What was the name of McDonald's 1948 restaurant system built around fast counter service?

The McDonald brothers' 1948 restaurant system built around fast counter service was called the Speedee Service System.

Richard and Maurice McDonald developed the system after reorganizing their San Bernardino, California, drive-in restaurant. They reduced the menu, standardized preparation, used an assembly-line approach, and emphasized rapid service. This operating model helped establish the foundation for modern fast food and later became central to McDonald's identity.

The system's name also influenced early branding. Speedee, a chef-like mascot, represented the promise of quick service, linking the restaurant's operations to its public image. The early concept was different from the later McDonald's franchise system developed under Ray Kroc.

A common mistake is calling the 1948 concept the McDonald's franchise model. The Speedee Service System described the restaurant's production and service method; franchising and national expansion developed as later stages of the company's history.