Speedee was the name of McDonald's 1948 service mascot shown on its early signs.
The McDonald brothers introduced Speedee when they reorganized their San Bernardino, California, restaurant around a faster self-service model. The character was a chef-like figure whose name emphasized speed, an important selling point of the “Speedee Service System.” Early branding used Speedee alongside the restaurant name and the slogan “I'm Speedee.”
Speedee is easy to confuse with later McDonald's characters. Ronald McDonald became the chain's best-known mascot in the 1960s, while Birdie the Early Bird arrived much later as a breakfast character. Speedee belonged to the company's earliest postwar identity and represented operational efficiency rather than a menu item.
The character eventually disappeared from the main brand as the Golden Arches became more prominent. Even so, Speedee remains an important link between the original restaurant concept and McDonald's later international image.