McDonald's used Speedee as its early mascot before the Golden Arches became the company's dominant symbol.
Speedee was a chef-like character based on a hamburger, reflecting McDonald's original emphasis on fast service. The name connected directly with the restaurant's speedy production system, which was central to the McDonald brothers' 1948 redesign of their San Bernardino restaurant.
The Golden Arches gradually became more recognizable than Speedee. As McDonald's expanded nationally, the arches provided a simple architectural and graphic mark that worked on roadside signs and restaurant buildings. Speedee was eventually dropped from the main branding, although he remains an important part of McDonald's visual history.
Speedee is sometimes confused with later McDonald's characters such as Ronald McDonald or the Hamburglar. Those characters belonged to the restaurant's later advertising world, while Speedee represented the earlier brand identity and service concept.