Popularity led to McDonald's discovery

McDonald's has always been the hamburger company with the world's favorite fries, so it's easy to overlook the role our milk shakes have played in the foundation of our business.

When the McDonald brothers introduced the then-revolutionary concept of a limited menu of quality products at unbelievably low prices, shakes were an inseparable part of the All-American meal: burger, fries, and a shake.

And at 20 cents each, they were a great value then, as they are today.

Beyond that, it was actually the shakes that first attracted Ray Kroc, the founder of today's McDonald's, to the original restaurant in San Bernardino.

Why so many shakes?

Kroc sold Multimixer milk shake machines that could mix five shakes at a time, and he became intrigued when this small hamburger stand ordered ten of them.

When he visited the restaurant, Kroc was amazed at the traffic they generated, and he thought to himself, "This can go anyplace!" He soon became the exclusive franchising agent for McDonald's, and later bought the whole company.

Shakes have always been a key ingredient in McDonald's menu, and they have also done their part in giving back to the community. For example, the very first Ronald McDonald House was built in Philadelphia after the local franchisees donated all the proceeds from a special Shamrock Shake promotion to fund its construction.

They're triple thick

As part of McDonald's revitalization at the turn of the century, our U.S. restaurants brought back Triple Thick Shakes, a flavorful return to the great-tasting milk shakes of our early days.

Rich, creamy, and full of flavor, the chocolate is made from real cocoa, the strawberry features real strawberry bits, and the vanilla contains real vanilla beans. Add in additional promotional flavor treats for variety, from the perennial-favorite Shamrock Shake to today's Caramel, and shakes came back to center stage.

Today, shakes are in the spotlight at McDonald's once again, with newly introduced McCafé Shakes that come in a clear container, topped with delicious whipped cream and a cherry, the good old-fashioned way.

So, there are plenty of reasons to "shake up" your day - the McDonald's way.