The menu item introduced nationally in 1968 was named the Big Mac.
The Big Mac was created as a larger, multi-layered hamburger and became one of McDonald’s most important branded products. Its distinctive structure uses two beef patties, a middle layer of bun, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and Big Mac sauce. The unusual three-part bun helped distinguish it from ordinary hamburgers on the menu.
The sandwich was developed by Jim Delligatti, a McDonald’s franchisee in Pennsylvania. After regional testing, McDonald’s introduced it nationwide in 1968. Its name became a durable product trademark and eventually a shorthand for the company’s menu identity.
The Big Mac is often confused with the Quarter Pounder because both are signature hamburgers. The Quarter Pounder is defined by its patty size, while the Big Mac is defined by its two patties, special sauce, and distinctive middle bun.