Mayor McCheese was the fictional mayor of McDonaldland before the character was retired.
The character had a cheeseburger for a head, wore a mayoral sash, and appeared in McDonald’s advertising alongside Ronald McDonald and other McDonaldland residents. His design turned a familiar menu item into a civic character that children could easily recognize.
Mayor McCheese was used especially prominently in the 1970s and 1980s. He represented the playful, storybook side of McDonald’s branding, in which the restaurant’s food and surroundings became part of an imaginary community.
He is sometimes confused with Officer Big Mac, another character whose head resembled a menu item. Their roles were different: Mayor McCheese held the town’s civic title, while Officer Big Mac was associated with law enforcement. The character was later retired as McDonald’s simplified its mascot strategy.