McDonald's original 1948 mascot was Speedee, a speeding chef used in the restaurant chain's early advertising.
Speedee represented the McDonald brothers' Speedee Service System, which emphasized quickly prepared hamburgers, fries, and drinks. The character was drawn as a chef with a hamburger-shaped face and became a visual shorthand for fast service.
Speedee predates Ronald McDonald, who became the company's best-known mascot during the 1960s. It is also important not to confuse Speedee with the later McDonaldland characters, including the Hamburglar and Mayor McCheese.
The name reflected the restaurant's central selling point at the time: customers did not have to wait for a traditional drive-in meal. McDonald's later moved away from Speedee as its branding became more focused on the Golden Arches, Ronald McDonald, and a broader family-oriented identity.