Photos show what it was really like to eat at McDonald's in the 1950s

• The first McDonald's franchise restaurant opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955.
• When the first McDonald's restaurant opened, the menu only had nine items.
• A McDonald's museum was later opened to show visitors what the restaurant was like in the '50s.

The McDonald brothers, Richard and Maurice "Mac" McDonald, launched their burger restaurant in the 1940s.

It had a simple menu, which allowed the brothers to keep costs low and quality high, and self-service counters, according to the company.

Then, in 1954, Ray Kroc, a milkshake machine salesman, came across the small burger joint. Amazed by its efficiency, Kroc wanted in, and he became the first McDonald's franchisee agent.