McDonald's Speedee Service System was represented by the mascot Speedee.
Speedee was a chef-like character based on the idea of fast food service. McDonald's adopted the Speedee name and image in the late 1940s, when Richard and Maurice McDonald were developing their streamlined restaurant system in San Bernardino, California.
The character predates Ronald McDonald and the modern arches-centered identity. Speedee was eventually replaced as the company's main visual symbol by the Golden Arches, which became much more prominent during the 1960s.
Speedee is sometimes confused with McDonald's later fictional characters because both were used in advertising. However, Speedee was primarily linked to the restaurant's original service concept rather than to the McDonaldland character universe.