Sunday, August 16, 2026

Question: A McDonald’s franchisee in Santa Barbara experimented with Eggs Benedict while developing a unique breakfast item in the early 1970s. What did he invent?

Answer: The Egg McMuffin. Herb Peterson replaced hollandaise sauce with a slice of cheese, added Canadian bacon and developed Teflon rings to give fresh-cracked eggs the rounded shape of an English muffin. The sandwich entered test markets in 1972, and its national rollout was completed in 1975.