When I started my channel four years ago, this was one of the first locations I visited. I received so few views that I deleted the video. I'm glad to see that your video on the topic has done so well. You have a very loyal audience who really love your videos. It's impressive how many views all of your videos receive. I hope you know how fortunate you are. Unfortunately, my audience and views are going the other direction very rapidly. I'm happy that you've found such amazing success with your channel, though. You deserve it. You do a great job, Jeff!
You’re so very kind and supportive. Thank you. You have quite a following too. I’ve watched your subscriber count climbed and your videos have a great viewer count too!
Wow, this one brings back memories. I lived in Montebello and would stop there on the way home, along with the original Green Burrito. Thanks for the trip down memory lane guys, I now live in Sacramento and don't get down there much.
When my Mom lived with us I always got her the kid's meal. Perfect for a Senior--small burger, fries, drink and she also got a cookie and a prize. Now I am the Senior and the kid's meal is right for me, too.
I love Mcd's biscuits & gravy.! I also remember on of their songs - "Are you hungry for a treat, want food that's good to eat ? Then go to the Golden Arches in your neighbourhood, McDonald's Golden arches, McDonald's makes it so good " now I know I'm old. ! Great video, great history - thanks!
Jeff, you are doing a great job. I anticipate the weekly upload, it brings back good memories of being a kid and watching Huell Howser. It's great to watch the show continue to develop. Keep up the good work!
I agree! Watching your videos always reminds me of good ol’ Mr. Huell Howser. My family and I are always looking forward to your next video. Great educational content, always! I’ve implemented your channel as a history “homeschool course” for my kiddos. Thank you and great job!
As a young Marine in 1978, I lived off base in Stanton and found my way to That McDonalds a few times. I still remember one time when I met an old man there, I bought him a hamburger then had a talk with him while we sat outside eating lunch. What we talked about, I do not remember. Now I,m an old man. :) Another point, Ambulance drivers during wartime seem to have a great business sense, seeing so much evil or death they want to make the world a better place when they get out of the military. Thank you for your video it brought back good memories to me of my visit with that old man. Shalom
Grew up in Lincoln heights, in the 80's, always went to the McDonald's on Marengo across the street from the L. A Coroner's building. Had alot of memorabilia, glass cups, trays, toys. As always I enjoy watching you guys on your adventures, don't stop please.
Many happy days were spent here at McDonalds in Downey, jut down the street from my Aunt & Uncle's house! The two places I grew up were San Diego, where we had the Padres, and Downey, where we had McDonalds!
I'M 78, SO IN 1963 I WAS 10 YEARS OLD. I can remember the McDonald's changing their advertising sign saying how many thousands had been sold and finally a million and then just millions and millions. I don't remember the cost probably because I wasn't paying for the 'burger, mom was.
This brings back such great memories! Every Christmas Eve our family would attend the afternoon service at church and then to McDonald’s for supper and my parents would let us order whatever we wanted. We only got to have McDonald’s once a year back then and that was a super treat for us! When I was 16, I worked at McDonald’s for 2 years and had the dark maroon uniform you have on your video tour. 😊. Great job! Love your channel.
Fun video! When I was growing up in Anaheim the McDonald's on Ball Road was a big deal. Ronald made an appearance there and we lost our minds. As a Cub Scout were taken on a tour of the restaurant. Hey, no snakes. Safety first!
Looking back it seems weird that we actually liked Ronald McDonald. You don’t see him anymore. I guess we were a less sophisticated audience back then. LOL
Hi Guys, I remember the first time I was at a McDonald's,it was in Denver and it looked similar to this one ,mid1960s. We had never seen such a thing. The McDonald's in Chowchilla used to have 24 cent cheeseburgers on Sunday. 🍔
Love the video as Macdonalds was something we did as kids in the early 70's Great video you 2 Thankyou for the history lesson on an iconic restaurant that most of us went at some time in our lifes :)
@Lindsay...Do you remember the commercial at the time for the "Under a Dollar Dinner"? It was a small burger, fries and a drink for 95 cents. This might've been the inspiration for the future Combo Meals, who knows? 🤔
The Founder is a decent little movie about the advent of McDonald’s. Have some nice memories growing up and going to the local McDonald’s with Grandma. Thanks for another good one.
The McDonald's I went to as a kid looked very similar to this one. There was a tile bench built into the side of the building --- just like the one this building has -- where my sisters and I would kneel facing inside the building. Right on the other side of the window the french fries were being prepared. We were in heaven. Thanks for the memory.
My grandparents lived in bellflower California and in the 1980s my grandfather took me my brother and sister to this McDonald's and told us this was the oldest McDonald's. Thank you I have not thought about that in a long time.
I remember back when my parents divorced in '67 my Dad came over to pick my brother and me up once a week and the first place we went was a McDonalds like this. A couple years later there was a McDonalds clone that had a slightly different color scheme but the same food at the same prices. Forget the name but they were sort of what Naugles was to Del Taco.
My mother would take myself and my two younger sisters to the McDonalds in Deerfield, Il. It was the highlight of my week when I was a youngster. All you could get was either a hamburger or Cheeseburger fries and a coke. Tasted so good then, not so much now.
I love that retro McDonalds! I was born in 1955, so I remember that kind of retro. I still say McDonald's serves the best French fries ever. I may be, for the most part, cynical of large corporations and large chains, and I do have to watch my cholesterol, but I have to admit I have a soft spot for McDonald's and Burger King. I hope you two enjoyed a good feed while you were there.
I want to visit there someday! Thank you so much for showing the history of this McDonald’s location! This has brightened my day. I can’t wait to visit Downey, California sometime soon!
When I was a kid, my parents always cooked so going to a fast food place like McDonald’s was legitimately a luxury to me lol! I’ve lived in L.A. virtually my whole life and have NEVER been to that location in Downey, although I’ve driven past it many times. I’ve also been to the original San Bernardino spot (where the unofficial McDonald’s museum currently is) a bunch of times but never to Downey. I have got to go sometime, before another lockdown inevitably comes 😝
They had been wanting to close that location and tear the building down for quite some time as business wasn't what was expected, but Downey wouldn't let them. There is another McDonalds just a few blocks away with modern inside dining. Then the Whittier earthquake hit in the late 80's, and the place was closed for quite some time because it was claimed that the building had earthquake damage. When the city still wouldn't issue a demolition permit, the museum was built and the place re-opened. Downey is also the location of the original Taco Bell on Firestone Blvd. The building is still there, but no longer a Taco Bell.
Joshua Tree...I went there for the first time in 1998. It was shortly after it was restored and reopened. So it must have just sat there for 10 years collecting dust. 😊
Jeff and Sarah, this is so cool. I am very glad this was kept intact. I find this so fascinating. It's great to keep the historical, museumlike visual evidence and time stamps. Thank you for this on sight visit and background info. 🔥💥🍔🍟🥤 Now, guess what I want?
Hi.im from Ireland . just wanted to say I really love your channel.so enjoyable to watch .and your so clear .please keep the videos coming.lots of love cat xx
Thank you so much! We are excited when we hear from viewers like you who live so far from the USA! Glad you like our channel and thanks for telling us!
I grew up in Downey. My dad had a type wrighter shop across the street from this mc Donalds. First boyfriend in the 80s lived across street too. I love Downey. Thank you.
@@lrodriguez9315 yea we had it made the 1st Taco bell, with the Plaza Guadalajara on the same property, we had El Taco, Bobs Big Boy, the Hollander Cafeteria, the Swedish Smorgasbord, we had that Prime Rib Joint, Marmacs, all those great greasy mexican places on Telegraph, like Pepe's #2. used to order a grilled cheese with onions at the Mcdonalds before they had breakfast items. Oh and Salvatores and Frantones. And that old Sizzler. That was one of the originals.
Thank you for this memory! I remember when McDonald's first came to Berkeley in the '60s and would see a worker actually chopping the potatoes into fries. I've heard that they actually used tallow to cook the potatoes, which was actually healthier than the vegetable oils used today.
I remember when I was 6 year's old my 2 older brother's and i, we would walk to our McDonald's in the early 1970s it just had a walk up and order and eat out side. It was a small booth fast food restraunt.
It is amazing all the changes that McDonald’s has gone through through the years but it is still as popular as ever every time a child sees the golden arches they know where they are
The McDonald's that was here in my hometown used to serve pizza as well. Go in, order a whole pizza to go. I can't remember if it was good or not but as a kid I probably didn't care haha. Great video yall!
Because the Downey McDonalds was also not part of the "Corporate Franchise", as you stated in your video, this location also had pizza available. I remember it being offered there in the late '70s or early 80's. From what I was told by the scores of fellow Downey High School alumni, because this location was a privately owned franchise, they offered many non standard items. They held the rights to use the McDonald's name and logo, printed paper goods, and sinage. This is probably the main reason this location was never forced to modernize, and remains like this today, unlike the location on Paramount Boulevard that is nearly as old as this one, but has been remodeled several times. I can recall when the Paramount Boulevard location looked exactly like this one. When the City of Downey passed an ordinance back in the early 80's restricting sinage size to structure square footage, there was no "Grandfather" clause. The city ordered the "Speedy" sign to come down. The people of Downey and surrounding areas were up in arms and filled the city council meetings. Because the property was owned by Pep Boys (formerly Shopping Bag Market), a deal was stuck between the city and the property owner to shrink the size of the sinage for Pep Boys so that the historic "Speedy" sign could remain. The city of Downey appealed to McDonald's to assist in removing the sign, only to be told that they didn't own it, Pep Boys did. Years later, McDonald's Corporation wanted this location gone. Old, dated, no drive thru, not profitable. However, the franchise was still privately owned and there was nothing corporate could do. Then came the Northridge earthquake. The franchise had been recently purchased by the corporation and McDonald's saw a prime opportunity to shut it down for good. One little problem. Remember when I talk about the city appealing to McDonald's and McDonald's telling the city- sorry about that. Well when the tides were turned and McDonald's needed a demolition permit, the city said "Sorry, it's a historic landmark". The building sat slightly damaged and boadred-up for years. Then, in the early 90s, McDonald's corporation hired a new PR man. One of the first things he did was to find out what was the biggest "Sore Thumb" the company had. He learned very quickly that the number one thorn in their side was McDonald's-Lakewood and Florence. The decision was made to completely restore and reopen the oldest, still operating McDonald's in the world. By the way, I can still remember sitting in my dad's '58 Chevy Apache Pick Up waiting for him to get what he needed from Shopping Bag Market and watching the men from the sign company add another "0" to the sign so it would read "500" million , instead of "50" million.
Now... how cool was this video? I mean, this is all such good stuff... you guys are fantastic, please don't ever stop. Every video I watch leads to a long conversation with my wife where I get to tell her about all of the cool stuff I've learned. :)
When my family lived in Long Beach, CA we visited Downey quite often. I remember that McDonald's restaurant. For less than $5.00 in the early 1970s one could buy a couple of hamburgers, fries, a drink and dessert and get change back. Thanks Jeff and Sarah for visiting this place for us. Yes, 300 Billion estimated served. I haven't eaten at any McDonald's since 2007. I looks like it has all changed on the inside. Ray Croc had strokes because he ate his own food. One has to remember they used transfats in those days; they are deadly. I have had quite a few foods in the past with transfats; I have to take fish oils and a Statin and the Cardiologist keeps track of the "fill" in the arteries. When they get too confined; in go the stints.
I’m glad that McDonald’s is still there. I live not too far from Downey and I took my kids there when they were little. One thing they noticed is no drive thru . I told them, no drive thru, and we had to walk 10 miles in the snow to get there ..... Downey history.......John Gately Downey (June 24, 1827 - March 1, 1894) was an Irish-American politician and the seventh governor of California from January 14, 1860 to January 10, 1862. Until the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003, Downey was the only governor of California to be born outside the United States. Downey was also the first man from Southern California to serve as governor. Thanks guys!
I remember 15 cent shakes and a McDonalds burger for .25 cents wow wow I just realized how long ago that was I’m going to take a nap now. Thanks Jeff and Sarah great vid
The first franchise McDonald's opened was in Des Plaines, Illinois. My aunt lived there at the time and there was a restaurant there called the Choo Choo Stop that served you your burger on a model train that stopped at your seat at the counter. My aunt sent me a newspaper clipping of an interview with the Choo Choo Stop owner. He said that when McDonald's opened he thought how foolish is this guy...no one would ever buy a hamburger, take it to his car and eat it.
@@jbenziggy Especially to an 8 year old. I would never have dreamt abandoning a place that brought you your burger via electric model train for a little place where you had to eat your not-so-great burger in your car.
One of the original buildings is still standing. That would be in Pomona California on East Mission Blvd. Mission Blvd and San Antonio Ave it is a doughnut shop.
You did it again, brought back a lot of memories. I remember when they built the McDonalds in Modesto on McHenery Ave. We lived just east of it and could walk to it. Most of the homes in that area have alleys behind them and thats what we used to get there when we walked. Looking at the map, its been remodeled, I remember arches when it first went up. On another note, bet Willard Scott was glad to get the soda cup off his nose LOL. I dont remember that ad. But as usual, gave us some cool history.
Yes that was the only McDonald’s in Modesto at the time. We lived west of there in 1967-71. I remember the squirrels which would come out of the bushes and wait for food. That Willard Scott video is downright goofy, isn’t it? LOL. I bet he felt stupid dresses like that. LOL
Yep, I wore those uniforms in the late 1970s for two years, but mine were blue. They were exactly the same. McDonald's was the second real job I had. I read about the history many years later when I went back to school to get me Assoicate Degree. The history of McDonald's was in the book with the title: Fast Food Nation. It was required reading for one of my college English classes. I have seen that McDonald's while driving by, never stopped. I think I will when I am in the area next time. Thank you
HEY, Hello Sarah & Jeff How are you guy's doing I just wanted to say Thanks for doing these kind of videos I love seeing all The Old McDonald's memorabilia it brings me back to my childhood days 68 - 69 when I lived in Bridgeport Connecticut well thanks again for the videos Take care and be safe
Thank you 2 for sharing this information with us. I had seen this Video many moons ago but never presented like this. It is Great to see you 2. Seems like it's nice weather is California. We have 72° weather today. Compared to Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Where Temps were in the 3° with wind chills hitting -11° no electricity for 48hrs an then getting it back only to lose water for a day an a half. Oh what fun.
As a kid I love drinking their orange drink that taste like Hi-C, and eating their cheeseburger. I remember the moonguy! Jeff, have you and Sarah seen the movie about how McDonald got started? Michael Keaton play as Ray Croc, the film was sad and good.🙂
We didn't have any McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's or any of the other Ham Burger places with the exception of White Castle. I remember the commercials for them and wondered what that was all about. I found out about the rest after I grew up and moved out of state. "Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun!"
I always wanted to eat White Castles burgers I had friends from N.Y. and they used to tell me the price but you have to buy many because of the size. Finally I seen them in the frozen section in the grocery store, I tried it but my friend said the taste is not the same thing as freshly made. I guess I'll never get to try the real white castle slider hamburger
@Diane Bollig I know this Mc Donald's closed sometime in the 80s, and just sat there for quite a few years. They were going to tear it down, but the city declared it an historical monument, and it was restored and reopened around 1998 I believe. I went there for the first time shortly after that.
Like it or hate it, McDonald's is American as apple pie. I loved it as a little kid and still love it as a big kid half a century later. We still have one of the original locations near the area I grew up in Allentown Pa.
Thank you Sir for the valuable information which I have enjoyed. 1953 is the start, didn't know this.Coffee is my favorite here , but I don't know what it tastes like in California .I appreciate the standard of cleanliness which is why I frequently go there even when I can't afford it. You have given so much history.Thank you again Sir. Love from Pune City Jai Maharashtra.
I don't remember this style of McDonalds...must have been before my time. I get a kick out of the old cash registers. I remember this type of cash register where you had to enter everything manually before they had scanners. I do remember neon lit golden arches. My uniform was similar to the ones in the museum when I worked for the enemy...Burger King! I didn't know that Williard Scott was an original Ronald McDonald. I remember Mac Tonight. Thank you for sharing this.💕
I have eaten here many times. Classic and historical. The architecture has changed throughout the years, I love they kept the sign. When Karl retired, he bought a home in Palm Springs. This home was later sold to Elvis Presley, and was rented by Frankie Valli. It was once used as an Elvis museum and gave tours. Im wondering what happened to all the stuff the Karcher family had, when he sold the home..........there must have been some cool McDonalds memorabilia........
I worked at McDonalds in 1968. It had a stainless steel counter.Open window to a unheated glass inclosed ordering area. It was very cold working that area in northern Illiinois.
I just watched (3 times) your original McDonald’s video in Downey, CA. So interesting? I’ll have to make a trip down there. I’m stopping at a McDonald’s in Stockton on East Hammer Lane.
That’s the McDonald’s we went to in the sixties. A short drive from Norwalk. It was a treat to get those hamburgers which were like the cheapest hamburgers they sell today. I always enjoyed seeing that sign with Speedy and the number of hamburgers claimed to have been sold.
Thank you Sarah and Jeff for this very special trip 🌹 Love 💕 McDonald. 💐🌞🌻 Their fries 🍟 and their soft ice cream 🍦 is irresistible 🌿🎋🌜🌝🌛 Enjoy your weekend and a large serving of 🍟⚡️☄️💫🌈🍒🍔🌮🥓🍮☕️🎺
