The man behind the Big Mac, McDonald's franchisee Michael James "Jim" Delligatti, died Monday in Pittsburgh. He was 98.
In a statement, McDonald's called the Big Mac an "iconic sandwich enjoyed by many around the world," with Delligatti making a "lasting impression on our brand." Delligatti came up with the signature McDonald's menu item — two all-beef patties, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, and special sauce on a sesame seed bun — almost 50 years ago at his Uniontown, Pennsylvania, store, after listening to customers who said they wanted a bigger burger. He told The Associated Press in 2006 that McDonald's at first pushed back against the new product, because original menu items like cheeseburgers, fries, and shakes were already selling well, but the company told him he could experiment using ingredients he already had on hand.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Sodium batteries could make electric flight viableUnder the Radar Low-cost fuel cell has higher energy density and produces chemical by-product that could absorb CO2 from the atmosphere
-
Flying into dangerFeature America's air traffic control system is in crisis. Can it be fixed?
-
Pocket change: The demise of the pennyFeature The penny is being phased out as the Treasury plans to halt production by 2026
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutinySpeed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress codespeed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirementspeed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff displaySpeed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loomSpeed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panelsSpeed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of businessSpeed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pausesSpeed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
