For all the old timers - 1965 McDonalds ad

[Vietnam Vet67]

[peteski]

While I'm not quite that old (well, I was around in '65, but too young to eat at McDonalds), I enjoyed seeing this ad, the old style logos, and the '60s prices.  Those were the real "golden arches".

[Snake45]

According to the interweb, current price (average in my state) of small fries is $1.75, and a small shake is $2.76. Can't even find price of a single basic hamburger (two cheeseburgers--$2.52). Kid's Happy Meal (drink but no shake) is $3.14 (but does include a toy probably worth about 4 cents). 

I don't eat McDonald's unless there is absolutely NOTHING else available. 

[High octane]

Yes I was around when McDonald's first opened up and that was a loooong time ago. My how times have changed.

 

[Rodent]

I don't remember going to McDonald's until maybe 1967 or 1968. I don't think there were any around where I grew up until then.

I was going to post that Snake should try my beloved Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Sandwich, but I just discovered that it has been discontinued. Sniff. I don't go there often enough I guess.

(slight rant) What would the McDonald's franchisees of 1965 think if they got into a time machine to 2021 and saw that cars now have rotary shifters and electric parking brakes, primarily to leave room in the console for two 32+ ounce fountain drinks? That would have been enough for eight 1965 people.

[Tom Geiger]

From 1966 thru 1972 I lived in the USA for only the year 1968 and that was in Jersey City, NJ while McDonalds was primarily a suburb thing back then. I do remember eating at White Castle.

While in Europe the American fast food had not yet arrived while I was there. I learned that later on the road leading to our US Army post became littered with our chain restaurants. When in Paris, there was a British burger chain called Wimpy’s, of course named after Popeye’s friend. Us kids loved to go there!

We returned to New Jersey when I was 14 and couldn’t get enough of McDonalds and Burger King! And I loved sub sandwiches!  

Edited September 10, 2021 by Tom Geiger

[DPNM]

My first real job was at a fast food burger joint back around 1975ish named Winky's. It was up the road from Mickey Dees. I think the cheeseburgers may have been 30 cents but that was too long ago.

It was a local Pittsburgh franchise. There were about 12 to 15 stores IIRC.

They had gotten to the point of not only wanting to compete with McD they also added items that other fast food chains offered. Chicken like Kentucky Fried, roast beef like Arby's, fish like Long John Silvers. I worked at multiple locations over the course of 8 to 10 years until they went belly-up.

 

[Dave Van]

In high school my now wife worked at McD's. Mid 70's I could still get that meal for less than $1......

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, Rodent said:

I was going to post that Snake should try my beloved Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Sandwich, but I just discovered that it has been discontinued. Sniff. I don't go there often enough I guess.

I've never ordered a fast food chicken sandwich in my life, but if I suddenly came down with a craving for one, I'd go to Chick-Fil-A, with KFC my second choice. 

IMHO the best fast food is Roy Rogers, followed by Burger King and Hardee's. That goes for burgers, fries, and shakes. McD's is at the very bottom of the ladder with me, and only barely qualifies as "food." 

[ChrisBcritter]

It was an occasional treat for us to go to the McDonald's on Waukegan Road in Glenview, IL - Dad would back the '53 Bel Air or '61 Dodge Seneca into the parking space so we kids could eat our food off the package shelf and watch the Milwaukee Road trains go by behind the building. Mom would bring Diet-Rite in Tupperware sipper cups (McD's didn't have diet soda then). 

Thanks to the 1970 Glenbrook South High School yearbook, here's that very same McDonald's:

[slusher]

I remember going to McDonalds in the mid 70’s. I was born in 65. I do remember My dad going to White Castle when I was young in his 68 Catalina..

[MrObsessive]

I remember going to a McDonald's around 1965-'66 because we were moving and my Mom didn't have the means to cook anything yet on a stove. My Dad took my sister and I and for whatever reason I can remember a hamburger being something like .15-.20¢? ?

I would eventually work at that same McDonald's when I was a senior in high school (1978), and I can distinctly remember .30¢ burgers at that point and a cheeseburger was .35¢

[peteski]

10 hours ago, Snake45 said:

I've never ordered a fast food chicken sandwich in my life, but if I suddenly came down with a craving for one, I'd go to Chick-Fil-A, with KFC my second choice. 

IMHO the best fast food is Roy Rogers, followed by Burger King and Hardee's. That goes for burgers, fries, and shakes. McD's is at the very bottom of the ladder with me, and only barely qualifies as "food." 

The best burger and shakes (chocolate of course) are from In-N-Out burger chain in California.  Unfortunately, I live on the wrong coast to enjoy them regularly, but when I'm in CA, I enjoy a visit to the In-N-Out.

[TonyK]

I remember McDonalds when they had those "shoots" and the different burgers would get made and lined up in them. The counter workers would yell to the cooks if any of them got low so they'd make more of that particular burger to fill it again. Seemed much faster back then. Real fresh fries too. And triple-thick shakes.

Also remember standing in line way back when and a survey was being done with various customers. They were asking questions about breakfast stuff and I wondered what that was all about. Got my answer later on.

[Classicgas]

I was born in 60, We rarely went, but on the occasions we did we always had to wait for our food, my brother wanted a fish sandwich, no tartar sauce.