Some McDonald’s have only one Golden Arch: Here’s the interesting reason why

Although it is a rare sight today, the reasons some McDonald’s locations have only one arch boils down to the interesting history of McDonald’s and how the brand evolved.

Some McDonald’s have only one Golden Arch: Here’s the interesting reason why
© George Rose
Some McDonald’s have only one Golden Arch: Here’s the interesting reason why

McDonald’s Golden Arches are by now iconic. Bright yellow and shiny, they have been an easy way for the restaurants fans to spot them easily, and thus, they have been an integral part of the McDonald’s brand. The two arches are positioned attached to each other in order to form an 'M'.

Discover our latest podcast

But did you know that some McDonald’s actually do not have two arches and instead only have one?Today reported about the interesting reason why that happened.

These McDonald’s have only one arch

As per Today, there are several online communities that share information about these out-of-the-ordinary McDonald’s locations. These are very striking because by now the McDonald’s Golden Arches have been so normalised for all of us, that they are definitely conspicuous when they are absent.

Some McDonald’s actually do not have two arches and instead only have one

There was also this Twitter thread that became very popular, with people sharing locations and photos of McDonald’s without the double arches.

There are only about 13 of these single-arched McDonald’s still standing the in US

As stated by Today, if you happen to see a McDonald’s with only one arch, you would be very lucky since it would be a vintage still-operational Mcdonald's. According to Eat This, there are only about 13 of these single-arched McDonald’s still standing the in US.

Brief history of McDonald’s Golden Arches

Richard and Maurice McDonald founded McDonald’s in 1940 and it was only 13 years after they had completely changed the landscape of the restaurant business, that they collaborated with architect Stanley Meston to design their building.

Once the design had been conceived, Richard McDonald felt that they should add gold arches to the building since they felt the roof line was a little flat. So, arches were put up on the McDonald’s buildings but they were set on opposite sides of the building. Additionally, some McDonald’s restaurants were built with just one arch with the McDonald’s sign.

It was only in 1962 that the giant ‘M’ became part of the logo of the fast-food giant. Only later, in 1968, the Golden Arches paired together to form the ‘M’ became standard in all McDonald’s restaurants.

Today quoted McDonald's as saying,

The Golden Arches have been a beacon to customers since the 1960s, when McDonald’s began updating its single-arch Speedee signs at restaurants across the U.S.
You can still find the original signs at a few select locations, which have become popular destinations for road-trippers and history buffs alike.

Read more:

Family left horrified after McDonald’s serves their 7-year-old dishcloth-stuffed chicken wrap

McDonald’s circular tables have a secret function as this woman discovers (VIDEO)

McDonald's in trouble?: Fast-food chain hit with complaints over size of burgers once again

People Are Going Crazy After Discovering That Lidl’s Nuggets Are Identical to the Ones From McDonald’s! People Are Going Crazy After Discovering That Lidl’s Nuggets Are Identical to the Ones From McDonald’s!