Raymond Albert Kroc was an American businessman best known for establishing McDonald's as the global fast food franchise it is today. In 1954, while working as a milkshake machine salesman, Kroc saw the potential for scaling the small McDonald's restaurant in San Bernardino, California into a nationwide franchise model. He bought out the McDonald brothers in 1961 and established the systems and processes that allowed McDonald's to grow exponentially, reaching over 2,200 locations by 1972. Through national advertising campaigns and expanding internationally, Kroc revolutionized the restaurant industry and grew McDonald's into the global brand it is today.