The McDonaldland character introduced in 1971 as a hamburger thief was the Hamburglar.
The Hamburglar was one of the central characters in McDonald’s fictional McDonaldland advertising world. His defining trait was trying to steal hamburgers, especially Big Macs, while wearing a black-and-white striped outfit and a broad-brimmed hat.
The character’s design changed substantially over time. Early versions were portrayed as a short, older-looking figure with a speech difficulty. A later redesign made him a smaller, younger character with a more recognizable cartoon appearance. This redesign helped make the character more appealing to children and more consistent with McDonaldland’s colorful cast.
The Hamburglar is sometimes confused with Grimace, who began as a milkshake-stealing character before becoming a friendly purple mascot. Mayor McCheese was another McDonaldland figure, but he was a civic leader rather than a thief.