Founder (Blu-ray)

In 1954, Ray Kroc, a seasoned salesman, had been a hustler in the truest sense of the word. While his relentless pursuit of success had made him the target of derision among certain circles for peddling more novelty or faddish products than truly useful ones, it had also provided him and his wife Ethel with a comfortable life in Arlington Heights, Illinois. However, Ethel wished that Ray would devote as much effort to being at home with her as he did to his current job of selling five-spindle milkshake makers for Prince Castle, a role that had him constantly on the road, traveling from one drive-in restaurant to another.

It was during these travels that Ray became increasingly dissatisfied with the overall drive-in experience, particularly the bad food and poor service. This discontent led him to become enthralled with the concept of McDonald's Restaurant in San Bernardino, California, owned and operated by brothers Richard McDonald and Maurice McDonald, also known as Dick and Mac.

Unlike most of Ray's customers, who typically required only one five-spindle milkshake maker at a time, the McDonald brothers ended up purchasing eight machines for their single restaurant. Primarily on Dick's initiative, the brothers had redesigned the entire concept of the drive-in restaurant. Their focus was on quality food through a smaller menu of only the most popular items (hamburgers, fries, sodas), consistency in product so that customers knew what to expect, a shift in the target market from lounging teenagers to families, and perhaps most importantly, speed in having any order ready within seconds. Many of these goals were achievable through assembly line-styled production. The brothers had previously tried franchising, but had failed to maintain control over the aspects that made their San Bernardino restaurant successful.

Despite their initial belief that Ray was a bit off kilter (in other words, crazy), the McDonald brothers somewhat hesitantly entered into a contract with him to be their head franchise agent, a decision that would ultimately lead to the rapid expansion of the McDonald's empire.

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