Instead of just paying a visit and stealing the idea, the more honest plunked down a $950 franchise fee for the formula. The first in line wanted to use McDonald's name of the stand he intended to build, saying he thought their name "lucky." He got an operating manual for his mon...

In 1926, brothers Maurice and Dick MacDonald hoped to find fame in the industry of moving pictures. At first, they hauled sets and worked the lights during back-breaking shifts on silent film sets. But they were unable to move up in the behind-the-scene ranks of the business.

The McDonald brothers' theatre faltered during the lean years of the Depression, leaving the brothers always behind on their bills. In 1937, they sold the theatre and moved from entertainment to food service.

They made an open-air food stand and served fresh orange...

The The McDonald brothers entertained a dream of a new establishment they'd call the Dimer but rejected the idea as too Depression-era. They were certain the future involved appealing to drivers.

After many rejections, the entrepreneurs secured a loan of $5,000, this time putting t...

• A fleet of attractive young women outfitted in usherette uniforms delivered McDonald's Barbeque food directly to the customers' car.
• After the war, drive-inns became increasingly popular and a minefield of unsavoury behaviour. Despite this, sales continued to incre...