Which McDonald's franchisee developed the Big Mac hamburger?

Jim Delligatti developed the Big Mac hamburger for McDonald’s.

Delligatti was a McDonald’s franchisee in the Pittsburgh area who created the larger sandwich in the 1960s. He wanted to offer customers a more substantial menu item while using ingredients and operating methods familiar to McDonald’s restaurants.

The sandwich was first tested in the Pittsburgh region and then introduced nationally in 1968. Its construction used two beef patties, a middle section of bun, cheese, lettuce, pickles, onions, and special sauce. The product’s distinctive three-part bun became part of its visual identity.

Delligatti is sometimes said to have invented the Big Mac’s name, but that is not precise. Esther Glickstein Rose, a McDonald’s advertising secretary, suggested “Big Mac.” Delligatti’s contribution was the creation and development of the sandwich itself.