By Alicia Karapetian for Meatingplace. Used by permission.

Herb Peterson, inventor of the McDonald’s Egg McMuffin, has died. He was 89.

Peterson, who developed the famed sandwich in an effort to help the company break into the breakfast market, died peacefully at home in Santa Barbara, Calif., a McDonald’s official told the Associated Press.

Peterson reportedly found inspiration for the Egg McMuffin in breakfast staple eggs Benedict. The first Egg McMuffin was served in a Santa Barbara restaurant Peterson co-owned with his son in 1972.

Peterson began his relationship with Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald’s Corp. when he was vice president of the Chicago-based advertising firm that handled the McDonald’s account. In fact, Peterson wrote the first McDonald’s ad slogan, “Where quality starts fresh every day,” according to AP.

Later Peterson became a McDonald’s franchisee, and even up until his death was co-owner and operator of six restaurants in Santa Barbara and Goleta, Calif.