What was the name of McDonald's 1948 operating model built around fast, standardized service?

McDonald's 1948 operating model was called the Speedee Service System.

The McDonald brothers developed the system when they redesigned their San Bernardino restaurant. They reduced the menu, removed carhops, introduced counter service, used disposable packaging, and arranged kitchen work around speed and repetition. The approach made it possible to produce familiar food quickly and at relatively low prices.

The system was a major step in the development of modern fast food. Its importance was not only the menu but also the production method: tasks were divided, portions were standardized, and the kitchen was organized for a steady flow of orders. These principles later helped McDonald's expand through franchising.

Speedee was also represented by an early chef-hat-wearing mascot. That character is often remembered separately from the operating system, but both used the same name. The later Golden Arches identity eventually replaced Speedee as the dominant public symbol.