What name did McDonald's use for its streamlined service system introduced in 1948?

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McDonald's called its streamlined service system the Speedee Service System.

Richard and Maurice McDonald introduced the system in 1948 after redesigning their San Bernardino restaurant. They reduced the menu, standardized preparation, and arranged the kitchen so food could be produced quickly and consistently.

The system was a major branding and business milestone because it gave customers a predictable experience. Its name was connected with Speedee, the smiling chef character used by the restaurant before Ronald McDonald became the better-known mascot.

The Speedee Service System is sometimes described as the beginning of modern fast food, although other businesses also used rapid-service methods. Its importance lies in how the McDonald brothers combined a limited menu, specialized kitchen work, and consistent presentation into a model that could later be replicated by franchise restaurants.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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