Speedee was the McDonald's mascot that appeared in advertising before Ronald McDonald.
Speedee was drawn as a small chef character and represented the restaurant's emphasis on fast service. The character was connected to the original Speedee Service System, the production method introduced by Richard and Maurice McDonald at their San Bernardino restaurant in 1948.
McDonald's used Speedee in early signs, packaging, and promotional material. The name echoed the restaurant's central selling point: quick preparation of a limited menu. Speedee is sometimes confused with the Golden Arches because both belong to the chain's early visual identity, but they served different purposes. Speedee was a character, while the arches were architectural and later became the dominant logo symbol.
Ronald McDonald gradually replaced Speedee as the chain's best-known mascot in the 1960s. Speedee nevertheless remains an important link between McDonald's original service system and its later character-driven branding.