McDonald's (World's Oldest) (Downey, California) | restaurant, museum, McDonald's

 restaurant, museum, McDonald's

10207 Lakewood Boulevard (at Florence Ave.)
Downey, CA 90240
(562) 622-9248
www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/location/ca/downey/10207-lak...


This is the oldest operating McDonald's restaurant in the world. It was opened by Roger Williams and Bud Landon, who franchised it from the McDonald brothers in 1953, before the company was aquired by Ray Kroc. It is the third oldest McDonald's retaurant ever opened. It is unique in that it still features many early McDonald's symbols that have been abandoned in more modern restaurants, such as the original "golden arches" built into the building structure, and the 60 ft. neon sign with the "Speedee" mascot, which predated Ronald McDonald. After years of operating as it did in the 50's, with no modern innovations like drive throught windows, play areas, or indoor seating, the restaurant fell on hard times and low sales that threatened its existance. The final straw came in 1994 when
the Northridge earthquake caused extensive damage to the building, forcing the city to shut it down and McDonald's Corp. to consider shutting it down for good. This started a massive campaign by local residents to petition McDonald's to spare the landmark. Only after McDonald's was cast in a bad light by protesters and made to look like it didn't care about its own history, did they decide to renovate the structure and reopen the restaurant to great fanfare. It now feature a gift shop and a mini museum that contains memorabilia relating to the history of the world's largest fast food company.