[mcdude]

Born in Lawrence, MA

Al Bernardin, inventor of the Quarter Pounder, dies at 81



By MATTHEW ARTZ - The Argus (Fremont, Calif.)


FREMONT, Calif. -- Al Bernardin, inventor of the McDonald's Quarter Pounder, has died of a stroke. He was 81.
Bernardin, a native of Lawrence, Mass., went to work at McDonald's corporate headquarters in 1960 and quickly rose to dean of Hamburger University, McDonald's training center.
Later, as vice president of product development, he played a major role in the formation of McDonald's signature fish sandwich, french fries, and hot apple and cherry pies.
But Bernardin's claim to fame came in 1971, when, as a franchise owner in Fremont, he introduced the Quarter Pounder, with the prophetic slogan, "Today Fremont, tomorrow the world."
"I felt there was a void in our menu vis-a-vis the adult who wanted a higher ratio of meat to bun," he said in 1991 while commemorating the burger's 20th anniversary.
Not all of his ideas became menu stables. McDonald's corporate office nixed the The Lite Mac - a one-fifth pounder consisting of 15 percent less beef fat - and the McGobbler, a sandwich made of ground turkey meat.
"He always wanted to make things better," said Bernardin's son, Mark, who owns three McDonald's in Fremont. "He spent two years making prototypes to spread butter on corn-on-the-cob."
While the Quarter Pounder became an international sensation, Bernardin said his most important contribution to fast-food fare is the frozen french fry.
"Before that, the (restaurants) had to store potatoes in the basement," Mark Bernardin said. "It was a real pain."
Bernardin moved to Fremont in 1970 after buying two company-owned franchises. At his height, he owned nine franchises throughout southern Alameda County and became a local philanthropist.