McDonald’s was founded by two brothers, Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California in 1940. The brothers started the business as a barbecue restaurant, but they later converted it to a hamburger stand in 1948. The company was initially a success, and it began to expand rapidly in the 1950s. In 1954, Ray Kroc, a milkshake machine salesman, visited the McDonald’s restaurant and was impressed by the efficiency of the operation. He eventually became the company’s franchise agent and played a key role in the company’s expansion. Kroc purchased the rights to the McDonald’s name and operating system from the McDonald brothers in 1961, and he went on to establish McDonald’s as one of the most successful fast food chains in the world.