this post was submitted on 26 Jul 2026
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Vintage and Retro Ads, Promos, Fliers, Etc.

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McDonalds. No tipping, no need to dress up. (1964-ish) (lemmy.nz)
submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by EnmebaraGuesser@piefed.ca to c/vintageads@sh.itjust.works
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The line art looks like the building of the oldest currently operating McDonald's, which opened in 1953, although the ad copy gives a different location that opened in 1958, so this menu has got to be around ~~58~~ 64 (see post from scmstr@lemmy.blahaj.zone in thread). There were some older McD's but they are gone. The 1953 location was the first building that used the golden arches as a shtick.

This is what the 1953 building looked like in 2017.

LRDtTbXCJbS2xOq.jpg

Before it got into the whole hamburger and fries thing, McDonald's sold BBQ in the 1940's, with the ad tagline, "McDonald's Famous Barbecue".

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[–] athairmor@lemmy.world 28 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Adjusted for inflation, that hamburger should cost $1.75, today.

[–] EnmebaraGuesser@piefed.ca 12 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I wonder how the ratio of McD's wage, to burger price, compares to today.

I have no idea how much they paid back then.

[–] athairmor@lemmy.world 23 points 2 days ago

If the Internet is to be believed, wages started $1.12/hr which would be $13.08/hr in 2026. Current starting pay is higher than that in most places.

But, current hamburger prices are about double the inflation adjusted price. Wages are not doubled. So, buying power is weaker than in 1958.

[–] kittenzrulz123@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 days ago

And it was probably significantly larger as well

[–] SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone 19 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Can't be that old. Fillet o fish didn't exist until 1962, per Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filet-O-Fish

Also, even just the name mcdouble didn't exist until 1964

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDouble

[–] EnmebaraGuesser@piefed.ca 15 points 2 days ago

Good detective work! I'll update.

[–] Swemg@lemmy.world 15 points 2 days ago (1 children)

"pure Columbian coffee"

[–] Instigate@aussie.zone 3 points 2 days ago

Apparently 80 years ago coffee was grown in DC. TIL

[–] calliope@retrolemmy.com 9 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

I don’t think I’ve ever seen that McDonald’s logo with the line through it, like a silhouette of the building! Looks like it was used until 1968.

Really puts the current “Golden Arches” into perspective. No pun intended.

[–] EnmebaraGuesser@piefed.ca 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Good spot, I didn't even notice the logo line!

The little building off to the side, in the photo above, is a mini McD's museum that the company built. Seems like this store wasn't financially worth keeping open, but restored it for history reasons.

With low sales, damage from the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and the lack of a drive-up window and indoor seating, the restaurant was closed, and McDonald's planned to demolish it and incorporate some of its features in a modern "retro" restaurant nearby. ..... With both the public and preservationists demanding the restaurant be saved, McDonald's spent two years restoring the restaurant and reopened it. The restaurant now features an adjacent museum and gift shop housed in a replica of the original McDonald's location in San Bernardino.

[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

Sounds like the guy that started Taco Bell. Originally he bought a hot dog stand, but tacos sold better. His last name was Bell.

[–] Fuckfuckmyfuckingass@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Crazy that a cup of hot chocolate costs the same as a hamburger.

[–] zarkanian@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Especially since it's probably just a packet of Swiss Miss and hot water.

[–] phailhaus@piefed.social 3 points 2 days ago

Swiss Miss was brand new tech at that point.

[–] towniepeter@thelemmy.club 1 points 2 days ago

Hasn't changed that much, then.

[–] unemployedclaquer@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 days ago

I drove past a new-ish modern-ish modernism version with that aesthetic in Ohio in a huge vehicle that's hard to stop and at the crosswalk the light changed and I had to brake a little hard especially when I saw a duck there and someone was staring at me and then several baby ducks materialized behind the adult duck which was apparently just waiting to cross. I didn't run over any baby ducks at the stupid McDonalds.