In 1948, what fast-service system did the McDonald brothers introduce?

In 1948, the McDonald brothers introduced the Speedee Service System, an assembly-line approach to preparing fast food.

Richard and Maurice McDonald had operated a drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California, where carhops delivered food to customers. After studying their business, they realized hamburgers generated much of the profit. In 1948 they temporarily closed and redesigned the operation around a short menu, standardized tasks, disposable packaging, and rapid counter service.

The system divided preparation into repeatable steps, much like an industrial assembly line. The brothers removed carhops, reduced the menu, emphasized inexpensive hamburgers, and built a kitchen designed for consistency and volume. The initial hamburger price was 15 cents, helping make the restaurant attractive to families and motorists.

The system was not created in total isolation: White Castle had already pioneered important fast-food practices. However, the McDonald brothers’ version helped popularize a highly efficient model that Ray Kroc later franchised and expanded worldwide. The name is sometimes confused with Speedee, the hamburger-headed mascot who represented the system.