Someone has stolen two identical monument plaques from the Original McDonald’s Museum in San Bernardino.

The plaques acknowledged that the McDonald’s Speedee System restaurant that opened in December 1948 on 14th and E streets was the first of the self-service outlets that now circle the globe.

“Scap, just scrap” was the likely motive for whoever took the plaques, which were discovered missing Monday morning, said Albert Okura, who owns and privately operates the Original McDonald’s Museum on the site of the restaurant, which was torn down in 1971.

During a 1992 ceremony, McDonald’s in San Bernardino held a plaque dedication ceremony following the McDonald Corporation’s approval recognizing San Bernardino as the world’s first McDonald’s self-service drive-in restaurant. Thieves stole the brass plaques sometime during the early hours of Monday April 16, 2018. (Courtesy photo to The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)



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The site of the original McDonald’s at the McDonald’s Historic Museum in San Bernardino, Calif. on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. During a 1992 ceremony, McDonald’s in San Bernardino held a plaque, which can be seen here, dedication ceremony following the McDonald Corporation’s approval recognizing San Bernardino as the world’s first McDonald’s self-service drive-in restaurant. Thieves stole the brass plaques sometime during the early hours of Monday April 16, 2018. (Staff file photo by Rachel Luna, The Sun/SCNG)

During a 1992 ceremony, shown here, McDonald’s in San Bernardino held a brass plaque dedication ceremony following the McDonald Corporation’s approval recognizing San Bernardino as the world’s first McDonald’s self-service drive-in restaurant. Thieves stole the brass plaques sometime during the early hours of Monday April 16, 2018. During a 1992 ceremony, McDonald’s in San Bernardino held a brass plaque dedication ceremony following the McDonald Corporation’s approval recognizing San Bernardino as the world’s first McDonald’s self-service drive-in restaurant. Thieves stole the brass plaques sometime during the early hours of Monday April 16, 2018. (Courtesy photo to The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

During a 1992 ceremony, McDonald’s in San Bernardino held a plaque dedication ceremony following the McDonald Corporation’s approval recognizing San Bernardino as the world’s first McDonald’s self-service drive-in restaurant. Thieves stole the brass plaques sometime during the early hours of Monday April 16, 2018. (Courtesy photo to The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)



During a 1992 ceremony McDonald’s in San Bernardino held a brass plaque dedication ceremony following the McDonald Corporation’s approval recognizing San Bernardino as the world’s first McDonald’s self-service drive-in restaurant. Thieves stole the brass plaques sometime during the early hours of Monday April 16, 2018. (Courtesy photo to The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Albert Okura, founder of the San Bernardino-based Juan Pollo chain of restaurants and owner of the Original McDonald’s location and Museum shows off a framed copy of the San Bernardino County Sun newspaper from July 1998 when Richard McDonald died. During a 1992 ceremony, McDonald’s in San Bernardino held a brass plaque dedication ceremony following the McDonald Corporation’s approval recognizing San Bernardino as the world’s first McDonald’s self-service drive-in restaurant. Thieves stole the brass plaques sometime during the early hours of Monday April 16, 2018. (File photo by Doug Saunder, The Sun/SCNG)

The original McDonald’s sign listing burgers for 15-cents sits in front of of the McDonald’s Museum in San Bernardino on Wednesday, August 6, 2014. During a 1992 ceremony, McDonald’s in San Bernardino held a brass plaque dedication ceremony following the McDonald Corporation’s approval recognizing San Bernardino as the world’s first McDonald’s self-service drive-in restaurant. Thieves stole the brass plaques sometime during the early hours of Monday April 16, 2018. (Staff file photo by David Bauman, Riverside Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

A “Speedee” figure, the original McDonald’s mascot, sits at the original McDonalds restaurant on E Street on Thursday, May 14, 2015 in San Bernardino, Ca. The restaurant will be celebrating it’s 75th anniversary on Friday. During a 1992 ceremony, McDonald’s in San Bernardino held a brass plaque dedication ceremony following the McDonald Corporation’s approval recognizing San Bernardino as the world’s first McDonald’s self-service drive-in restaurant. Thieves stole the brass plaques sometime during the early hours of Monday April 16, 2018. (Staff file photo by Micah Escamilla, The Sun/SCNG)

Dick and Mac McDonald opened the first McDonald’s in San Bernardino, California, in 1948. During a 1992 ceremony, McDonald’s in San Bernardino held a brass plaque dedication ceremony following the McDonald Corporation’s approval recognizing San Bernardino as the world’s first McDonald’s self-service drive-in restaurant. Thieves stole the brass plaques sometime during the early hours of Monday April 16, 2018. (File courtesy photo)



A large mural depicting San Bernardino history decorates the south side of the McDonald’s Museum in San Bernardino on Wednesday, August 6, 2014. During a 1992 ceremony, McDonald’s in San Bernardino held a brass plaque dedication ceremony following the McDonald Corporation’s approval recognizing San Bernardino as the world’s first McDonald’s self-service drive-in restaurant. Thieves stole the brass plaques sometime during the early hours of Monday April 16, 2018. (Staff file photo by David Bauman, Riverside Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

A vintage menu from the original McDonald’s sits on display in the McDonald’s Museum in San Bernardino on Wednesday, August 6, 2014. During a 1992 ceremony, McDonald’s in San Bernardino held a brass plaque dedication ceremony following the McDonald Corporation’s approval recognizing San Bernardino as the world’s first McDonald’s self-service drive-in restaurant. Thieves stole the brass plaques sometime during the early hours of Monday April 16, 2018. (Staff file photo by David Bauman, Riverside Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Dick and Mac McDonald opened the first McDonald’s in San Bernardino, California, in 1948. During a 1992 ceremony, McDonald’s in San Bernardino held a brass plaque dedication ceremony following the McDonald Corporation’s approval recognizing San Bernardino as the world’s first McDonald’s self-service drive-in restaurant. Thieves stole the brass plaques sometime during the early hours of Monday April 16, 2018. (File courtesy photo)

A vintage french fry machine sits on display in the McDonald’s Museum in San Bernardino on Wednesday, August 6, 2014. During a 1992 ceremony, McDonald’s in San Bernardino held a brass plaque dedication ceremony following the McDonald Corporation’s approval recognizing San Bernardino as the world’s first McDonald’s self-service drive-in restaurant. Thieves stole the brass plaques sometime during the early hours of Monday April 16, 2018. (Staff file photo by David Bauman, Riverside Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

A vintage milkshake mixer sits on display in the McDonald’s Museum in San Bernardino on Wednesday, August 6, 2014. During a 1992 ceremony, McDonald’s in San Bernardino held a brass plaque dedication ceremony following the McDonald Corporation’s approval recognizing San Bernardino as the world’s first McDonald’s self-service drive-in restaurant. Thieves stole the brass plaques sometime during the early hours of Monday April 16, 2018. (Staff file photo by David Bauman, Riverside Press-Enterprise/SCNG)



He said the museum made a report to San Bernardino police, who told him they would contact recycling centers to try and catch up with the plaques before anyone can cash them in for their metal.

Okura said he couldn’t place a value on the plaques, which were dedicated in 1992 and had been attached to a white monument stand that Monday had only their rough outlines from where they had been taken.

“Dick and Mac McDonald opened the world’s first McDonald’s Self-Service, Drive-In Restaurant on this site in San Bernardino, California December, 1948,” the plaques read in part.

One was placed on either side of the monument in front of the museum, and had become a favorite photo opportunity for visitors from around the world, said museum curator Jack Marcus.

The McDonald brothers sold their interest in the company to businessman Ray Kroc in 1961 for $2.7 million. The 2016 movie “The Founder” starring Michael Keaton as Kroc, dramatized their real-life conflict as Kroc gained control of the company.

When Kroc opened his first McDonald’s in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955, he designated it as McDonald’s No. 1.

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In 1962, Kroc had one of his McDonald’s placed on 15th and E streets, within a block of the brothers’ outlet, and forced them to remove the trademark golden arches, which was replaced by a large “M,” Okura has recounted. That restaurant also has been demolished.

Maurice “Mac” McDonald died in 1971. Ray Kroc died in 1984. Richard McDonald died in 1998, the same year Okura’s museum opened.

In 1992, McDonald’s corporation donated the plaques to the site, which was owned then by the San Bernardino Civic Light Opera Association. Okura, who owns the 25-restaurant Juan Pollo chain, bought the property when the association filed for bankruptcy a few years later. He opened the museum 20 years ago.

Okura said the worldwide exposure to “The Founder” increased visitors to the museum, from about less than 50 a day to closer to 100 a day. “It became an airline flight movie,” he said. “People saw it on their flight to LA, then would Google the museum, and came out.”

He and curator Marcus said visitors are from Brazil, Russia, Japan, Korea and South Africa, among other countries. A British documentary crew was at the site on Saturday.

Some items from the museum — a malt mixer, spatulas, the original equal-portion mustard and ketchup dispensers the McDonald brothers designed for their kitchen, and a set of blueprints for an arches-through-the roof McDonald’s restaurant, were in the movie, Okura said.

The movie, in turn, donated to the museum costume-department created, historically correct paper hats, bags, and wrappers used in the film, he added.