Speedee was McDonald's first mascot, introduced before Ronald McDonald. The character was a smiling chef with a hamburger-shaped head and was used to represent the restaurant's speedy service.
Speedee appeared in McDonald's early advertising and signage during the late 1940s and 1950s. The name connected directly with the company's original emphasis on quick preparation, an important part of the Speedee Service System developed by Richard and Maurice McDonald.
Ronald McDonald eventually became the chain's best-known mascot, but he did not replace Speedee immediately in every context. The early mascot is sometimes confused with later McDonaldland characters, including the Hamburglar and Grimace. Speedee's design also predates the modern Golden Arches logo, making him part of the company's earliest visual identity.