What was the name of McDonald’s original service system?

McDonald’s original service system was called the Speedee Service System.

Richard and Maurice McDonald introduced the system at their redesigned restaurant in San Bernardino, California, in 1948. It emphasized a limited menu, standardized preparation, assembly-line production, and rapid counter service.

The name referred to Speedee, the early chef-hat mascot associated with the restaurant. The service system was more important to McDonald’s business model than the mascot itself because it established repeatable procedures that could be taught and reproduced.

Ray Kroc later expanded the McDonald’s franchise system using the brothers’ operating principles. Speedee is therefore connected both with early branding and with the operational history behind modern fast food.