FOOD NEWS
McDonald's Big Mac Was Initially Created For Steel Workers
By Laura Zbinden
First created in Pennsylvania in 1967, the Big Mac is one of McDonald's biggest successes, and according to Reader's Digest, it's the second most popular item after french fries.
The Big Mac was first invented in Uniontown, a steel-milling town about 50 miles south of Pittsburgh, and was an immediate hit. Within only one year, it was being sold nationwide.
Jim Delligatti, the owner of many McDonald's franchises in the Pittsburgh area in 1967, noticed that a regular burger wasn't big enough for steelworkers and working-class people.
He wanted to create a new, bigger burger and took inspiration from another chain's hamburger, the Big Boy, made with two patties, cheese, lettuce, and sauce on a sesame seed bun.
Delligatti added a few ingredients, like pickles, onions, and the famous secret sauce. When he started selling the sandwich in Uniontown, the store's sales increased by 12%.
According to the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, Delligatti's original sandwich had the slogan "A Meal Disguised as a Sandwich" and was sold for only $0.45.
The famous name "Big Mac" was later coined by Esther Glickstein, a young advertising secretary at McDonald's corporate office.