<P> The Big Mac is a hamburger sold by international fast food restaurant chain McDonald's . It was introduced in the Greater Pittsburgh area, United States, in 1967 and nationwide in 1968 . It is one of the company's signature products . </P> <P> The Big Mac was created by Jim Delligatti, an early Ray Kroc franchisee, who was operating several restaurants in the Pittsburgh area . It was invented in the kitchen of Delligatti's first McDonald's franchise, located on McKnight Road in suburban Ross Township . The Big Mac had two previous names, both of which failed in the marketplace: the Aristocrat, which consumers found difficult to pronounce and understand, and Blue Ribbon Burger . The third name, Big Mac, was created by Esther Glickstein Rose, a 21 - year - old advertising secretary who worked at McDonald's corporate headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois . The Big Mac debuted at Delligatti's Uniontown, Pennsylvania restaurant in 1967, selling for 45 cents . It was designed to compete with Big Boy Restaurants' Big Boy hamburger; Eat'n Park was the Pittsburgh area's Big Boy franchisee at the time . The Big Mac proved popular and it was added to the menu of all U.S. restaurants in 1968 . </P> <P> The Big Mac consists of two 1.6 oz (45.4 g) beef patties, "special sauce" (a variant of Thousand Island dressing), iceberg lettuce, American cheese, pickles, and onions, served in a three - part sesame seed bun . </P> <P> The Big Mac is known worldwide and is often used as a symbol of American capitalism . The Economist has used it as a reference point for comparing the cost of living in different countries--the Big Mac Index--as it is so widely available and is comparable across markets . This index is sometimes referred to as Burgernomics . </P>

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