Downey has the oldest Red and White McDonald's still operating

Downey has a roadside-history stop hiding in plain sight at Lakewood Boulevard and Florence Avenue. The small McDonald’s there is not shaped like most modern locations. It keeps the early Red and White look, with the old Golden Arches idea built into the building.

The Red and White design dates to 1953, and Downey has the oldest one still operating. Preservation people care because the building shows fast food when the architecture was meant to show speed, order, and car-era optimism.

The location survived partly because it came through the McDonald brothers’ older franchise path, outside the later corporate remodel pattern. A global brand still has a local-looking landmark in Downey because of that older path.

If you go, treat it as a working restaurant and a small roadside history stop. The fun is in noticing how different the building feels from the newer arches.