American Fast Food
The history of fast food is really interesting. It has evolved from being a luxury good that was only affordable to the wealthiest Americans to being a staple of America’s diet.
The term “fast food” was coined in the early 1950s by two brothers who owned a chain of movie theaters near Los Angeles. They observed that people were coming out of their movies because they wanted their favorite snack, hamburgers, and hot dogs.
They decided that the theater needed to sell the food and fast. This is how the first drive-in restaurant was born in California. People love this type of food because it is convenient and inexpensive.
The first hamburger chain in the States was White Castle opened in 1921. It was opened by Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson who started with the first White Castle restaurant in Wichita in 1916. They had a small menu which had cheap hamburgers and they sold it in large numbers. The first franchises appeared also in 1921 (A&W Root Beer franchised their syrup) and the first restaurant franchise appeared in 1930s by Howard Johnson.
When the automobiles became more popular, drive-in restaurants started appearing around United States. Costumers in cars were served by carhops who in 1940s started wearing roller skates. The first McDonald’s with fast food was opened by McDonald brothers in 1948 . Soon after them, others started opening their fast food chains: Burger King and Taco Bell opened theirs in the 1950s while Wendy's started in 1969. Carl's Jr., KFC and Jack in the Box existed before in other forms, just like McDonald’s, but as the fast food started becoming popular they reoriented.
Do you remember your first fast food meal?
How old were you and what was the meal?
I remember it like it was yesterday, it was a 2 piece meal from KFC. They didnt have spicy and bbq at the time. Just original. I was so excited.
ReplyDeleteI was about 12 years old :)
ReplyDeleteI think it was Juici Patties lol
ReplyDeleteI was very young, not more than 10 years old.
ReplyDelete