What was McDonald's original 1948 mascot called?

McDonald's original 1948 mascot was called Speedee. The character was a chef-like figure whose name emphasized the rapid service promised by the McDonald's restaurant system.

Speedee appeared during the early period when Richard and Maurice McDonald were reshaping their San Bernardino, California, restaurant around a streamlined self-service model. The mascot represented speed and efficiency, which were central parts of the brand before Ronald McDonald became dominant.

Speedee is often confused with the later Speedee Service System, the name for the restaurant's operating method. The mascot and the service system shared the same branding idea but were not the same thing. Speedee is the character's name.

McDonald's eventually phased Speedee out as the company developed a more elaborate family-oriented identity. Ronald McDonald and the Golden Arches became more prominent, but Speedee remains an important early link between the brand's name, service promise, and visual identity.