Jim Delligatti

Jim Delligatti
Born Michael James Delligatti
August 2, 1918
Uniontown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died November 28, 2016(2016-11-28) (aged 98)
Fox Chapel, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Known for Creator of the Big Mac
Big Mac hamburger

Michael James "Jim" Delligatti (August 2, 1918 – November 28, 2016) was an American entrepreneur, an early McDonald's franchisee, and the creator of the Big Mac.[1]

Early life

Michael James Delligatti was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, on August 2, 1918, the son of a cobbler and candy maker. He was educated there and in Fairmont, West Virginia, before serving in Europe during World War II with the U.S. Army.[2][3]

Career

Delligatti started as a McDonald's franchisee in the 1950s.[4] His franchise was based in Uniontown, about 40 miles south of Pittsburgh, and grew to having 48 stores.[1]

Delligatti thought up the concept for the Big Mac in 1965 and started serving it at his McDonald's in Uniontown in 1967 for 45 cents.[2]

Interviewed by the Los Angeles Times in 1993, Delligatti agreed that a double-decker burger was not his original idea. "This wasn’t like discovering the lightbulb. The bulb was already there. All I did was screw it in the socket."[2]

In 2007, Delligatti opened the Big Mac Museum, home to the "world's largest Big Mac", which is more than four meters across.[4]

Personal life and death

Delligatti died on November 28, 2016, at his home in Fox Chapel, Pittsburgh, at age 98.[2][3] He was survived by his wife, Ellie, two sons, five grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 "Big Mac creator Jim Delligatti dies at 98". USA Today. August 21, 2008. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Hagerty, James R. (November 30, 2016). "Jim Delligatti, Who Created the Big Mac, Dies at Age 98". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Dow Jones Business News (November 30, 2016). "Jim Delligatti, Who Invented the Big Mac, Dies at Age 98". Nasdaq. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Inventor of the Big Mac dies, aged 98". BBC News. November 30, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
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