Herb Peterson, who invented the ubiquitous Egg McMuffin as a way to introduce breakfast to McDonald's restaurants, has died at the age of 89.

Herb Peterson, the creator of the Egg McMuffin, died in Santa Barbara on Tuesday.
(John Hayes/Associated Press)

Peterson, a father of four, died peacefully Tuesday at his Santa Barbara home in California, said Monte Fraker, vice-president of operations for McDonald's restaurants in that city.

Peterson began his career with McDonald's by working as vice-president of the company's advertising firm, D'Arcy Advertising, in Chicago. He wrote McDonald's first national advertising slogan, "Where Quality Starts Fresh Every Day."

Peterson eventually became a franchisee, co-owning and operating six McDonald's restaurants in California, Fraker said.

Peterson came up with idea for the signature McDonald's breakfast item in 1972. He "was very partial to eggs Benedict," Fraker said, and worked on creating something similar.

The egg sandwich originally consisted of an egg with the yolk broken, topped with a slice of cheese and grilled Canadian bacon. It was served open-faced on a toasted and buttered English muffin.

The Egg McMuffin made its debut at a restaurant in Santa Barbara that Peterson co-owned with his son, David Peterson.

Fraker said that, although semi-retired, Peterson still visited all six of his stores in the Santa Barbara area until last year when his health began to deteriorate.

"He would talk to the customers, visit with the employees. He loved McDonald's," Fraker said. "He embraced the community and the community embraced him. We loved the man."