Speedee represented McDonald's before Ronald McDonald became its advertising character.
Speedee was a chef-like mascot associated with the McDonald brothers' original Speedee Service System. The name connected the character with fast preparation and the restaurant's emphasis on quick service. McDonald's adopted this system when Richard and Maurice McDonald redesigned their San Bernardino restaurant in 1948.
Speedee appeared in early McDonald's signs and promotional material, but the character was eventually replaced as the brand developed a broader family-oriented advertising identity. Ronald McDonald was introduced in 1963 and became the company's most recognizable mascot.
People sometimes confuse Speedee with later McDonaldland characters, especially the Hamburglar and Grimace. Speedee belongs to the earlier period of the company's branding, before the restaurant chain built its large cast of fictional characters. The mascot's name also reflects the importance of speed in the McDonald brothers' original operating model.