What was the name of the 1948 McDonald's service system that emphasized fast, standardized hamburger preparation?

The 1948 McDonald's service system was called the Speedee Service System. Richard and Maurice McDonald introduced it at their restaurant in San Bernardino, California, after reorganizing the business around a limited menu and assembly-line preparation.

The system replaced much of the carhop model then common at American drive-ins. Customers ordered at a counter, and workers performed specialized tasks so hamburgers, fries, and drinks could be prepared quickly and consistently.

Its name connected operations with branding: Speedee was both the name of the system's mascot and a shorthand for the restaurant's promise of rapid service. This emphasis later influenced the modern fast-food format.

The Speedee Service System predates Ray Kroc's involvement with the McDonald brothers. Kroc later franchised the concept and expanded McDonald's nationally, but the original operational innovation came from the brothers' California restaurant.