Herb Peterson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Herb Petersen
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| Born |
Herbert Ralph Petersen
January 5, 1919 |
| Died | March 25, 2008 (aged 89) Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
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| Occupation | Businessman, Entrepreneur, early McDonald's restaurant franchisee |
| Known for | Created the Egg McMuffin sandwich (1971) |
| Spouse(s) | Barbara (?-2008), his death |
| Children | 3 daughters, and 1 son |
Herbert Ralph Peterson (born January 5, 1919 – died March 25, 2008) was an American businessman. He worked in advertising for fast food companies. He is most famous for inventing the McDonald's Egg McMuffin in 1972. This breakfast sandwich helped McDonald's earn billions of dollars each year by 1993.
Life and Career Highlights
Herb Peterson was born and grew up in Chicago. He served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He became a Major in just three years.
After the war, he started working with McDonald's. He was a vice president at D'Arcy Advertising in Chicago. This company handled McDonald's advertising. Peterson created McDonald's first national advertising slogan: "Where Quality Starts Fresh Every Day."
Later, he became a co-owner of McDonald's restaurants. He operated six McDonald's locations around Santa Barbara, California.
The Egg McMuffin Story
In 1972, Peterson created the Egg McMuffin. This sandwich quickly became a very popular breakfast item at McDonald's.
Peterson really liked eggs benedict, a fancy breakfast dish. He wanted to create something similar for a fast food restaurant. He worked hard to make a breakfast item that was easy to serve quickly.
He finally came up with the Egg McMuffin. It is an egg sandwich made with a special egg. The egg is cooked in a Teflon ring to make it perfectly round. It has Canadian bacon and a slice of cheese. The sandwich is served open-faced on a buttered and toasted English muffin.
The very first Egg McMuffin was created and sold at a McDonald's in Goleta, California. This restaurant was co-owned by Herb Peterson and his son, David Peterson.
Later Life and Passing
Herb Peterson passed away in Santa Barbara on March 25, 2008. He was 89 years old. He was survived by his wife, his son, and his three daughters.
A fun fact: Herb Peterson is the grandfather of professional surfer Lakey Peterson.
