Speedee appeared in McDonald's earliest logo and represented speed before Ronald McDonald.
The character was a small, chef-like figure whose name referred to quick service. McDonald's adopted Speedee during the brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald's early restaurant period, when the business emphasized a simplified menu and rapid preparation.
Speedee was not the same character as Speedee Service, the restaurant operating system. The Speedee Service System was the McDonald brothers' method for preparing a limited menu efficiently, while Speedee was its visual mascot. That distinction is a common source of confusion.
Ronald McDonald later became the company's best-known mascot, but Speedee remained important to the brand's early identity. The character is therefore a useful marker of the transition from the original San Bernardino drive-in concept to the nationally recognizable McDonald's chain.