Fast Food Essay

Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a packaged form for take-out/take-away. The term â€Å"fast food† was recognized in a dictionary by Merriam–Webster in 1951. Outlets may be stands or kiosks, which may provide no shelter or seating, or fast food restaurants (also known as quick service restaurants). Franchise operations which are part of restaurant chains have standardized foodstuffs shipped to each restaurant from central locations. Defination of Fast Food ?Food that can be prepared and served very quickly ?Any meal with low preparation time can be considered ?Food sold with preheated or precooked ingredients. The first fast food restaurants originated in the United States with A&W in 1916 and White Castle, founded by Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson in Wichita, Kansas in 1921, is generally credited with opening the second fast food outlet and first hamburger chain, selling hamburgers McDonald’s and KFC are multinational corporations with outlets across the globe. The United States has the largest fast food industry in the world, and American fast food restaurants are located in over 100 countries. Approximately 2 million U. S. workers are employed in the areas of food preparation and food servicing including fast food in the USA. Famous Fast Food Brands From America (TOP 10) LINK: http://cuclife. com/famous-brand/Fast-food/list_711_1. html (Photo Use) 1. Burger King 2. Burger King 3. Taco Bell 4. Arby’s 5. Wendy’s 6. White Castle 7. Kentucky Fried Chicken 8. Pizza Hut 9. Chick-fil-A 10. Subway History of Fast Food Culture Significant Events in the US Fast Food Industry 1916: The first low-cost limited menu high-speed hamburger restaurant called White Castle opens in Wichita KS. 1921: White Castle opens its first restaurant selling hamburgers for 50 cents. 1940: The first McDonald’s store Established. 1951: The term fast food is recognized in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 1967: McDonald’s opens its first restaurant outside the United States 1971: The first Starbucks store opens in Seattle 2002: McDonald’s cuts back on trans fat on its French fries by 48%. 2005: McDonald’s mascot Ronald ranks 2nd in the top-10 advertising icons of the 20th century. 2006: According to an estimate, Americans spend nearly $142 billion on fast food. Development of Fast Food Industry Restaurants have been around in some form for most of human civilization. But they usually catered to travelers. As far back as ancient Greece and Rome, inns and taverns generally served food to people who had a reason to be away from home. This trend continued until relatively recently. Although taverns and coffee houses were popular places to gather and share beverages in the 17th century, the idea of eating out for fun didn’t take off in Western society until the late 18th century. Although McDonald’s was the first restaurant to use the assembly-line system, some people think of White Castle as the first fast-food chain. White Castle was founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas. At the time, most people considered the burgers sold at fairs, circuses, lunch counters and carts to be low-quality. Many people thought hamburger came from slaughterhouse scraps and spoiled meat. White Castle’s founders decided to change the public’s perception of hamburgers. They built their restaurants so that customers could see the food being prepared. They painted the buildings white and even chose a name that suggested cleanliness. White Castle was most popular in the American East and Midwest, but its success helped give hamburger meat a better reputation nationwide. So, like cars, White Castle played an important part in the development of fast food. The McDonald brothers opened their redesigned restaurant in 1948, and several fast-food chains that exist today opened soon after. Burger King and Taco Bell got their start in the 1950s, and Wendy’s opened in 1969. Some chains, like Carl’s Jr. , KFC and Jack in the Box, existed before the Speedee Service System, but modified their cooking techniques after its debut. McDonald’s, which started it all, is now the world’s largest fast-food chain. According to the National Restaurant Association, American sales of fast food totaled $163. 5 billion in 2005. The industry is growing globally as well. Total sales for McDonald’s grew 5. 6 percent in 2005, and the company now has 30,000 franchised stores in more than 120 countries. However, McDonald’s – and fast food in general – does not always get a welcoming reception around the world. McDonald’s restaurants have been attacked in several countries, including the United States, China, Belgium, Holland, India, Russia, Sweden and the U. K. Protestors have accused McDonald’s and other chains of selling unhealthy food, marketing aggressively to children and undermining local values and culture. Reason why the Fast Food Industry can be so Successful ?Cheap ?Fast (Convenience) ?Tasty ?Change in lifestyle (Working Long Hours, Busy Life, Rapid Paces) ? Child-Friendly Atmosphere (E. g. Toys) ?Franchising Scheme (E. g. McDonald’s) Variants: How the fast food culture in America influence the whole world.