Ray Kroc Biography

Ray Kroc was an American businessman famous for fast food company McDonald's. Ray Kroc's full name is Raymond Albert Kroc. He was born in Oak Park, Illinois, near Chicago in the U.S. in the year 1902, October 5. Most of his childhood time was spent in Oak Park. He purchased McDonald's in 1961 and worked as CEO in that company from 1967 to 1973. Kroc is famous because he turned McDonald's into the most successful fast-food corporation in the world. After retirement from the company, he owned a baseball team from 1974 until his death. He transformed McDonald's into the world's largest franchise fast-food company before his death.

The Early Life of Ray Kroc

He grew up and spent most of his childhood in his birthplace, Oak Park. In childhood, he took piano lessons and displayed his business development skills by opening a lemonade stand and also worked in a soda fountain. He also did various kinds of work at that time, like selling paper cups and milkshake machines in Florida.

During world war I, he told a lie about his age and became an ambulance driver of Red Cross hospital at the age of 15. After the world war, he explored many job options, worked as a pianist, and as a salesman. Kroc's business dealing ability introduces him to an ice cream shop owner Earl Price, who invented the machine capable of generating five milk-sakes at a time.

Who Founded McDonald's?

Do people often wonder who founded McDonald’s? Well, McDonald's is an American company. McDonald's owners’ names are Richard and Maurice McDonald. This company was founded in 1940 by these two brothers. They started their business with a hamburger stand and later turned these into a franchise. It had its headquarters in Oak Brook but later moved its global headquarters to Chicago in 2018. Ray Kroc joined them as a franchise agent in 1954. 

In 1959, he opened the 100th restaurant of McDonald but still, he was not gaining much profit in this. In 1961 Kroc purchased the company from the McDonald brothers with the help of Sonneborn, who became McDonald's first president. Now it has the world's largest fast-food chain, serving almost 70 million customers daily; though it is known for its hamburger, cheeseburger, and french fries, it also has chicken products, soft drinks, desserts, wraps, and many more. In response to the customer's review, they also added different menus like salad, smoothies, fruits, etc.

Growth of McDonald Empire

Mcdonald's owner’s name is Ray Kroc. Under Kroc's ownership, MacDonald touched a different height. They retained some original character and added some new elements to their menu, and that caused large sales in the market. The franchise owner of this went through training courses at Hamburger University and earned certificates. While Kroc mainly focused on opening shops in suburban areas, and that also in low price and with familiar food.

At a time, they were criticized due to food quality and its nutrition. Kroc's maintained a 'Speedee service system' in which, under Kroc's guideline regarding preparation, size cooking method ensures that McDonald products look similar in size and taste in every franchise. This contributed to the enormous success of McDonald's all over the world. In the year 1977, Kroc resigned himself from his senior chairman position. By Kroc's death, the chain had already increased to 7500 outlets in the U.S. and 31 other countries. 

Personal Life

Kroc Foundation-supported research, education, and treatment about various diseases like diabetes, arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. Known for its Ronald McDonald House, an organization provides free housing facilities to the parents whose children are receiving treatment for any disease. He received the golden plate award of The American Academy Of Achievement. When Ray Kroc died at that time, Ray Kroc McDonald's was different because no one could compete.

Baseball

Kroc retired from running McDonald’s in 1974. After that decided to get involved in his favourite sport, baseball when he learned that the San Diego Padres were for sale. Kroc purchased the team for 12 million dollars and kept that team in San Diego. Under his ownership, they lost 102 matches. After his death, the parades in 1984 won the N.L. pennant and played as a team in the 1984 world series.

Ray Kroc Death

Ray Kroc's death was due to heart failure. In the year 1980, Kroc entered an alcohol rehabilitation facility after a stroke. Then he died four years later due to heart failure in San Diego hospital in California. He died at the age of 81 in 1984, January 14, and was buried in San Diego, El Camino Memorial park near Sorrento valley.

Ray Kroc Facts

• At the age of 14, before WWI, Ray Kroc with his friend opened a music emporium where his friend used to sell music sheets and used to play the piano. This business worked for a few months, but it shows the business skill of Kroc's at that time.

• Before McDonald, he used to do various companies and also played the piano for multiple bands. He also worked in the real estate business in Florida.

• He did not find McDonald's. McDonald's owners' names are Richard and Maurice McDonald. These two brothers are the founder of McDonald's. They came up with the idea of the Speedee Delivery System which involves ready-to-eat fast food production.

• Ray Kroc first met with McDonald's brother in 1954 when he worked as a salesman of multi-mixer milkshake machines. After that, these three came into partnership with each other.

• At that time, this restaurant had an uncomplicated menu. They used to sell only fries and hamburgers only. After that, many other things were added to that menu.

• Ray once tried to open a restaurant in Disneyland, but they came up with the new idea to increase food prices. Ray refused that because he saw it was like taking advantage of the customers.

• Ray introduced a new policy, and he started selling the franchise in the form of single stores. This increases the control of Franchisers in their respective regions.

• He set a high standard for the restaurant with its quality and service. He maintained a proper sensitization in his store and assured that similar food quality, shape, and size were available at every store.

• He had a strange way of hiring a manager. He refused to hire a manager with high qualifications because he thought the man with such a high background lacked the necessary skills to manage in business.

• Also, he had a partnership with the Sonneborn model who came up with the idea to buy the McDonald company and gave a loan to him when purchasing that company.

• Ray had the policy that his executive could not fire a secretary to assist them.

• Later, he quarrelled with the McDonald brothers because Ray wanted to expand that business, and none of them was ready to take the risk.

• All the policies applied by Ray Kroc resulted in the company's massive success, and it touched a height that no one can compete with. At the time of Ray's death, he almost expanded his business to 31 other countries.