What was the name of the service system McDonald’s introduced in 1948 to speed up food preparation?

McDonald’s introduced the Speedee Service System in 1948 to speed up food preparation and standardize restaurant operations.

Maurice and Richard McDonald developed the system after closing and reorganizing their San Bernardino drive-in. They reduced the menu, focused on hamburgers, fries, and beverages, and arranged kitchen work so food could be produced in an assembly-line style.

The system helped shift the restaurant away from traditional carhop service. Customers ordered at a counter and received inexpensive food quickly, with consistency becoming a major part of the business model.

The word “Speedee” also connects to an earlier McDonald’s mascot named Speedee. That mascot was eventually replaced by Ronald McDonald, but the Speedee name remained associated with the brothers’ original service concept.