Who created the Big Mac in 1967 for McDonald’s restaurants in the Pittsburgh area?

Jim Delligatti created the Big Mac in 1967 for McDonald’s restaurants in the Pittsburgh area.

Delligatti was a McDonald’s franchisee who developed the sandwich to compete with larger double-decker hamburgers sold by nearby restaurants. His version used two beef patties, a middle bun, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and the sauce later closely associated with the Big Mac.

The sandwich was first tested in the Pittsburgh region before being introduced more broadly. Its name became one of McDonald’s strongest product brands, eventually functioning almost like a separate symbol of the company’s identity.

A common mix-up is crediting Ray Kroc with inventing the Big Mac. Kroc led McDonald’s corporate expansion, but Delligatti was the franchisee who developed the sandwich. The Big Mac’s two-patty structure also explains why the middle bun is sometimes called a club layer.