McDonald's Restaurant Sign for the Japanese Market, 1975
date: label: date made
content: 1975
name: label: associated institution
content: McDonald's Corporation
label: maker
content: McDonald's International
notes: label: Description
content: By 2013, McDonald’s signs could be found in all 50 states as well as approximately 120 countries. This sign was made in the U.S.A. for use in Japan. While the writing is in Japanese, the sign remains instantly recognizable due to its color scheme and signature golden arches. Not only the look of the restaurant remains standardized, but also the menu, making only a few concessions to local tastes. Such as using kosher meats in Israel, halal meat in Muslim countries and serving a Teriyaki McBurger in Japan.
label: Description
content: In 1940, Richard (Dick) and Maurice (Mac) McDonald opened the first McDonald’s Bar-B-Q drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California. In 1948, the brothers redesigned their menu, centering on the 15 cent hamburger. In 1954, Ray Kroc, a Multimixer (milkshake machine) salesman, became interested in the McDonalds brothers’ high volume restaurant. He worked out a deal with the brothers to be their franchising agent and opened the first franchise location in Illinois the following year. Under Kroc’s direction, the company grew to become the giant we know today.
place: label: associated place
content: Japan
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Retail and Marketing
label: See more items in
content: Advertising
label: See more items in
content: American Enterprise
label: Exhibition
content: American Enterprise
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1983.0020.01
label: accession number
content: 1983.0020
label: catalog number
content: 1983.0020.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: sign, restaurant
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 12 ft x 6 ft x 18 in; 3.6576 m x 1.8288 m x 45.72 cm
label: Measurements
content: base: 33 in; 83.82 cm