What was the name of the McDonald brothers’ 1948 operating method that shaped McDonald’s fast-food branding?

The McDonald brothers’ 1948 operating method was called the Speedee Service System.

Richard and Maurice McDonald developed the system when they changed their San Bernardino restaurant from a conventional drive-in into a self-service hamburger operation. The method emphasized a short menu, standardized preparation, assembly-line work, and rapid customer service.

The Speedee name also connected the restaurant’s operating philosophy with its early mascot, Speedee, a chef-like character used in the company’s first branding. This was an important step in turning the restaurant from a local drive-in into a repeatable business model.

The Speedee Service System was not the same thing as the Golden Arches. Speedee represented the early service identity, while the arches later became the company’s most recognizable visual symbol. Ray Kroc adopted and expanded the brothers’ system after becoming their franchise agent.