McDonald’s original 1948 logo featured Speedee, a chef character representing the restaurant’s speedy service.
Speedee was drawn with a hamburger-shaped head and was used before the company adopted Ronald McDonald and the McDonaldland characters. The character connected the visual identity directly to the Speedee Service System developed by Richard and Maurice McDonald.
The 1948 logo is often confused with later McDonald’s branding because the Golden Arches eventually became the company’s dominant symbol. Speedee remained an important early mark, but he was gradually replaced as McDonald’s expanded and standardized its restaurant image.
Speedee should also not be confused with Ronald McDonald, who became the chain’s principal advertising mascot in the 1960s.