Speedee appeared on McDonald's packaging and signage before Ronald McDonald became famous.
Speedee was a chef-like character used by McDonald's in the late 1940s and 1950s. His name referred to the restaurant's emphasis on fast preparation and service, a central promise of the early Speedee Service System.
The character was part of the company's first visual identity, appearing alongside the early McDonald's name and restaurant materials. Ronald McDonald later became the better-known advertising mascot, but Speedee remained an important part of the brand's early history.
Speedee is sometimes confused with later McDonaldland characters such as Grimace and Mayor McCheese. Those figures belonged to the more elaborate fantasy advertising world developed after McDonald's had already established its early branding.