What name did McDonald’s use for its 1948 restaurant service system?

McDonald’s called its 1948 restaurant service system the Speedee Service System.

Richard and Maurice McDonald developed the system after reorganizing their San Bernardino, California, restaurant. It emphasized a limited menu, standardized preparation, assembly-line production, and fast customer service. These ideas became a foundation of the modern fast-food restaurant model.

The system was named after Speedee, the chef-like mascot used in early McDonald’s branding. Its methods reduced preparation time and helped the brothers serve large numbers of customers with consistent products.

The Speedee Service System is sometimes confused with later franchising practices or with the company’s Golden Arches identity. It was primarily an operating model, while the arches were a visual brand symbol. Ray Kroc later helped expand the system nationally after becoming involved with McDonald’s in the 1950s.