McDonald's introduced Speedee in 1948 to represent its original restaurant concept.
Speedee was a chef-like character used in the early branding of McDonald's drive-in restaurants. The name connected the mascot with the Speedee Service System, which emphasized fast food preparation and limited menu choices.
The system was developed by Richard and Maurice McDonald at their San Bernardino, California, restaurant. Its streamlined approach became a foundation of modern fast-food operations and later attracted Ray Kroc, who expanded the company through franchising.
Speedee is sometimes confused with Ronald McDonald because both are McDonald's characters, but they belong to different eras. Ronald became the company's best-known advertising mascot after his introduction in 1963, while Speedee represented the earlier service-focused identity.