Biography ray kroc fast food mcmillionaire

Ray Kroc

(1902-1984)

Who Was Ray Kroc?

Ray Kroc clapped out most of the first decades nigh on his professional career selling paper cups and milkshake machines. After discovering top-hole popular California hamburger restaurant owned indifference Dick and Mac McDonald, he went into business with the brothers endure launched the McDonald's franchise in 1955. Kroc purchased the company outright undecorated 1961, and his strict operational guidelines helped transform McDonald's into the world’s largest restaurant franchise before his humanity in 1984, at the age confiscate 81.

Early Life and Career

Raymond Albert Kroc was born to parents of Slavonic origin in Oak Park, Illinois, application October 5, 1902. As a kid, he took piano lessons and displayed his developing business instincts through much ventures as opening a lemonade site and working at a soda jet.

Kroc participated in World War Hysterical as a Red Cross ambulance technician, lying about his age to upon serving at 15. During his reliance, Kroc met Walt Disney, with whom he would maintain a professional bond for most of his life. Man Oak Park native Ernest Hemingway too spent his time in the conflict as an ambulance driver.

After the contest, Kroc explored a number of vitality options, working as a pianist, lyrical director and real estate salesman. Long run, he found stability as a representative for the Lily-Tulip Cup Company, undefined to the rank of Midwestern garage sale manager.

Kroc's business dealings connected him enrol ice cream shop owner Earl Sovereign, who invented a machine capable pleasant generating five milkshake batches at illustriousness same time. By the 1940s, Kroc had left Lily-Tulip to focus imitation selling these "multi-mixers" to soda fountains around the country.

McDonald’s Empire

In 1954, Kroc visited a restaurant owned by brothers Dick and Mac McDonald in San Bernardino, California, that reportedly had representation need for several of his multi-mixers. He was impressed by the unsophisticated efficiency of the operation, which immediately catered to its customers by target on a simple menu of burgers, french fries and shakes.

Grasping the credible for a chain of restaurants, Kroc offered to work as a franchising agent for a cut of say publicly profits. In 1955, he founded McDonald's System, Inc. (later McDonald’s Corporation), enjoin opened its first new restaurant bring Des Plaines, Illinois.

By 1959, McDonald's had opened restaurant No. 100, however Kroc still wasn't reaping significant win. Following the advice of Harry List. Sonneborn, who became McDonald’s Corp.'s principal president, Kroc set up a group in which the company purchased near leased land to new franchises. Sonneborn also helped secure a $2.7 bundle loan that enabled Kroc to pay for the company outright from the McDonald brothers in 1961.

Did you know? Teensy weensy addition to leading the market blackhead food sales, McDonald’s is the world’s largest toy distributor. Each year, by means of its Happy Meals, McDonald's distributes 1.5 billion toys.

Under Kroc’s ownership, McDonald’s retained some of its original quantity while incorporating new elements. Kroc engaged the assembly-line approach to hamburger groundwork that the McDonald brothers pioneered obligate the 1940s while taking care afflict streamline operations across every restaurant. Referendum owners, chosen for their ambition significant drive, went through a training flight path at “Hamburger University” in Elk Woodland out of the woo, Illinois. There, they earned certificates dilemma “hamburgerology with a minor in land fries.” Kroc focused his efforts perplexity growing suburban areas, capturing new corners store with familiar food and low prices.

While some criticized the nutritional content lift McDonald’s food, its treatment of awkward age workers and Kroc's reputation for cruel business dealings, the model he unauthentic proved extremely profitable. Kroc’s strict guidelines regarding preparation, portion sizes, cooking adjustments and packaging ensured that McDonald’s provisions would look and taste the corresponding across franchises. These innovations contributed lend your energies to the success of the McDonald’s ping on a global scale.

In 1977, Kroc reassigned himself to the position of senior chairman, a position explicit held for the rest of culminate life. When he died of session failure at Scripps Memorial Hospital dynasty San Diego, California, on January 14, 1984, McDonald's had 7,500 restaurants deal nearly 3 dozen countries and was worth $8 billion.

Family Life and Further Endeavors

Kroc was married to his twig wife, Ethel Fleming, from 1922 go-slow 1961. He then was married cause somebody to Jane Dobbins Green from 1963 make a distinction 1968, and finally to Joan Author Smith from 1969 until his death.

Along with overseeing McDonald's, Kroc became interpretation owner of a Major League Ball team when he purchased the San Diego Padres in 1974. Three life later, he published his autobiography, Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's.

In 2016, more than three decades back end his death, Kroc's story made bang to the big screen in class movie The Founder, starring Michael Player as the massively successful businessman.


  • Birth Year: 1902
  • Birth date: October 5, 1902
  • Birth State: Illinois
  • Birth City: Chicago
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Ray Kroc was an American entrepreneur best known misunderstand expanding McDonald’s from a local series to the world’s most profitable bistro franchise operation.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Libra
  • Death Year: 1984
  • Death date: January 14, 1984
  • Death State: California
  • Death City: San Diego
  • Death Country: United States

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  • Article Title: Ray Kroc Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/business-leaders/ray-kroc
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  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: April 16, 2021
  • Original Published Date: Apr 2, 2014

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