Speedee was the name of McDonald’s corporate mascot before Ronald McDonald.
Speedee was a chef-like character used in McDonald’s early branding. The name connected the mascot with the restaurant’s emphasis on fast service, an important part of the Speedee Service System developed by Richard and Maurice McDonald. Early signs and promotional materials used Speedee to represent the company.
Ronald McDonald eventually replaced Speedee as the chain’s principal public-facing mascot. Ronald’s clown identity was better suited to the family-oriented advertising style McDonald’s developed during the 1960s.
Speedee is sometimes confused with Speedy, a general advertising character used by other businesses, or with McDonaldland characters such as the Hamburglar and Grimace. In McDonald’s history, the relevant name is Speedee, spelled with an ending “ee.”