Most locals know the man and the story about this very successful businessman. Michael “Jim” Delligatti who established Uno’s, The Honi Honi Bar, Garrett 8 Cinemas, and Arrowhead Market was a well-known fixture here at Deep Creek Lake. His claim to fame, which has reached far around the world, is the invention of the Big Mac sandwich at McDonald’s. We have all enjoyed our share of this famously delicious burger that revolutionized the fast food world. Mr. Delligatti opened his first McDonald’s restaurant in 1957 and branched out 47 more franchise stores over the next two decades. Competing against the large sandwich offerings of Big Boys and Burger King, Mr. Delligatti proposed a new sandwich called simply the Big Mac! McDonalds executives didn’t receive the idea well at first but eventually got the green light to pilot the sandwich in the Uniontown market in 1967. The rest is history!
The residents here at the lake have immense respect for the Delligatti family and were saddened by the news of his passing in late November. Remember the next time you dig into a Big Mac the interesting story of the man behind its creation.
