What phrase did McDonald's use for its original 1948 fast-service restaurant system?

McDonald's called its original 1948 fast-service restaurant system the Speedee Service System.

Richard and Maurice McDonald developed the system after reorganizing their San Bernardino, California, restaurant. They reduced the menu, standardized preparation, used assembly-line methods, and designed the kitchen around rapid production. The approach helped establish the operating model later associated with modern fast food.

The name emphasized speed, and it was reinforced by Speedee, the company's early chef mascot. McDonald's later moved away from the Speedee branding as the Golden Arches became more prominent and the business expanded under Ray Kroc.

The system is often described simply as the beginning of the modern McDonald's format, but the original restaurant was first opened in 1940. The 1948 change was the major service and branding redesign that made speed and consistency central to the business.