While surfing the internet — do they still call it surfing? — Yours Truly came across a photo of an early menu from McDonald’s.
Under a drawing with the golden arches was a list of nine items. None cost more than 20 cents and many were only a dime.
Unbelievable!
The pure beef hamburger was 15 cents. The “tempting’’ cheeseburger, at 19 cents, was the second most expensive item on the limited menu.
Most expensive item on that menu was the triple thick shake at 20 cents.
Golden French fries, Coke, root beer, steaming hot coffee and the full-flavoured orange drink were all 10 cents.
Refreshing cold milk was 12 cents. You can still get milk at the place but it will cost a lot more than it did in the early years.
To put the 15-cent burgers in perspective the median American income in 1955 was a record $3,400 — or $66 a week. Gasoline was 17 cents a gallon, or 3.8 cents a litre.
American farmers averaged 17 cents a pound for calves, compared with $3.30 a pound now
Fast food drive-in restaurants caught on rapidly as post-war consumers were now allowed to buy cars after years of wartime rationing. New owners were looking for someplace to show off their shiny new possessions.
During the Second World War (1938-45) the only civilians allowed to buy vehicles were those occupations needing them — truckers, farmers, doctors and such.
Taking a drive to the nearest fast food joint for a burger and shake was obviously a great way to show off the car and get some enjoyable use out of it.
The burger joints also became hangouts for teenagers in the evenings.
Today McDonald’s is a far more different place than the first one opened in 1955 by Ray Kroc in Des Plaines, Ill.
The chain runs more than 40,000 golden arches in 100 countries with 1,400 in Canada. About 85 per cent are owned by franchisees.
Buying a franchise in Canada requires $700,000 of unencumbered funds — funds not backed by a loan or tied up in another enterprise.
Hopefully you will have more than a Big Mac as we celebrate Christmas in a few days.
Merry Christmas to all!
Ron Walter can be reached at [email protected].
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.
