Speedee was the McDonald's mascot that appeared on early restaurant packaging before Ronald McDonald.
Speedee was a chef-like character based on the idea of fast service. His name echoed the Speedee Service System developed by McDonald's founders Richard and Maurice McDonald at their San Bernardino, California, restaurant.
The Speedee figure was used prominently in the company's early identity, including packaging and signage. The character is often confused with later McDonald's characters, but the Hamburglar, Grimace, and Mayor McCheese belonged to the later McDonaldland advertising era.
Ronald McDonald gradually became the chain's better-known mascot after his introduction in the 1960s. Speedee nevertheless remains important in McDonald's branding history because he links the original fast-service promise with the company's earliest visual identity.