SANTA BARBARA Calif. Herb Peterson, the McDonald’s franchisee who invented the Egg McMuffin, died at age 89 at his home here. The Chicago native was still active as co-owner and operator of six McDonald’s restaurants in Santa Barbara and Goleta, Calif.
Peterson began his association with McDonald’s as vice president of the ad agency D’Arcy Advertising, where he wrote McDonald’s first national ad slogan, “Where Quality Starts Fresh Every Day.”
He eventually became a franchisee and created a breakfast sandwich, which he started serving at his Santa Barbara unit in 1975, before the chain had a morning menu. The sandwich consisted of an egg that was cooked on the flat-top burger grill inside a circular mold and then topped with cheese and grilled Canadian bacon. It was served open-faced on a toasted, buttered English muffin. He later convinced the franchisor to add the product systemwide and enter the breakfast market. Today, McDonald’s Corp. cites breakfast as one of its biggest sales and profit opportunities.
McDonald’s awarded Mr. Peterson its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. He is survived by his wife, one son and three daughters.