McDonald’s signature two-beef-patty hamburger introduced in 1967 is the Big Mac.
Jim Delligatti, a McDonald’s franchisee in the Pittsburgh area, created the sandwich as a larger alternative to the company’s standard hamburgers. It used two beef patties, a middle bun layer, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and a special sauce. The unusual three-part bun helped distinguish it visually as well as gastronomically.
The Big Mac became an important part of McDonald’s product branding. Its name was short, memorable, and easy to use in advertising, while the sandwich’s distinctive construction made it recognizable in photographs and packaging.
The Big Mac first appeared in the Pittsburgh area in 1967 and was introduced nationally in 1968. It is often confused with the Quarter Pounder, which has a different construction and was introduced in 1971. The two products represent separate stages in McDonald’s menu branding.