R I P Herb Petersen

[MarkCruz]

Egg McMuffin creator Herb Petersen dies

The man who invented the Egg McMuffin and helped McDonald's crack the breakfast market has died aged 89.

Herb Petersen was working for the fast food chain in Santa Barbara, California, in 1972 when the head of the company, Ray Kroc, visited. Petersen told Kroc he had come up with "a crazy idea - a breakfast sandwich" and demonstrated what was to become a staple of the chain's menu.

"It consisted of an egg that had been formed in a Teflon circle, with the yolk broken, and was dressed with a slice of cheese and a slice of grilled Canadian bacon," Kroc recalled in his 1987 memoir, Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's.

Kroc at first was "boggled" by way it was served, "open-face on a toasted and buttered English muffin ... But then I tasted it, and I was sold. Wow! I wanted to put this item into all of our stores immediately."

The recipe was tweaked and perfected and rolled out across the chain the following year after making its debut at a restaurant in Santa Barbara that Peterson co-owned with his son, David Peterson. The sandwich became an immediate hit and one of McDonald's signature items. As Kroc writes in his memoir: "The advent of the Egg McMuffin opened up a whole new area of potential business for McDonald's, the breakfast trade."

Peterson, who died peacefully at his Santa Barbara home, began his career with McDonald's as vice-president of the company's advertising firm where he wrote the chain's first national slogan, "Where Quality Starts Fresh Every Day."

He eventually became a franchisee and was co-owner and operator of six McDonald's restaurants in the Santa Barbara area at the time of his death. Monte Fraker, vice president of operations for McDonald's restaurants in Santa Barbara, said Peterson "was very partial to eggs Benedict," and was working on creating something similar when he came up with the Egg McMuffin.

Although semi-retired, Peterson, who is survived by his wife, son and three daughters, continued to visit all six of his stores in the Santa Barbara area until last year when his health began to deteriorate.

"He would talk to the customers, visit with the employees. He loved McDonald's," Fraker said. At 300 calories (110 from fat) the Egg McMuffin, although high in salt and cholesterol, is actually the lowest-calorie breakfast sandwich McDonald's offers.

The sandwich even inspired a special type of toaster that features not only wide slots for toasting muffins but an egg poaching tray enabling McMuffin fans to create their own version at home in minutes.

One, the Back to Basics Egg-and-Muffin 2-Slice Toaster and Egg Poacher, promises "the drive-thru breakfast without the drive!" .
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/voZZ2RAUcow&amp;autoplay=0" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/voZZ2RAUcow&amp;autoplay=0</a>

[Suga Foot]

At 300 calories (110 from fat) the Egg McMuffin, although high in salt and cholesterol, is actually the lowest-calorie breakfast sandwich McDonald's offers.

Jeebus!!  Lower than the BLT Bagel?

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

RIP Herb... At least his legendary creation will never die.

[MarkCruz]

I HAD 2 IN HIS HONOR TODAY.

[Sikotic™]

Damn, I saw him on TV just a few days ago on some shit on the travel Channel. I felt a bond with him as he explained how he created the McMuffin. If my fat ass didn't drink so much beer in the past 2 weeks, I would have a McMuffin in his honor.

RIP Herbie

OH SHIT, McMuffins are healthy? I did not know this. Guess what I'm eating tomorrow.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

McMuffins are healthy

LMFAO

[Sikotic™]

McMuffins are healthy

LMFAO

Go ahead, leave out the question mark.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

I already did