Do You Know The Interesting History Of McDonald’s in Minnesota?

Ray Kroc acquired the rights to McDonald’s in 1961 with the goal of franchising the restaurant and opening 1,000 locations in the United States. He overachieved. Today, there are more than 13,500 McDonald’s restaurants in the United States and tens of thousands more around the world.

Here in Minnesota, the fast-food chain has more than 200 locations. Below you can read about the first locations to open in our state, the Minnesota woman that gave away the McDonald’s fortune, and see the Minnesota McDonald’s that is one of only 13 of its kind in the country.

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A big chapter in the story of McDonald’s has to be devoted to Joan Mansfield.

Joan was born in St. Paul and played piano at restaurants in the Twin Cities area in her 20s. It was at one of these gigs that she caught the eye of McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc. The two eventually married, and while her impact on the company isn’t clearly defined, it is known that she was his closest confidant.

After Ray’s death, Joan was left with a fortune and donated billions to charity.

This NY Post report outlines an incredible $1.5 Billion donation that Joan left to the Salvation Army when she passed.

When Did McDonald’s First Open in Minnesota?

Two years after the fast-food restaurant began expanding across the country, Minnesota got a taste.

The St, Louis Park Historical Society explains, our first McDonald’s location opened on September 7^th, 1957 at 2075 North Snelling Ave. in Roseville. That location is still slinging burgers today.

Nearly a year later one opened at 6320 W. Lake Street in St. Louis Park. In 1959 two McDonald’s opened for business in Minnesota. One in Columbia Heights and one in Winona.

The Golden Arches lit up on Nicollet Ave. in Bloomington in 1960. By the mid-60s, there were locations in St. Paul, Minneapolis, White Bear Lake, Crystal, Fridley, and Golden Valley.

The famous french fries were available in Mankato by 1967.

Rochester’s first McDonald’s opened on July 9^th, 1968, and is still open at 1116 N. Broadway.

This Minnesota McDonald's Is Extremely Rare

There are hundreds of McDonald's locations around the state and most of them have the same basic look and feel, but there's one that's very unique.

The Apple Valley McDonald's is one of only 13 in the entire country that still has the original design.  See it for yourself at 7667 150th St W in Apple Valley.