Richard Paul McDonald

Richard Paul McDonald was an American businessman best known for co-founding McDonald's, the global fast-food chain, with his brother Maurice McDonald. They initially opened the first McDonald's restaurant in San Bernardino, California, in 1940, where they pioneered a streamlined system for food preparation, emphasizing speed and efficiency. This innovation laid the groundwork for the franchise model that would make McDonald's an iconic brand worldwide. Although Ray Kroc later expanded the franchise and became synonymous with the company, the McDonald brothers’ original vision transformed the fast-food industry and changed how people eat out.