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No, it isn't us; we'll get there soon enough, thank you. The Big Mac, one of Oak Brook-based McDonald's signature hamburgers, debuted forty years ago this week. The sandwich was created by Jim Delligatti in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Even though the Big Mac today is a part of American food and popular culture, Delligatti had to convince executives at Hamburger U that the concept of "two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun" would actually sell.
They finally relented, allowing Delligati, a McDonald's franchisee owner, to place it on the menu for the princely sum of forty-five cents. A year later, the Big Mac was available at every McDonald's restaurant, and the rest is history. Today, 550 million Big Macs are sold around the world in the company's 31,000 restaurants. It's success spawned other big burgers like the Quarter Pounder, the Big 'N Tasty, the McLean Deluxe, the Arch Deluxe, and the Big Xtra. Big Mac even survived the age of the McDLT (and check out that link for the odd sight of Jason Alexander with hair).
One would think that McDonald's corporate would have given Delligatti, who also came up with the idea for McDonald's Hotcakes and Sausage, some special recognition. You know, like a big-ass cash bonus or something. According to Delligatti, however, "(a)ll I got was a plaque." That's been remedied with this week's opening of the Big Mac Museum in a McDonald's franchise owned by the Delligatti family locations in North Huntington, Pennsylvania.
So celebrate your birthday today, "Le Big Mac," but don't get too wild. You're not that spry anymore.
T-shirt image courtesy of www.animationshops.com.
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I can't believe this thing is 40. I always thought it came out around '79 or so. If only they made these things to look like the picture on their menu boards, I might eat them.
speaking of spry, lookit jason's dance moves in the '80s! i'm retroactively impressed.
What did they serve before? Hamburger Cheesburger and Doubles? Or did they have something else like a Ray Burger or McCheesewich? Very interesting.
It is also the 19th anniversary of the McDonald's menu song, which goes like this: Thank you Wiki!
Here are the lyrics: Big Mac, Mc DLT, a Quarter-Pounder with some cheese, Filet-O-Fish, a hamburger, a cheeseburger, a Happy Meal. McNuggets, tasty golden french fries, regular or larger size, and salads: chef salad or garden, or a chicken salad oriental. Big Big Breakfast, Egg McMuffin, hot hot cakes, and sausage. Maybe biscuits, bacon, egg and cheese, a sausage, danish, hash browns too. And for dessert hot apple pies, and sundaes three varieties, a soft-serve cone, three kinds of shakes, and chocolatey chip cookies. And to drink a Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, and orange drink, A Sprite and coffee, decaf too, A lowfat milk, also an orange juice. I love McDonald's, good time great taste, and I get this all at one place...The good time great taste of McDonald's!!!!
Vega: "And you know what they call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris?"
Winnfield: "They don't call it a Quarter Pounder with cheese?"
Vega: "No man, they got the metric system. They wouldn't know what the f--k a Quarter Pounder is."
Winnfield: "Then what do they call it?"
Vega: "They call it a 'Royale' with cheese."
Winnfield: "A 'Royale' with cheese! What do they call a Big Mac?"
Vega: "A Big Mac's a Big Mac, but they call it 'le Big-Mac'."
gross....
that was the funniest commercial ever!
Every time I get nostalgic for the decade I came of age in, all I have to do is watch actual footage from those years in the form of commercials to remind me just how dreadful our fashion choices were.
I amazed how as a child, McDonald's was considered a treat.
Now I can barely eat there because I am sure to get sick from the mass produced crap.
Winnfield: What do they call a whopper?
Vega: I don't know, I didn't go in a Burger King.
9: ditto.. yet goddammit, now i want a big mac. (i never said i was a food connoisseur..)
How many people who ate the first year are still around to eat this year? These things are cigarettes with 1000 Island Dressing.
McDonalds food made properly is awesome. Hot, properly salted fries, hamburgers made to order upon your arrival, and a Coke not jammed up with ice. Unfortunately, this happens about 1/200th of the time.