Why Pittsburgh Temporarily Changed Its Name To Big Mac City USA In 1993

Few cities can claim a more local connection to the McDonald's Big Mac than Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In fact, Steel City's ties to McDonald's signature burger once inspired a temporary identity change.

Pittsburgh's mayor at the time, Sophie Masloff, bestowed the ultimate honor upon the burger by renaming Pittsburgh "Big Mac City, USA" on May 4, 1993 (via UPI). The name change was part of a city-wide celebration of the Big Mac's 25th anniversary, which debuted McDonald's restaurants nationwide on May 4, 1968. As part of the festivities for "Big Mac Day," a local McDonald's treated Pittsburghers to Big Mac burgers for their original price of 49 cents. The day also included a parade featuring the creator of the Big Mac, Jim Delligatti, and Ronald McDonald (of course), plus a giant $200-pound Big Mac-shaped cake, and a temporary sign renaming a Pittsburgh street "Big Mac Way" (via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).

Although the McDonald's-inspired name change was symbolic and only lasted a day, the Big Mac legacy lives on in and around Pittsburgh. In 2007, the Big Mac Museum (and restaurant) opened in Irwin, Pennsylvania, chronicling the burger's history and its ties to the Pittsburgh area. As quirky, roadside attractions go, it's worth a visit, if only to see the giant 14-foot Big Mac sculpture that looms over the McDonald's PlayPlace.

Local Pittsburgh franchisee Jim Delligatti came up with the Big Mac as a means to boost sales. When he approached McDonald's with the idea, the higher-ups were skeptical, but okayed his experimentation provided he didn't source any new ingredients. After some tinkering, Delligatti debuted the Big Mac at his Uniontown, Pennsylvania, McDonald's in 1967. Luckily, for him, the sales came rolling in, making what was formerly the lowest-volume location the largest, a distinction it held for a few years (via The Los Angeles Times).

With the success of Delligatti's creation solidified in Pittsburgh, the Big Mac launched nationally, eventually becoming one of McDonald's signature menu items. It remains McDonald's top seller. Although it has had spin-offs like the Grand Big Mac, Big Mac Jr., and even a Chicken Big Mac, the original recipe has remained largely unchanged, at least domestically.

While the Big Mac has inspired a handful of menu variations over the years, Pittsburgh's own name has an even longer history of change. The city was originally called Fort Duquesne during French colonial rule in North America. It was later named Fort Pitt after William Pitt the Elder in 1758, and had a number of spelling variations including Pittsbourgh, Pittsburg, and then finally Pittsburgh (via Visit Pittsburgh). At least the city never had to call itself "Two all beef patties special sauce lettuce cheese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun" though.