BIG MAC CREATOR DELLIGATTI, 98, DIES
You probably don’t know his name, but you’ve almost certainly devoured his creation: two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.
Michael James “Jim” Delligatti, the McDonald’s franchisee who created the Big Mac and saw it become perhaps the best-known fast-food sandwich in the world, died Monday at home in Pittsburgh.
Delligatti, who according to his son ate at least one 540-calorie Big Mac a week for decades, was 98.
Delligatti’s franchise was based in Uniontown, not far from Pittsburgh. He invented the burger in 1967, after deciding customers wanted a bigger sandwich. Demand exploded as Delligatti’s sandwich spread to the rest of his 47 stores. It was added to the chain’s national menu in 1968.