Speedee was the mascot representing McDonald's Speedee Service System before Ronald McDonald became the brand's main character.
Speedee was drawn as a small chef character, usually shown wearing a white uniform and chef's hat. The name connected the mascot to the McDonald brothers' emphasis on quick, standardized service when they redesigned their San Bernardino restaurant in 1948.
Speedee appeared in early McDonald's signs and promotional material, helping communicate the restaurant's fast-service identity. The character was eventually replaced in prominence by Ronald McDonald, who debuted in television advertising in the 1960s and became the chain's best-known advertising figure.
Speedee is sometimes confused with the Golden Arches or with later McDonaldland characters. The arches were an architectural and graphic symbol, while Speedee was a personified mascot. The name also refers to the service concept, but the answer here is the character who represented it.