Two brothers named Richard and Maurice opened a barbeque restaurant in San Bernadino, Calif. in 1940. After a few years in business, they swapped the menu for burgers, shakes, chips and pie.
When the pair bought a few shake mixers from salesman Ray Kroc, the food world fundamentally changed. Kroc was fascinated by the restaurant that was able to serve customers quickly and consistently, so he purchased franchise rights from Dick and Mac McDonald and started adding restaurants. McDonald....