The Egg McMuffin, launched in 1972, helped establish McDonald’s breakfast identity.
Herb Peterson, a McDonald’s franchise owner in Santa Barbara, California, developed the sandwich with assistant operator Paul G. R. Miller. It used an English muffin, a round egg, Canadian bacon, and cheese, creating a portable breakfast product that could be prepared consistently in a restaurant setting.
McDonald’s first tested the Egg McMuffin in 1971 before introducing it nationwide in 1972. Its success helped persuade the company to treat breakfast as a major daypart rather than a limited local offering. The product later became one of the most recognizable names in McDonald’s menu branding.
The Egg McMuffin is sometimes confused with the Big Mac because both are signature McDonald’s products, but they belong to different parts of the company’s menu history. The Big Mac is a hamburger brand, while the Egg McMuffin became strongly associated with McDonald’s breakfast.