Ray Kroc | |
|---|---|
 Kroc in 1976 | |
| Born | Raymond Albert Kroc October 5, 1902 Oak Park, Illinois, United States |
| Died | January 14, 1984 (aged 81) San Diego, California, United States |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | Ethel Fleming
(m. 1922; div. 1961)Jane Dobbins Green
(m. 1963; div. 1968) |
| Children | 1 |
| Notes | |
Raymond Albert Kroc (October 5, 1902 – January 14, 1984) was an American businessman. He purchased the fast food company McDonald's in 1961 from the McDonald brothers and was its CEO from 1967 to 1973. Kroc is credited with the global expansion of McDonald's, turning it into the most successful fast food corporation in the world by revenue.[4][5]
Kroc was born in Oak Park, Illinois, and worked a variety of jobs, including as a paper cup salesman and a musician, before eventually becoming a milkshake mixer salesman. In 1954, he visited a hamburger restaurant in San Bernardino, California, owned by Richard and Maurice McDonald. Kroc was impressed with the efficiency and speed of the restaurant's operations, and he convinced the brothers to allow him to franchise the concept.
Under Kroc's leadership, McDonald's grew rapidly, and he implemented several key innovations, including the creation of a standardized menu and the development of a highly efficient assembly-line system for food preparation. Kroc also focused on aggressive expansion, opening new restaurants across the United States and eventually in other countries as well. He became the owner of McDonald's Corporation in 1961 and was credited as its founder.[5]
After retiring from McDonald's, he owned the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1974 until his death in 1984.
- ^ "Ray Kroc" (Fee, via Fairfax County Public Library). Newsmakers. Biography In Context. Detroit Michigan: Gale. 1985. Gale Document Number: GALE|K1618001946. Retrieved June 12, 2011.
- ^ Cicarelli, James (2003). "Ray Kroc" (Fee, via Fairfax County Public Library). In Arnold Markoe; Kenneth T. Jackson (eds.). Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Thematic Series: Sports Figures. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. Retrieved June 12, 2011. Gale Biography In Context.
- ^ Anderson, Robert (March 2009). "Ray Kroc How He Made McDonald's Sizzle". Success. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 13, 2011. (excerpt from September 1977 article)
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
NYTobitwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b "The Mc Donald's Man: What Ray Kroc Hath Wrought Around the World". People. May 19, 1975. Archived from the original on March 30, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2013.