Inside America’s oldest McDonald’s which whips up nostalgia with its original 1953 decor

By William On Apr 30, 2023

When you think of McDonald’s, you probably think of some notable features: the golden arches, Big Macs and the mascot Ronald McDonald.

But this particular California restaurant is proof that the beloved chain has come a long way since it came into being in the 1950s.

Located on Lakewood Boulevard in Downey, Southeast Los Angeles County, this fast food joint is the oldest surviving McDonald’s in the world.

It first opened in 1953 – the third restaurant to be franchised by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald who founded the chain in 1948 – and it still retains its original vintage decor, as well as its own museum. But the biggest draw for McDonald’s fans is that it’s the only mainland restaurant in the United States where you can order a fried apple pie.

The iconic dessert, first rolled out in fried form in 1968 — the same year the company began serving Big Macs — was discontinued in 1992. In response to growing health trends, the fast food chain opted to bake the desserts.

But not at this LA restaurant, which is a long way from newer locations like a fully automated drive-thru store that opened in Texas last year.

The oldest operating McDonald’s in Downey, California, features an original single arch design. The location was the third McDonald’s restaurant to be franchised by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald who founded the chain in 1948. It opened in August 1953

The restaurant’s sign features a chef named ‘Speedee’ – inspired by the fast and efficient service

The restaurant has a museum next to it, with an original menu featuring a 15 cent burger

The History of McDonald’s Apple Pie

1968: The first McDonald’s pie, made by a franchise in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1960, is added to the menu

1971: Spurred on by the dessert’s popularity, McDonald’s introduces its Apple Pie Tree character along with the Hamburglar, Ronald McDonald and others

1992: Frozen apple pies are being dropped from the menu in favor of a baked version to keep up with health trends

2011: McDonald’s is expanding its pie selection to include cheery, peach, strawberry, pumpkin and sweet potato versions

2012: McDonald’s is adding even more pies — including a mixed berry lemon pie, a cherry-and-cream version, and a peach-and-cream

2016: McDonald’s is starting to use a new recipe that calls for sliced apples instead of diced ones. The solid top has been replaced by a lattice crust

2018: McDonald’s tries to make the cake even healthier, with the new recipe that contains even less sugar, but more cinnamon for the taste

The restaurant retains much of the 1950s style, including a single arch instead of two with a sign in the center that reads “Your Kind of Place” and “Hamburgers: We Have Sold 500 Million.”

The sign also features a different mascot than the familiar face of Ronald McDonald, who was first introduced in 1963 – a chef named ‘Speedee’ – inspired by the fast and efficient service to customers.

The location was originally a self-service drive-in, and now you have to walk straight to the window to order, and the only available seats are in the museum next door.

The museum features memorabilia, a small-scale version of the restaurant complete with mannequins, and even old menus featuring the original burger cost just 15 cents.

One of the greatest assets of this vintage gem is that it is the only place outside of Hawaii where fast food fans can order an original fried apple pie. All other US locations are now serving baked pies.

The location was the third McDonald’s to open, in August 1953, and was originally operated by the McDonald brothers who founded the chain.

Longtime owner Ray Kroc purchased the brand in 1961 for $2.7 million and grew the business by selling more and more franchises.

Since the restaurant was franchised under the McDonald brothers’ original terms, it was not modernized like other franchisees.

This meant the menu was different from other stores – and didn’t include popular orders like the Big Mac, and sales suffered.

In 1994, the restaurant closed and McDonald’s planned to demolish it.

However, it was listed as an endangered historic site by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and, faced with widespread public support, the burger giant decided to restore it instead.

It opened the museum and won a National Trust Preservation Honor Award.

This McDonald’s was also one of the filming locations for the 2016 movie The Founder, starring Michael Keaton as Kroc.

It shows the story of him pushing the company’s original founders to grow it into America’s most iconic fast food giant.

And despite recent price hikes at McDonald’s, it seems customers are still loyal to the old brand.

This McDonald’s branch is the only place outside of Hawaii where you can order a fried apple pie

The museum also features a statue of mascot Ronald McDonald, who was introduced in 1963

The museum displays mannequins of McDonald’s employees, alongside vintage memorabilia

The museum also displays original memorabilia, collectible cups, and newspaper clippings

The fast food joint was featured in the 2016 film The Founder about longtime owner Ray Kroc

Michael Keaton starred in the movie about the meteoric rise of the iconic fast food franchise

The fast food company reported this this week turnover and profit in the first quarter which exceeded analysts’ expectations.

McDonald’s Corp. reported that comparable store sales in the US and worldwide were up nearly 13 percent in the quarter.

It reported revenue of $5.9 billion, and for the first three months ended March 31, net income of $0.1.8 billion — an increase of 63 percent from the same period last year.

CEO Chris Kempczinski said the company’s growth strategy was working as sales grew through a “healthy balance of strategic menu price increases and positive traffic growth.”

He added in a statement: “Amid a challenging work environment, customer demand for the McDonald’s brand remains strong.”

It comes after the Chicago-based company laid off hundreds of employees earlier this month and cut pay packages for others.

A vintage 1950s style menu is on display at the Downey branch, 10207 Lakewood Blvd

The very first McDonald’s store was opened in 1948 by the McDonald’s brothers, Dic and Mac, in San Bernadino, California

The burger giant was cutting roles in several departments, including marketing, operations and field offices — and even temporarily closed some offices as it began laying off staff remotely.

The cuts come as McDonald’s pushes for an aggressive expansion plan.

The company is reportedly looking to significantly expand its restaurant footprint in the US and Europe for the first time in years after saying many locations are operating at full capacity.

The job cuts at the company won’t affect the approximately 2 million restaurant employees at franchise locations around the world, but menus could be affected by the upheaval.

Kempczinski reportedly warned that there had been too much duplication.

“We had 70 different, different versions of what a crispy chicken sandwich would look like all over the world,” he reportedly wrote in an email. “I don’t need 70 different permutations of a chicken sandwich.”

In December 2022, the company also opened a test site of its new concept drive-thru store in Fort Worth, Texas.

The restaurant, which is run entirely by machines, is reportedly part of an effort to reinvent the drive-in around the world.