Career
The breakfast business that he pioneered with this item had grown to an estimated $4–5 billion in annual revenues for the fast food restaurant chain McDonald"s by 1993. He later became a franchise co-owner and the operator of six McDonald"s restaurants in and around Santa Barbara, California. Peterson developed the Egg McMuffin, which has become a McDonald"s breakfast signature item, in 1972.
Peterson was said to like eggs benedict, so he worked to develop a breakfast item which was similar to it for the fast food chain.
Peterson eventually came up with the Egg McMuffin, which was an egg sandwich consisting of an egg formed in a Teflon circle with the yolks broken, topped with Canadian bacon and a slice of cheese. The Egg McMuffin was served as an open faced sandwich on a buttered and toasted English muffin.
Peterson died in Santa Barbara on March 25, 2008, at the age of 89. A memorial service for Peterson was held on April 23, 2008, in Montecito, California.
Herb Peterson is the grandfather of professional surfer Lakey Peterson.