The Big Mac was McDonald’s signature hamburger introduced in 1967 by franchisee Jim Delligatti.
Delligatti, who operated McDonald’s restaurants in the Pittsburgh area, developed the sandwich to compete with larger hamburgers sold by rival restaurants. The Big Mac used two beef patties, a middle slice of bread, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and special sauce. Its distinctive two-tier construction made it visually different from McDonald’s standard hamburger.
The sandwich first appeared in selected locations before becoming a national menu item. Its name was created for marketing and was intended to sound memorable and substantial. The Big Mac later became one of McDonald’s strongest global product brands, with its own packaging, advertising, and recognizable visual presentation.
The Big Mac’s introduction is part of McDonald’s branding history because the product became almost as identifiable as the Golden Arches. It is sometimes confused with the Quarter Pounder, another famous McDonald’s hamburger, but the two have different origins and constructions.