McDonald is most often a reference to the brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald, the original founders of the McDonald’s restaurant that grew into the global fast‑food chain.

Quick Scoop: Who was “McDonald”?

When people ask “who was McDonald,” they’re usually talking about:

  • Richard and Maurice McDonald
    • American brothers who opened a drive‑in restaurant in San Bernardino, California, in 1940.
    • They streamlined the kitchen into an assembly‑line style “Speedee Service System,” serving burgers, fries, and shakes very quickly and cheaply.
  • Their role vs. Ray Kroc
    • The brothers created the original concept and name “McDonald’s.”
    • In 1954 they brought in Ray Kroc as a franchise agent; he later bought them out in 1961 and turned McDonald’s into a worldwide corporation.

So, the “McDonald” in McDonald’s isn’t Ray Kroc—it’s the McDonald brothers , whose small California restaurant and efficiency ideas became the foundation of the modern McDonald’s brand. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.