The Big Mac was introduced in 1967 after being created by McDonald’s franchisee Jim Delligatti. Delligatti developed the larger sandwich to appeal to customers who wanted a more substantial meal than the standard hamburger.
The Big Mac used two beef patties, a middle slice of bread, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and sauce. Its distinctive three-part bun and layered construction gave the product a recognizable appearance that became part of McDonald’s visual branding. The sandwich initially appeared in the Pittsburgh area before being added to the national menu in 1968.
Its name is sometimes mixed up with the Quarter Pounder, another major McDonald’s sandwich, but the products have different origins and constructions. The Big Mac also became a useful cultural symbol of McDonald’s global reach. In 1986, The Economist created the Big Mac Index, using the sandwich to compare purchasing power between currencies.