1851

The Pittsburgh-area McDonald&rsquo;s franchisee who created the Big Mac nearly 50 years ago has died. Michael &ldquo;Jim&rdquo; Delligatti was 98.

Delligatti&rsquo;s franchise was based in Uniontown, about 40 miles south of Pittsburgh, when he invented the chain&rsquo;s signature burger with two all-beef patties, &ldquo;special sauce,&rdquo; lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions on a sesame seed bun. The original price was only 45 cents, compared with the average $5 today.

McDonald&rsquo;s resisted Delligatti&rsquo;s idea at first because the brand&rsquo;s simple lineup of cheeseburgers, fries and shakes were selling well. But Delligatti had a different vision in mind&mdash;he wanted to offer a bigger and jazzier burger. As it turns out, Delligatti&rsquo;s risk paid off. The Big Mac did so well it spread to the rest of his 47 stores, then went national in 1968. Today, it is estimated that 550 million Big Macs are sold in the United States every year.

Delligatti also innovated by coming up with an early version of the chain&rsquo;s breakfast offerings&mdash;hotcakes and sausages initially aimed at steelworkers returning home from overnight shifts.

<a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/jim-delligatti-who-invented-the-big-mac-dies-at-age-98-1480522190?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=the-wall-street-journal-big-mac-creator-jim-delligatti-dies-at-98-8134" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Click here to read the original article.</a>

The Wall Street Journal: Big Mac Creator Jim Delligatti Dies at 98

1851 Franchise

The popular Big Mac made its debut in 1965 thanks to Jim Delligatti, a McDonald’s franchisee. 


the-wall-street-journal-big-mac-creator-jim-delligatti-dies-at-98

BooXkeeping

From Ice Cream to Income Streams: How Greg Cox Found His Sweet Spot with BooXkeeping

from-ice-cream-to-income-streams-how-greg-cox-found-his-sweet-spot-with-booxkeeping

Children's Lighthouse

Children’s Lighthouse Named Among America’s Best in Customer Service by Newsweek

childrens-lighthouse-named-among-americas-best-in-customer-service-by-newsweek

KLA Schools

How KLA Schools Is Redefining Early Childhood Education Through a Hands-On, Academically-Rich Approach

how-kla-schools-is-redefining-early-childhood-education-through-a-hands-on-academically-rich-approach

Why Tennessee Is a Strategic Growth Market for Children’s Lighthouse

why-tennessee-is-a-strategic-growth-market-for-childrens-lighthouse

Comfort Keepers

Comfort Keepers Eyes Salt Lake City for Expansion: Meeting the Rising Demand for In-Home Senior Care in Utah

comfort-keepers-eyes-salt-lake-city-for-expansion-meeting-the-rising-demand-for-in-home-senior-care-in-utah

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

McDonald’s Launches New Extra Value Meals as Consumer Demand for Value Continues to Climb

mcdonalds-launches-extra-value-meals

Power Eats: Smoothie King Rolls Out Food Nationwide To Fuel Franchise Growth

smoothie-king-food-menu-power-eats

Keurig Dr Pepper Splits in $18 Billion JDE Peet’s Deal, Creating Global Coffee Giant

keurig-dr-pepper-splits-in-18-billion-jde-peets-deal-creating-global-coffee-giant

McDonald’s Rolls Out Major Value Push To Win Back Customers Amid Inflation

mcdonalds-rolls-out-major-value-push-to-win-back-customers-amid-inflation

Photo of Paris Baguette pastries and beverages 

Paris Baguette Celebrates 250th Café Opening in Frederick, Maryland, Accelerating Expansion and Reviving the Neighborhood Bakery Café

paris-baguette-250th-north-america-cafe

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores - Agg - 1851 Franchise

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores

hooters-franchise-model-company-owned-closures

Wendy's CEO Kirk Tanner Steps Down - Breaking News - 1851 Franchise

Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner Steps Down Amid Challenges, Leaving Franchisees Facing Uncertainty

wendys-ceo-transition-kirk-tanner-franchisee-uncertainty

Planet Fitness Franchisees Donate $100K to Support Texas Flood Relief - 1851 Franchise

Planet Fitness Franchisees Donate $100K To Support Texas Flood Relief

planet-fitness-texas-flood-relief

graphic image of a franchisee spotligh aman kaur of voodoo brewing

How This Trio of Friends Is Brewing Up Community With Voodoo Brewing Co. in Prosper, Texas

voodoo-brewing-franchisee-aman-kaur-prosper-texas

Franchise Deep Dive graphic with i9 Sports logo

i9 Sports Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

i9-sports-franchise-cost-fees-profit

Hely and Hiral Patel Bring Their Longtime Dream to Life With The Brass Tap

brass-tap-franchise-pasadena-maryland-hely-hiral-patel

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Ricki Oberoi and Layne's Chicken Fingers logo

Multi-Unit Wendy’s Operator Signs 12-Unit Deal With Layne’s Chicken Fingers

ricki-oberoi-laynes-chicken-fingers-growth

How Vishal Juneja Turned a Family Tradition Into a Paris Baguette Franchise

How Vishal Juneja Turned a Family Tradition Into a Paris Baguette Franchise Built on Heart and Community

paris-baguette-franchise-rockaway-new-jersey-vishal-junjea

The Wall Street Journal: Big Mac Creator Jim Delligatti Dies at 98

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS