McDonald’s had no mascot before Speedee, which was introduced in 1948.
The earliest McDonald’s restaurant opened in San Bernardino, California, in 1940, when Richard and Maurice McDonald operated a drive-in barbecue restaurant. Its first identity centered on the restaurant name, menu, and service model rather than a costumed character mascot.
Speedee appeared after the brothers reorganized the business around a limited menu and rapid production. That mascot represented the new Speedee Service System and became an early visual shorthand for the company.
Some branding histories incorrectly treat every early McDonald’s symbol as a mascot. The Golden Arches began as architectural elements, while Speedee was the first recognized character mascot. Ronald McDonald came later, in 1963, as the brand moved more strongly toward family advertising.