Al Bernardin

Al Bernardin (February 17, 1928 – December 22, 2009) was an American restaurateur and businessman who invented the McDonald's Quarter Pounder in 1971 as a franchise owner in Fremont, California.

[1] Bernardin was promoted to dean of the company's training center, Hamburger University, within just six months of joining McDonald's.

[1] He explained his idea for the Quarter Pounder in a 1991 interview marking the 20th anniversary of the burger's development saying, "felt there was a void in our menu vis-à-vis the adult who wanted a higher ratio of meat to bun.

[1] Though he was most famous for introducing the Quarter Pounder, Bernardin felt that his most important contribution to McDonald's and the larger fast food industry was the development of frozen french fries.

Bernardin's frozen fries allowed for easier transport of the product and cleared storage space which was previously used for storing potatoes.

"[1] As vice president, Bernardin also shepherded the development of the McDonald's Filet-O-Fish,[1] as well the company's fried apple and cherry pies.

[2] In addition to his home in Pebble Beach, Bernardin also had residences in Pleasanton, California, Spanish Bay and Cape Cod.