Jim Delligatti created the Big Mac.
Delligatti was a McDonald's franchisee in the Pittsburgh area who developed the sandwich as a larger alternative to the chain's standard hamburger. The Big Mac used two beef patties, a middle bun layer, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and sauce, creating a distinctive product identity.
The sandwich was tested in 1967 and introduced nationally in the United States in 1968. Its name and composition made it more than an ordinary menu item: the Big Mac became one of the most recognizable branded products associated with McDonald's.
A common mistake is crediting Ray Kroc, who led McDonald's expansion, or the McDonald brothers, who created the original speed-service restaurant. Delligatti was the franchise operator who devised the Big Mac. The sandwich later became useful as a cultural and economic reference point through the informal Big Mac Index.