Who invented the Big Mac before McDonald's added it to the national menu in 1968?

Jim Delligatti invented the Big Mac before McDonald's added it to the national menu in 1968.

Delligatti was a McDonald's franchisee in the Pittsburgh area who created the larger sandwich to compete with other restaurants offering substantial hamburgers. His version used two beef patties, a middle bun section, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and the sauce later strongly associated with the product.

The sandwich was first tested regionally before McDonald's introduced it across the United States in 1968. Delligatti's experiment became one of the chain's most enduring branded menu items and helped establish the Big Mac as a global symbol of McDonald's.

A common mix-up is the date of invention versus the date of national rollout. Delligatti developed the sandwich earlier, while 1968 is the key year for its nationwide introduction. The product name itself is not the inventor's name.