. It’s about the oldest McDonald’s. Because, other than a commemorative set of golden arches, that first location is long gone. Meanwhile, the oldest surviving McDonald’s is going strong just down the 5 freeway at 10207 Lakewood Boulevard in the unassuming city of Downey. Not that you’d necessarily recognize it. Eerily, it looks as though it’s been stuck in time for over half a century. And there’s a good reason for that.
When the Oldest McDonald’s Was Still New
It was 1953 when McDonald’s opened its fourth restaurant; the third franchised by the McDonald brothers, Richard and Maurice. At that point, McDonald’s had only been a brand for five years and still had a long stretch to travel to become the globally recognized colossus it is today. Business partners Roger Williams and Bud Landon were taking a gamble when they bought the franchise rights from the McDonald brothers.
Unlike the locations we recognize today, the Downey restaurant was a simple self-service drive-through, capitalizing on the rising prevalence of the family automobile. Whether you were passing through Downey or just rushing home from the office, the Downey McDonald’s offered an easy way to grab an affordable meal without breaking stride.
A McDonald’s Lost in Time
Roll up to the oldest McDonald’s today and you probably won’t recognize it as part of the brand. Virtually all the discernible hallmarks of a modern McDonald’s location are conspicuously absent. The telltale mansard roof? Nowhere to be found. Instead you’ll find a relatively flat sweeping roof in the dynamic Googie style. The golden arches? They’re here… sort of. The sign itself hinges on a single golden arch, punctuated by a circle with an early prototype of the golden arch branding. This early version echoes the arches that bookended early restaurants which you’ll also find still flanking this establishment. Even the Lovin’ Sans font employed by the brand is hard to find. Rather, the oldest McDonald’s still uses classic fonts popular at the time of its opening.
You’ll also have to do a bit of searching to find the burger-binging mascot, Ronald McDonald. The chain didn’t introduce him until 1963 and even then, the prototype Ronald McDonald is unrecognizable from the yellow jumpsuited jester with whom you grew up. When the oldest McDonald’s first opened its doors, the active mascot was Speedee. A pudgy Pillsbury-esque chef winking conspiratorially while pointing and rushing toward the restaurant itself, he was like a primitive personification of Googie itself, right down to his name. Visually, the vaguely moon-faced mascot would presage crescent moon crooner character Mac Tonight, used to promote McDonald’s late-night menu in the late ‘80s, more than Ronald McDonald.
A Hidden Museum
The Googie exterior of the oldest McDonald’s perfectly sets up the otherworldly interior. While it primarily operates as a classic burger stand, albeit selling officially sanctioned McDonald’s menu items, you can find seating in a closely neighboring building that also serves as a small museum. Soundtracked by a looping documentary focused on late McDonald’s owner Ray Kroc, the museum adds an extra touch of surrealism to the bizarre dining experience. Mannequins sporting the classic yellow McDonald’s uniforms stand stationary in a recreation of the restaurant. Beyond, you’ll find retro toys, memorabilia, promotional materials, and more.
Arguably, the most talked about artifact on display is the original McDonald’s menu. When the oldest McDonald’s was the newest, a hamburger cost just 15 cents. But, as a sign hanging in the museum claims, the current McDonald’s pricing is more of a deal than the 15-cent burger was in its day. Of course, marketing like this cuts both ways with the average American being more suspicious of bargain beef.
A Forgotten Favorite is Back on the Menu
Another eccentricity of the oldest McDonald’s is a long-lost menu item that you can now only get at this location. The McDonald’s apple pie may seem ubiquitous. But as of 1992, McDonald’s began to bake their apple pies instead of fry them. That’s right, McDonald’s used to fry their apple pies. And not everyone was on board with the switch. If you ever want to try the original fried apple pie variation, there is only one place that can accommodate you: the oldest McDonald’s. We’re sorry and you’re welcome.
How the World’s Oldest McDonald’s Kept Its Distinct Look
But the current era of the fast food giant is never too far from the time capsule of the oldest McDonald’s. In fact, a modern McDonald’s is less than a mile up the road. And, if you look around the vintage location, you’re bound to find signs of the brand’s evolution. There’s even a grinning Ronald McDonald statue punctuating the museum.
With over 13,000 McDonald’s locations in the U.S. alone, how did this single Downey location resist the brand’s evolution? The trajectory of McDonald’s changed significantly when Ray Kroc purchased the brand in 1961 for $2.1 million. But Williams and Landon avoided corporate oversight since their location was never licensed through Kroc. Therefore, when every other McDonald’s location adopted changes at Kroc’s direction, the Downey location wasn’t required to follow suit.
Williams and Landon tended to stick to their guns, even when it didn’t make financial sense. As a result, their boat didn’t rise with the tide. But because of their steadfastness, Downey not only boasts the oldest McDonald’s still standing but one that is truly unique among thousands of cookie-cutter locations. Kroc ended up buying the Downey McDonald’s in 1990, ending its run of independence. But perhaps he recognized its time-tested appeal. Thus the anomaly remains, frozen in time in almost all respects. Not the prices obviously. But hey, those fried apple pies are worth it.
