Who invented the Egg McMuffin breakfast sandwich for McDonald’s?

Herb Peterson invented the Egg McMuffin breakfast sandwich for McDonald’s.

Peterson was a McDonald’s franchise owner in Santa Barbara, California. In the early 1970s, he developed a breakfast sandwich using an English muffin, a round egg, Canadian bacon, and cheese. The sandwich was tested locally before McDonald’s adopted it more widely.

The Egg McMuffin helped establish McDonald’s breakfast menu. Its round egg was cooked in a ring so it would fit the English muffin, while the toasted muffin provided a convenient alternative to a plated breakfast.

Ray Kroc was McDonald’s most famous corporate leader, but he did not invent the sandwich. The creation is credited to Peterson, whose franchise operation tested and refined the idea.