The Big Mac is the McDonald’s menu item that established the “Big Mac” name in the company’s branding.
Jim Delligatti, a McDonald’s franchisee in the Pittsburgh area, created the sandwich in 1967. It used two beef patties, a middle bun section, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and a special sauce. The sandwich was developed to compete with larger hamburgers being sold by rival restaurants.
The name “Big Mac” was selected from suggestions associated with McDonald’s marketing. After regional testing, the sandwich was introduced nationally in the United States in 1968. Its distinctive name and layered construction made it one of the chain’s most recognizable branded products.
The Big Mac is sometimes confused with the Quarter Pounder because both are signature McDonald’s hamburgers. They have different histories and constructions: the Big Mac is defined by its three-part bun and two patties, while the Quarter Pounder’s name refers to the pre-cooking weight of its beef patty.