McDonalds was founded by Ray Kroc, so why is it called McDonalds? | Notes and Queries (2024)

McDonalds was founded by Ray Kroc, so why is it called McDonalds?

Gary Brown, Runcorn, UK

• Kroc bought the rights to the name and the service from the McDonald brothers. Ray Kroc was a salesman for a milkshake mixer supplier when he came across the McDonald brothers' hamburger carry-out in San Bernardino, California. Kroc saw that its virtues of speed, consistency, and price, combined with low cost, unskilled, easily replaceable labor could be reproduced again and again using hard-working franchisees who wanted their own business but couldn't individually compete in a market where national advertising became paramount. Kroc was responsible for successfully organizing, franchising and advertising the business. The McDonald brothers continued to operate their single stand until competition from a franchised unit forced their well-funded retirement.

  Dave Null, Claremont, California, USA

• He bought the first shop from the McDonald brothers. They had established a business selling a very basic menu of burgers, fries and milkshakes which had become popular. He recognised that this was a good idea, bought them out and went on from there.

  Evan McCaughey, Chesterfield Derbyshire

• Would you eat a krocburger? Isn't kroc an Americanism meaning B/S?

  Harry, Bristol, UK

• Permit me to address the correspondent above who suggested that "Kroc" is an Americanism for BS and hence unsuitable for a hamburger name.Actually, though pronounced similiarly, the word he refers to is "crock" (an earthwear pot) which is a shortening of the American saying "a crock of sh*t", meaning a statement in which little credibility may placed.Perhaps the late Mr Kroc's ancestors were pot makers.

  dave null, claremont, california usa

• I beleive that it's earthenware, not earthenwear. But I suppose if the Crock fits wear it.

  Chalres Loper, Philadelphia

• Just pointing out some errors in the above contributions. Firstly, Ray Kroc did not buy the first McDonalds from the two brothers. The McDonalds had at least fourteen franchise operations in play by the time Kroc arrrived on the scene. Secondly, competition from another franchise did not put them put of business. The Kroc brothers led simple and profitable lives. Their only extravagance was to buy new cadillacs every year on the day of their release. When Ray Kroc finally bought the McDonald brothers out of the business, they were paid a sum that would entice the strongest workaholics of the 1980s to retire. Kroc brought a few things to the business - a tight sales technique, attention to detail (even specifying the number of seeds to go on a bun). More importantly, unlike the McDonalds, he did not have a fear of flying, always an asset when running a franchise business about to go national. The success of McDonalds can be attributed equally to the separate linked visions of Richard and Maurice McDonald and later Ray Kroc.

  Seamus Ryan, Limerick, Ireland

• it originated from the mcdonald brothers who originally had a burger stand at one point in time

  taylor, usa