Who created the Big Mac while working at a McDonald’s franchise in Pennsylvania?

Jim Delligatti created the Big Mac while operating a McDonald’s franchise in Pennsylvania.

Delligatti developed the sandwich in 1967 at his restaurant in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. He wanted a larger hamburger that would appeal to customers seeking a more substantial meal. The result used two beef patties, a sesame-seed bun with an additional middle section, cheese, lettuce, pickles, onions, and Big Mac sauce.

The sandwich was first sold in the Pittsburgh area before McDonald’s added it to menus across the United States in 1968. Its name and layered construction became important parts of McDonald’s product branding.

A frequent mistake is crediting corporate headquarters or Ray Kroc with inventing the Big Mac. Kroc helped expand McDonald’s, but Delligatti created the sandwich as a franchise operator. The Big Mac later became one of the chain’s most internationally recognizable menu items.