The Hamburglar was McDonald’s striped-shirt character known for trying to steal hamburgers.
He was part of McDonaldland, a fictional setting created for McDonald’s advertising. The character’s name and costume made his role immediately clear: he was a mischievous hamburger thief who repeatedly pursued the food associated with the restaurant.
The Hamburglar’s design changed substantially over time. Early versions looked more like a small, older burglar, while later advertising presented him as a younger character with a more cartoon-like appearance.
The Hamburglar is often confused with Grimace because both were major McDonaldland figures. Their roles were different: the Hamburglar was defined by his attempted thefts, while Grimace was a large purple character whose original advertising role was connected with stealing milkshakes.