At the southwest corner of Lakewood Blvd and Florence Ave in Downey, you’ll find a unique looking McDonald’s, but do you know why it looks so different than any other Mickey D’s? It’s because this is the oldest operating McDonald’s in the world.
After Richard and Maurice McDonald perfected their ”Speedee Service System” in San Bernardino, they hired architect Stanley Clark Meston and draftsman Charles Fish to design their vision for an iconic building for franchising. Meston and Fish took Richard’s idea of a fishbowl like restaurant where customers could see the action inside and designed a glass-enclosed stand with hyperbolic arches on either side; the original golden arches.
The Downey location was franchised to Roger Williams and “Bud” Landon by the McDonald’s brothers and it opened in 1953. This was prior to Ray Kroc buying out the brothers in 1961, so this location did not have to adhere to the McDonald’s corporation franchise rules, including modernization standards.
As the years went on, all of the original locations that were franchised by the McDonald’s brothers went out of business or were acquired by the McDonald’s corporation until only the Downey location remained. However, sales at this location did suffer due to its independent streak and design. The lack of a drive thru and items like the Big Mac hurt their bottom line and the location was finally acquired by McDonald’s in 1990.
In 1994 the building was seriously damaged by Northridge earthquake, was shuttered, and came very close to being demolished.
But thanks the work of historians and preservationists with the Downey and LA conservancies, McDonald’s spared the site and spent 2 years restoring it and even even added a small musuem/indoor dining area, where you can find a replica of the McDonalds Brothers San Bernardino restaurant and artifacts that tell the history of the McDonald’s corporation as well as the history of the Downey location, which is also known as the Speedee McDonald’s due to the Speedee mascot on the sign.
Today, the Downey location has a very discreet drive thru that runs behind the building and offers all of the items that other McDonald’s do. Except for one; back in 1992 McDonald’s switched to baking their apple pies, but this location is the only one that still deep fries them.
So in order to truly experience the history of this place, you have to walk up and order at the window and take a peek inside, like the McDonald’s brothers envisioned..and of course, don’t forget the apple pie.
References:
“Made in California: The California-Born Burger Joints, Diners, Fast Food & Restaurants That Changed America” by George Geary pg. 80-97
“Downey’s Historic McDonalds at 65: Memories Bitter and Sweet Shared Under the Golden Arches” by Brooke Becher, Long Beach Press-Telegram. Aug. 18, 2018.
“A Pilgrimage to the World’s Oldest Surviving McDonald’s” by Lucas Petersen, LA eater. April 16, 2015.
McDonald’s | Society of Architectural Historians Archipedia