McDonald's mascot Speedee represented the chain's Speedee Service System when the system was introduced in 1948.
Speedee was drawn as a chef-like character with a hamburger-shaped head. The mascot communicated the restaurant's central promise: food could be prepared and served quickly through an efficient production-line method. This idea was developed by Richard and Maurice McDonald at their San Bernardino, California, restaurant.
Speedee predates Ronald McDonald, the Hamburglar, and the other characters later used in McDonald's advertising. The character was eventually replaced as the brand's principal mascot, but the name remains an important clue to the company's early service concept. The word “Speedee” is sometimes confused with the restaurant's later characters because all appeared in McDonald's promotional history, but Speedee belonged specifically to the chain's early operational branding.