Speedee was the McDonald's mascot used before Ronald McDonald became the chain's best-known character.
Speedee was introduced in 1948, when McDonald's was promoting its fast service. The character was drawn as a chef-like figure with a hamburger-shaped head, linking the mascot directly to the restaurant's core product and its emphasis on speed.
The name came from the early “Speedee Service System” developed by Richard and Maurice McDonald. That system reorganized food preparation so a limited menu could be served quickly and consistently. Speedee therefore represented both a character and a central operating idea.
Ronald McDonald gradually replaced Speedee in the 1960s as McDonald's advertising became more focused on family audiences. The two characters are sometimes confused because both belong to the chain's early visual identity, but Speedee predates Ronald by many years.