Richard and Maurice McDonald introduced the Speedee Service System in 1948.
The brothers had operated a drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California, but they closed it temporarily in 1948 to reorganize the business. They reopened with a smaller menu, counter service, standardized portions, and an assembly-line kitchen designed to reduce waiting time.
This change became a major part of McDonald’s brand identity. Customers could expect similar food, prices, and service procedures each time they visited, an idea that later became central to the company’s franchise model.
The year 1948 is sometimes confused with 1955, when Ray Kroc opened the McDonald brothers’ first franchised McDonald’s restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois. The earlier date marks the brothers’ operational breakthrough, not Kroc’s first franchise opening.