McDonald’s first mascot was Speedee.
Speedee was a smiling chef character used by McDonald’s before Ronald McDonald became the company’s best-known mascot. The character represented the restaurant’s early “Speedee Service System,” which emphasized fast food preparation and consistent service.
Speedee’s design reflected McDonald’s original identity as a quick-service hamburger restaurant. The mascot was replaced in consumer-facing advertising as McDonald’s developed a larger group of fictional characters, including Ronald McDonald and the McDonaldland cast.
A common mix-up is confusing Speedee with the later Hamburglar. The Hamburglar was a character from McDonaldland, while Speedee belonged to McDonald’s earlier branding and service-system era.