What was the name of McDonald’s 1960s training program for restaurant managers?

McDonald’s named its 1960s training program for restaurant managers Hamburger University.

Hamburger University was established in 1961 to train McDonald’s personnel in restaurant operations, management, quality, service, and cleanliness. It helped the rapidly expanding company develop more consistent practices across restaurants and franchise locations.

The program became an important part of McDonald’s corporate culture and operational branding. Although its name sounds playful, the institution served a serious business purpose: teaching managers how to apply standardized systems in restaurants with different owners and employees.

Hamburger University is not the same thing as McDonaldland. McDonaldland was a fictional advertising world created for branded characters, while Hamburger University was a real education and training program. Its name also does not mean that McDonald’s operated an accredited traditional university in the ordinary academic sense.