Working as a traveling salesman, in 1954 Ray Kroc visited a successful small restaurant in San Bernardino, California, run by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald. Impressed by the shop's limited menu and quick service, within a year Kroc founded McDonald’s System, Inc, making him the franchise agent for the company.
That very same year, envisioning that there would soon be 1,000 restaurants spread over the US, 52-year-old Kroc opened the first McDonald’s east of the Mississippi River. By 1961 he had bought the company outright, and shortly after the fast-food giant went public on the stock market Kroc became a millionaire overnight.
In 1957, Ray met Joan Beverly Smith in a piano bar in Minnesota. Though they were then both married to other people, they met again at a McDonald's conference in 1969 and soon married. Although they were rumored to have a tumultuous relationship, following Ray's passing in 1984 Joan dedicated her life to philanthropy, giving away $3 billion to charitable organizations.
In 1966, just five years after taking control of the McDonald's franchise, Ray and his then-wife Jane purchased this ranch near Santa Barbara for $600,000. Eventually turned into a headquarters for McDonald's, the stunning estate is now on the market for just shy of $27 million. The estate's most famous feature is a circular home – built in the early 1970s, after Ray and Joan had married – which, in a fitting tribute to its former owner, locals refer to as the 'hamburger'.
The entrepreneur named the property the ‘J and R Double Arch Ranch', and spent years turning the scenic plot into a research facility for new recipes. It doubled as a holiday spot for himself and for other McDonald’s executives.
Sitting atop a small hill on the picturesque estate, the round house is located in a private lot, away from the eight other structures that are dotted across the grounds. With 360-degree views of the surrounding valley, it boasts a central fire pit in the main room which would have been used for hosting parties and events for the company.
Now known as the Knoll House, the round house was the center of the estate when the Krocs were in residence. It held special events, and even boasts a tiki bar in the main living space. According to the Los Angeles Times, the home hosted the think tank where the Egg McMuffin, Chicken McNuggets and the late McRib were born.
Kroc passed away in 1984, and the home was sold in 1990 to Gerald Kessler, the owner of Nature's Plus Vitamins, who renamed it the Circle K Ranch. Then, in 1992, it was opened to guests as a luxury corporate retreat costing $275 a day for two people sharing a room, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The largest building on the estate is the 17,000-square-foot lodge. With hotel-style bedrooms and seating for over 65 people it was designed by Glenn Marchbanks Jr. and featured in Architectural Digest in 1968.
Pictured here in the 1960s, the living room was a place where guests could spend their days relaxing and having fun, and once featured a golden arches pool table. Open to guests and friends of the McDonald's magnate, it was also where Kroc kept his collection of vintage cars. With its pops of orange, the décor would have been the height of style, and is unrecognizable from what it is today. Once used as a retreat for McDonald's employees, the great room spans over 3,500 feet.
Today, the ranch has been modernized and boasts 28-foot-high ceilings and a number of seating areas. With wooden ceilings and walls and sleek polished floors, the multi-level space makes the perfect country retreat.
In 1969, Ray Kroc married Joan in front of this massive fireplace, built with 120 tons of native stone quarried from the ranch. According to the book Ray & Joan: The Man Who Made the McDonald’s Fortune and The Woman Who Gave it All Away, by Lisa Napoli, the couple stood "on a gigantic, bright white polar bear rug in front of the stately stone fireplace".
After Kroc’s death, Joan tried to repurpose the home and donate it to the Ronald McDonald House to develop as a camp for children with cancer, but local residents fought the proposal, according to reports from CNBC.
The rustic lodge boasts high vaulted ceilings, chandeliers and polished hardwood floors. According to the Wall Street Journal, the stunning home had Italian cabinetry, French antiques and a self-serve kitchen and bar where guests could help themselves at all hours of the day.
The 16-bedroom lodge was once framed by a small set of golden arches, designed to look like the McDonald’s logo, at the entrance of the property. It has since been removed, though many of its original features still remain in the luxury retreat, as can be seen from the retro decor and mid-century fixtures.
As well as the round house and lodge, the estate is made up of seven more units, including a number of bunk houses, a conference hall, a library, a test kitchen and a workout facility. This building is known as the Founders Library which sits south of the Golden Arches Lodge.
Boasting a large library room with a central stone fireplace and rows of bookshelves, the Founders Library also features a conference space, five bedrooms, a bathroom and several offices. We can only imagine what McDonald's menu items were dreamt up in this room.
Sitting to the east of the lodge is the Conference Hall. With seating for 65 people in a theater-style room, it features an elevated stage where Kroc would have given presentations to McDonald's staff regarding new products and ideas.
The ranch also served as a headquarters for Ray Kroc's charitable foundation, The Kroc Foundation, which is best known for establishing the Ronald Mcdonald House, a non-profit organization that provides accommodation for families who have a child in hospital. His brother, Bob Kroc, oversaw the foundation and lived in this small cottage within the grounds.
The single-level, three-bedroom, two-bathroom home boasts mid-century design features, but has recently been remodeled to meet modern standards. With a new kitchen, bathrooms and interior finishes, the home features a wall of windows that look out over the surrounding hills.
Overall, the ranch is made up of six parcels of land, with two of these holding the main buildings. Of the other four parcels, one boasts equestrian facilities and a five-bedroom home, while another holds a three-bedroom home. Surrounded by pastures and empty land, they make the perfect private getaway spot for visiting family or friends.
Perfect for entertaining, the grounds also boast a barbecue area nestled under old oak trees. With a built-in barbecue and a number of picnic tables, it's conveniently located next to the professional test kitchen, so food will be in abundance!
There are also two large lakes within the grounds of the ranch. Home to eight swans, they offer residents and visitors a chance to relax on the seating that surrounds the shores and watch the sun go down.
With steep slopes and large, flat areas of land, the 554 acres of grounds are ideal for keeping animals, and would also make the perfect agricultural farm or vineyard.
Love this? Follow us on Facebook for more amazing homes