McDonald's introduced the Speedee mascot in 1948 as a branding symbol for its speedy service.
Speedee was drawn as a chef-like character with a hamburger-shaped head. The name connected directly with the restaurant's emphasis on quick preparation, which became especially important after Richard and Maurice McDonald reorganized their San Bernardino restaurant around a faster, simpler system.
Speedee predates Ronald McDonald and the Golden Arches as major public-facing symbols. Many readers mistakenly assume Ronald was McDonald's first mascot, but he appeared more than a decade later. The company eventually moved away from Speedee as its most prominent character, while retaining the broader promise of speed in its early identity.