What was the name of McDonald’s original service system that emphasized speed and a limited menu?

McDonald’s original limited-menu service model was called the Speedee Service System.

Richard and Maurice McDonald developed the system after reorganizing their San Bernardino, California, restaurant in 1948. They reduced the menu, standardized preparation, and arranged kitchen work so that hamburgers could be produced quickly and consistently.

The system became a foundation of modern fast-food branding because customers were promised predictable food and short waiting times. Its name also explains the identity of Speedee, McDonald’s early mascot, who represented the restaurant’s emphasis on speed.

The Speedee Service System is sometimes confused with McDonald’s later corporate franchise system. The former described restaurant operations and production; the latter developed as Ray Kroc expanded McDonald’s through franchising during the 1950s and 1960s.