Expand / Collapse search
☰

McDonald's to demolish museum of 1st restaurant

Published  November 21, 2017 10:41am CST
News
FOX 32 Chicago
Image 1 of 4
▼

A 1955 Ford, left, and a 1955 Oldsmobile are parked in the lot of the McDonald's museum July 14, 2000 in Des Plaines, IL. On this site April 15, 1955 Ray Kroc, founder of the McDonald's franchise, opened his first restaurant. (Tim Boyle/Newsmakers)

OAK BROOK, Ill. (AP) -- McDonald's Corp. has announced it will demolish a suburban Chicago museum that's a replica of the hamburger chain's first restaurant.

Ray Kroc built his first restaurant in 1955 in Des Plaines, after franchising the brand from the original owners, Richard and Maurice McDonald.

The Chicago Tribune reports the store was torn down in 1984. McDonald's Store No. 1 Museum opened the next year, with the original restaurant's sign out front.

In a statement, McDonald's says tourist numbers have declined due to repeated flooding of the site since 2008.

The company says the museum will be razed next month and the land donated to Des Plaines.