What was McDonald’s original speedy-service mascot called?

McDonald’s original speedy-service mascot was called Speedee.

Speedee was introduced during the company’s early drive-in and quick-service period. The character was a smiling chef with a hamburger-shaped head, and his name emphasized the restaurant’s promise of fast food service.

The McDonald brothers opened their first restaurant in San Bernardino, California, in 1940. In 1948, they reorganized the business around a limited menu and faster preparation system, a change that helped establish the modern fast-food model. Speedee fit that identity more closely than a traditional restaurant mascot would have.

Speedee was eventually overshadowed by Ronald McDonald and other characters. The Golden Arches also became more important as the company’s corporate symbol. Because of that shift, people sometimes assume Ronald McDonald was the original mascot, but Speedee predates him by more than a decade.