Speedee was McDonald's original speed-themed mascot used before Ronald McDonald.
Speedee was introduced in the 1940s, when the restaurant was still operated by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald in San Bernardino, California. The character was a chef-like figure with a hamburger-shaped head, reflecting the restaurant's emphasis on quick service and its early “Speedee Service System.”
The mascot appeared in early McDonald's signs and promotional materials. Its name reinforced the central promise of the original operating model: customers would receive standardized food quickly. The character predates the Golden Arches and Ronald McDonald, making it part of the company's earliest branding history.
People sometimes confuse Speedee with later McDonald's characters. Ronald McDonald became the best-known mascot in the 1960s, while the Hamburglar and Grimace appeared later in McDonaldland advertising. Speedee belonged to the restaurant's earlier, speed-focused identity.