Burgers Weren't The Stars Of The Original McDonald's Menu

McDonald's Famous Barbeque was opened in 1940 by brothers Maurice and Richard McDonald. For many years, they ran their San Bernardino, California location as a "Speedee Service System," offering delicious food and drink to cater to people on the go. It wasn't until 1948 that they began focusing on hamburgers and milkshakes, which is more in line with the McDonald's we know today. 

While the McDonald's brothers continued to grow and expand their lifelong dream, their most popular item was initially hot dogs, a far cry from the current menu offerings. About 75 hamburgers are sold every few seconds these days, so it's hard to imagine that any other food item could trump what makes McDonald's successful. Although serving hot dogs at a fast-food restaurant seems viable, it certainly isn't what you think of ordering when you're craving a meal from McDonald's.

You might be scratching your head, picturing McDonald's being initially famous for its hot dogs. But once upon a time, McDonald's was a chameleon when experimenting with new menu items. The brothers tried everything from spaghetti to crab cakes, but none stuck as they grew and evolved. In 1954, a milkshake machine distributor named Ray Kroc became involved when he sold them several machines. Kroc was impressed with what the brothers had achieved and was given the green light on franchising the McDonald's concept.

As Kroc became more involved with McDonald's and its expansion, he made it known he wasn't too keen on hot dogs. Once he bought the business in 1961, he axed the menu item. His concern was that they couldn't control the quality of the hot dog as much as, say, beef for a hamburger, so it was gone. While McDonald's has attempted to roll out a similar menu item over the years, the hot dog never entirely made its mark ever again.