What was the name of the 1948 service model created by Richard and Maurice McDonald before McDonald’s expansion?

The Speedee Service System was the 1948 service model created by Richard and Maurice McDonald.

The brothers redesigned their San Bernardino restaurant around a limited menu, standardized preparation, and counter service. The approach borrowed ideas from industrial production lines and aimed to serve food more quickly and consistently than a traditional drive-in.

The system became the operational foundation for the McDonald’s format later expanded by Ray Kroc. It also influenced the early Speedee mascot and the company’s long-running emphasis on speed, consistency, and repeatable restaurant procedures.

The system is sometimes confused with the Golden Arches, which were a visual and architectural branding element. The Speedee Service System was primarily an operating model, although its name and mascot also shaped early public advertising.