Jim Delligatti created the Big Mac at a McDonald’s franchise in the Pittsburgh area.
Delligatti was a McDonald’s franchisee who wanted to offer a larger hamburger to customers. His design used two beef patties, a third bun section and a combination of toppings that gave the sandwich its distinctive identity.
The product was first tested regionally before McDonald’s expanded it more broadly. Its success showed how franchisees could influence the company’s menu and create products that later became central to the corporate brand.
Ray Kroc is a common alternative answer because he led McDonald’s major expansion, but he did not create the Big Mac. Delligatti is specifically credited with developing the sandwich.