What was the name of McDonald's limited-menu operating system introduced by the McDonald brothers in 1948?

The McDonald brothers called their 1948 limited-menu operation the Speedee Service System.

Richard and Maurice McDonald created the system after closing their San Bernardino drive-in and redesigning its operation. They reduced the menu, standardized preparation, and arranged the kitchen for rapid production of hamburgers, fries, and drinks.

The system was important to McDonald's branding because the name “Speedee” expressed the central customer promise: consistent food delivered quickly. It also provided a model that could be taught and repeated across multiple restaurants.

The Speedee Service System predates the later corporate identity built around the Golden Arches. The term should not be confused with Speedee, the early mascot who appeared in branding connected with the same idea of speed and efficiency.