How the McDonald brothers turned a movie theater flop into a burger empire

How McDonald's first got its start

Before McDonald's became a global giant, Dick and Mac McDonald ran a failing movie theater in Depression-era California. They pivoted to a root beer stand, then to barbecue, before stripping their menu to nine items and choreographing a kitchen assembly line on a tennis court. The result: burgers in 20 seconds, fries by the hundreds, and a model that prioritized speed over choice—even if early customers hated it.