Their first lesson was in how to design a building. "We walked around on the site before the construction started and tried to imagine counters and tables - figuring out where to put things," said Warfield.

"Of course, we have since learned that (the neighboring city of) Poway is a very difficult place to start a new business. What saved us was that we had a very good product and we established a reputation very quickly for great food and service," said Warfield.

Vickers agreed. "You can put a McDonald's anywhere. The secret of our success is a quality product," said Vickers.

That first shop, opened in 1977, was followed by a second in Escondido (California) in 1979.