McDonald’s began using the Speedee Service System name in 1948, when the McDonald brothers reorganized their restaurant around fast, standardized production.
The brothers closed their original barbecue restaurant in San Bernardino, California, in 1948 and reopened with a greatly simplified menu. Hamburgers, fries, milkshakes, and other items could be prepared through an assembly-line-style process. The Speedee name expressed the central branding idea: customers should receive inexpensive food quickly and consistently.
This system predates Ray Kroc’s involvement with the company. Kroc became the McDonald brothers’ franchise agent in 1954 and opened the first McDonald’s restaurant under his management in Des Plaines, Illinois, in 1955. The later franchise operation transformed the original local concept into a national brand.
A common mix-up is treating 1955 as the beginning of McDonald’s. That year marks Kroc’s first restaurant, whereas 1948 marks the brothers’ major service and branding redesign in San Bernardino.