Question

Do You Want Fries With That?
News: Business

It's late afternoon, and your stomach is rumbling. Where can you get a quick snack? There are countless fast-food places in America. So it's likely there is a drive-through nearby where you might pick up any number of eats.

How did the country's food scene become so full of these quick-service restaurants? Let's drive through history to find out!

Can I Get That To Go?

Fast food is any fare prepped and served quickly and efficiently for on-the-go eating. It's been around since ancient times. But it wasn't until the 20th century that it became a multibillion-dollar global enterprise. That's thanks in part to the popularity of the automobile. A post-World War II period of economic growth also played a role. It fostered increased wealth and led many people to move out of cities.

This was especially true in Southern California. There were lots of round-the-clock workers and young drivers who wanted filling and inexpensive food to eat on the go. Restauranteurs delivered, including brothers Richard and Maurice "Mac" McDonald. The pair operated a hamburger stand in San Bernardino called McDonald's.

In 1948, the brothers created a method for producing large quantities of burgers and shakes. Called the Speedee Service System, it included a self-service counter with precooked burgers kept warm under a heat lamp. The brothers sold their burgers for 15 cents each. And people ate them up!

Salesperson Ray Kroc visited the original McDonald's in 1954. He had a supersized vision of golden arches spanning the globe. Kroc bought the burger business from the brothers in 1961. Then he established strict guidelines for the whole McDonald's chain. He believed that any customer at any McDonald's location should get the same food delivered in the same way. Customers valued the uniformity. By 2022, McDonald's boasted over 38,000 restaurants worldwide.

A Win for the Colonel

In the 1930s, Harland "Colonel" Sanders operated a gas station in Corbin, Kentucky. He also served motorists food, including fried chicken. People were pumped about his poultry. So, in 1952, the Colonel hit the road to open a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah. Soon after, KFC went global.

The chicken chain has become particularly famous in Japan at Christmas. That's partly due to an advertising campaign during the mid-1970s. Christmas was not widely celebrated in Japan, so there were few traditions around it. KFC created ads encouraging people to eat Kentucky Fried Chicken for Christmas. The strategy paid off: Now the company earns bucketloads of bucks each December.

Fresh Eats

What do you get when you cross a college student with a nuclear physicist? A sandwich empire! In 1965, 17-year-old Fred DeLuca asked scientist friend Peter Buck how to pay for college. Buck suggested DeLuca open a sandwich shop. He even chipped in $1,000 to help! DeLuca was soon making sammies at Pete's Super Submarines in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

The shop grew quickly. DeLuca started making radio ads for it. However, listeners mistook the name "Pete's" for "pizza." To decrease confusion, DeLuca and Buck shortened the name to Subway. DeLuca managed to pay for college. But his sandwich shop success didn't stop there. Today, the chain has nearly 37,000 restaurants around the world.

Now you know some of the history of fast food. So it's time to ask yourself: Do you want fries with that?

Think about and discuss these questions:
What facts would you choose to show why fast food took off in the 1900s?
Do you think the McDonald brothers, Sanders, or DeLuca thought fast food would grow so much? Why or why not?
Question 5


5 / 8

According to the article, which of these happened first?


Ray Kroc bought the McDonald brothers' fast-food hamburger business.
Harland Sanders sold fried chicken out of the gas station he operated.
Two friends started a sandwich shop called Pete's Super Submarines.
The first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant opened in Salt Lake City.

Answer 1

Harland Sanders sold fried chicken out of the gas station he operated.

The article says Sanders was operating a gas station and serving food in the 1930s—earlier than the 1952 KFC opening, Kroc's 1961 purchase, and the 1965 start of Pete's.