Herb Peterson, who invented the ubiquitous Egg McMuffin as a way to introduce breakfast to McDonald’s restaurants, has died. He was 89.
He began his career with McDonald’s Corp. as vice president of the company’s advertising firm, D’Arcy Advertising, in Chicago. He wrote McDonald’s first national advertising slogan, ‘Where Quality Starts Fresh Every Day.’
Peterson came up with idea for the signature McDonald’s breakfast item in 1972. The egg sandwich consisted of an egg that had been formed in a Teflon circle with the yolk broken, topped with a slice of cheese and grilled Canadian bacon. It was served open-faced on a toasted and buttered English muffin.
The Egg McMuffin made its debut at a restaurant in Santa Barbara that Peterson co-owned with his son, David Peterson.
I lived on the road, so to speak, for a couple of decades. Often, it was less scary just to pop into Mickey D’s for a McMuffin breakfast than to try your luck at local grits and grease.
Thanks, K B
Gone, but not forgotten.
#0
“Canadian bacon”
A Canadian (Hoser?) told me they call that “ham” in Canada. đ
#2 – it’s closer to coppicola.
A good man indeed. I wonder what his diet was, if he lived to be nearly 90?
About the only thing they serve thats edible.
#5 I agree but their fried chicken wraps are pretty good. Their “roasted chicken” is horrible. They need to come up with a new formula for that – maybe use real chickens.
Anyway, the Egg McMuffin guy will be missed. One of the greatest food inventions since the burrito. Wonder if Jose’ is still around?
Eideard
“Often, it was less scary just to pop into Mickey Dâs for a McMuffin breakfast than to try your luck at local grits and grease”
I was just having that conversation with a friend of mine from J.P. Morgan last night. They travel oversees a lot and the topic of McDonalds came up. I said “well as unhealthy as it is at least there is a consistancy of quality”. When you go to McDonalds, no matter where in the world you are, you know what to expect when you get your food. You have to at least give them credit for that.
#2 aka as Back bacon up here…
I have always liked egg mcmuffins, and I honor this mans legacy. Truthfully though, it’s a modified version of eggs benedict with cheese rather than hollandaise. I had two this morning on the way to work. I hope McDonalds paid him a chunk of money for doing it.
Did he really invent it or did he port it to McDonalds?
It’s a pretty simple concept. I seem to remember eating pretty much that same thing before 1972. I think mostly on camping trips to avoid the clean-up of a plate.
#7. I have also found the quality of McDonalds to be consistent, but different.
When I travel to China, I go by McDonalds once per trip just for the sake of comparison. The fries are the same, most of the soda is the same, I haven’t seen a shake at all, and the hamburgers are from another planet.
There is the big Mac and regular Hamburger, but they are not the same. Most burgers are made with chicken and not beef. There is no ketchup or mustard, and cheese is rare (if at all). Pickles do not exist (they use cucumber slices instead). They also use some type of cabbage instead of lettuce. They use a type of sauce like what you would find in the Big Mac on most everything instead of Ketchup and mustard.
What really sucks? No breakfast menu. No Egg McMuffins.
Bastards.
#10 (GregAllen) “Did he really invent it or did he port it to McDonalds?”
He really invented it. Only his version doubles as a hockey puck.
My favorite fast food. Especially with sausage.
Thanks Herb!
I wonder how many of those I’ve eaten in my life.
He looked happy in the photo. In Japan the burgers and fries were better than at home because they still fried things in animal fats, not veggie fats, so when I was in Japan they tasted more like the burgers and fries of my youth, rather than they do today.
#4 – A good man indeed. I wonder what his diet was, if he lived to be nearly 90?
Probably not Egg McMuffins.
How the eff can everyone âmissâ some dude that âinventedâ some sodium loaded, fat heavy food?
I’m not for pillorying the guy, but somebody should be re-evaluating their breakfast menu. Egg McMuffins are not a healthy breakfast and when combined with hash browns are truly NOT a nutritious meal.
You know… I reject the notion that he “invented” the Egg McMuffin.
An Egg McMuffin is just a sandwich. This guy is certainly not the first guy to ever slap an egg, some ham, and cheese onto an English muffin.
All this guy did was give it the marketing name that McDonalds sells egg sandwiches with.
I was going to say it really did look like “a heart attack on a plate”–but at only 300 calories and 17 g of protein, its not really that bad.
http://www.peertrainer.com/DFcaloriecounterB.aspx?id=7632
There are some nice distinctions between “discover, invent, develop, find, patent, steal” —etc.
#19 – I take a bagel, slice it, toast it, butter it, lay in a slice a cheddar, two fried eggs, and two strips of bacon.
I have invented the egg bagel sandwich!
What… You’ve seem millions of those? Oh… Well, make that a cinnamon raisin bagel, put the bacon under the cheese, and use pumpkin butter.
EUREKA! I have invented the McOhForTheLoveOf Egg Bagel Sandwich!
Inventing is easy đ
#20–OFTLO==I’ll take two with a side of fries and a chocolate shake. – – – burp – – –
#21 – I’ll take your fries, shake, and McOhForTheLoveOf Egg Bagel Sandwich and put it all in a blender…
Mmmmm…
I have invented a new beverage!
#22–OFTLO==stop being so humble.
Step Up and admit – – – –
you CREATED this new thing.
((but as all too often, I deny the inherent goodness of YOU and your creation–and would rather “have it my way.”==solid, no blending – I’m unreformed in that way.))
#20 What is pumpkin butter?????
Remember the ‘fish shake’ ‘invented’ on SNL?
Now that was good!
Well then my mom invented Golden Grahams cereal, only she poured hot milk over it.
#24 – Pumpkin Butter!
http://tinyurl.com/3d34lj
Overshadowed now by the McGriddle. All hail the McGriddle! Many a shall be shed when its inventor passes on.
#26–OFTLO===
“1 1/2 cups white sugar”
aacckk!!! – gag — you could make a spread of dogshit with that much sugar!!
Working on ricotta cheese right now myself. I got on this just as milk has gone up 50%! Go Bush!!!!!!
#20,
Sounds good, but I’m trying to keep my cholesterol down and my waistline slim. I’m not succeeding very much at either.
How are you? your website is rocks
look at at this cool emo video clip:
http://tinyurl.com/9tqcum