The story of McDonald’s ‘founder’ Ray Kroc’s beef with Anchorage’s Sunshine Plaza

David Reamer

ANCHORAGE HISTORIES

Anchorage residents love their chain restaurants, though some have difficulties being honest with themselves. Area residents also cherish the wide variety of locally owned and unique eateries. But every fast-food opening is accompanied with massive crowds and long lines that linger for weeks. People went crazy when the first Dairy Queen in town opened in 1952, and they went crazy when Krispy Kreme opened in 2016, even though there were already existing ice cream and donut options. The Sonic coming soon in South Anchorage will prove this point all over again.

Among all the chains, McDonald’s holds a special place in the hearts of many Alaskans and within Anchorage history. The first McDonald’s in Alaska opened in Anchorage on July 2, 1970, at Arctic and Northern Lights Boulevards. This arrival marked Anchorage’s ascension to a new stage of relevance, long before Walmart, Costco, Subway, Starbucks, Taco Bell and Target made their way north. More McDonald’s franchises in Alaska soon followed, on DeBarr Road, Old Seward Highway and in Fairbanks. In 1975, the fifth Alaska McDonald’s opened in downtown Anchorage. The 126-seat building was then the largest McDonald’s on the West Coast. The structure complied with building and planning codes by going with a muted design meant to blend in with the neighborhood, primarily with the Alaska National Bank of the North location next door. There was no Ronald McDonald statue, no massive roadside sign.

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