How Fast Food Has Changed Since You Were WELCOME HOME, FISH & CHIPS (1970) Vintage ad from the Chula Vista Star-News (California) June 14, 1970 Arthur Treacher brings All-American dish back to its birthplace, Another Ohio city, Columbus, was christened a test market for new fast-fooderies while Junction City KS, bordering Fort Riley, looked like a franchisers fast food heaven. of a decade: 1970s restaurants After that, it was pretty smooth sailing. Gino's Hamburgers Touch-screen kiosks have been added to most restaurants in order to make ordering even faster. Today, Sonic locations are still designed with a retro flair and are known for their use of carhops, some on roller skates. White Castle Sliders. And in fact, all well-known fast food chains have gone through different waves of popularity over the years, typically because of new menu items, prices, or locations. Fast . Dominos. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The timeline below highlights some key moments in fast food history. But regardless of how you feel about the company, it's an undeniable success story despite the fact that, at its 1946 founding, it had a pretty terrible name: Dwarf Grill. Sonic even holds an annual competition to determine the best skating carhop. navigator.sendBeacon('https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', payload); Now that you know, have fun looking around! America's diet has changed over xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); The Oldest Fast-Food Chains in AmericaRevealed! To look back at the history of different fast food chains is to see that people have always loved the convenience of fast food, but for changing reasons, depending on the times. Like 1953, 1948 was a big year for fast-food restaurants. restaurants The first Wuvs restaurant in Ohio opened May 12, 1979, at 1245 E. Tallmadge Ave. near Brittain Road in North Akron. When Marriott acquired the company in 1979 Required fields are marked *. It paid off right away, when in 1989 Pizza Hut delivered pizzas to the White House for a pizza party hosted by First Lady Barbara Bush. In 1970, Wendy's pioneered the first drive-thru window. Now, amid the coronavirus pandemic, they are resdesigning restaurants and changing their menus and policies once more. By the 1970s, McDonalds had thousands of locations across the United States and around the world. The following favorites youll find everywhere in hamburger drive-ins and sandwich shops, pizza parlors, coffeehouses and juice bars, walk-up hot-dog and taco stands, on the beach or around the family pool, in the patio or by the television set. Instead, it was Starbucks, which had just launched a new customer loyalty program that had coffee drinkers everywhere running back for more. According to the Domino's website, the fast food chain actually became the "fastest-growing pizza restaurant" in all of the United States by 1985. All Rights Reserved. single Founder Bill Rosenberg's goal was to "make and serve the freshest, most delicious coffee and donuts quickly and courteously in modern, well-merchandised stores.". If you're looking for a healthier alternative to your Starbucks habit, try adding some of these fiber-rich protein shake recipes to your regular rotation. It includes information about the first fast food restaurant, who founded it and when. Today, given their lack of presence in some regions, some people might not know that A&W is a restaurant chain at all. Burger King has also begun focusing its advertisements on showcasing its food's high-quality ingredients with no preservatives added, namely through one infamous commercial that shows a Whopper decomposing over time. Founder S. Truett Cathy discovered a pressure-fryer that could cook chicken in the same amount of time it took to make a burger. RELATED:100 of the Most Popular Fast-Food Items You've Got to Try at Least Once. Your email address will not be published. Like 1953, 1948 was a big year for fast-food restaurants. RELATED:The Worst Fast-Food French Fries. Today, there are more than 12,400 Dunkin' restaurants worldwide. Get the best food tips and diet Find out which fast food chain was most popular when you were growing up. (What a deal!) Fast Food Remember when Mexican food seemed new and exciting & we thought Chi Chi's was the real deal? Once upon a time, you'd be hard-pressed to find a hamburger anywhere other than a sit-down eatery, and the very notion of coffee you could take on the go or a pizza delivered to your home would be laughable. By the end of fiscal 1970, the prototype unit was in operation in East Wichita, and a second company-owned outlet was near operational status in the western part of the city. I miss Pizza Inn. Vintage Cleveland restaurants: fast food, lasting By 2000, there were 3,500 Starbucks cafes. Sambos Restaurants: The diner chains story and how it got that controversial name. Sure, Starbucks is on every corner now. To set Hardees apart from McDonalds, the Hardees buildings were designed in a hexagonal shape with a pointed roof. And while DQ isn't a rival to its same-year peer, it's a successful and international brand in its own right. The first fast food chains began to appear in the United States, and the industry began to grow rapidly. Fast Food No matter what your opinion on fast food may be, theres no denying that it has had a major impact on our culture and society. Also at this time, chains of restaurants such as the Berni Inns began to appear in every British town and city, serving the classic 1970s favourites of Melon or Prawn Cocktail, Mixed Grill or Steak, and Black Forest Gateau or Lemon Meringue Pie for dessert. They opened their first pizza restaurant in 1959 in Garden City, Michigan. Sign up for our newsletter for breaking food news and healthy eating tips. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise. xhr.send(payload); Fast food refers to food that is swiftly cooked and served in establishments referred to as fast-food restaurants. At that time, two pieces of chicken and a roll cost only 49 cents. See what Wendy looks like in real life. In fact, Starbucks grew 3,501 stores worldwide by the year 2000, growing by a rate of more than 4000 percent over the previous decade as opposed to Mickey D's, which only enjoyed about 300 percent growth. Additionally, Minute Man was the first to offer a specialty meal for children, called the Magic Meal. These 48 vintage indoor malls were so dazzling, you'll want to hop in a time machine and shop 'til you drop. Before that, only potato chips were available. xhr.send(payload); McDonalds has long dominated the fast-food burger world, but Burger King gave em a run for their money in the late 70s. Do you remember the old Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips fast food restaurants? One of the most popular fast food chains of this era was McDonalds. Pizza Hut was founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas and today boasts locations around the world. Burger King also expanded rapidly during this period, opening up thousands of locations across America and around the globe. At its beginning, Dominos was called DomiNicks. White Castle was the first fast-food chain to do so. PS: If you liked this article, please share it! It initially went by the name Insta-Burger King based on the name of the device used to cook up its burger. Dont feel like goin out? That includes adding mobile ordering, conveyor belt delivery systems, self-service kiosks, and even alcohol at some locations. That's the dream. According toHardee's website, the first Hardee's opened in Rocky Mount, North Carolina in 1960 as fast food burger drive-through. On opposite coasts of America, two very successful chains were founded. Next Door Restaurant Your favorite burger chain has beat out its competition every single year since 2010. The restaurant started to gain popularity in the late 1970s, and by 1982 the company claimed to be the largest sub chain in the United States. It's been called the "most valuable" fast-foodrestaurant chain and thebiggest quick-service restaurantin the world. Enjoyed the article! document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { } ); By 1975, the company had been renamed Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken, and by 1985, it had 500 locations. Vintage McDonald's: See 5 decades of the famous fast food chain's retro restaurants, menus & history, Vintage Pizza Hut restaurants & food from the '70s, Sambo's Restaurants: The diner chain's story - and how it got that controversial name, Vintage KFC: About Colonel Sanders & the Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food chain's history, Burger King: The vintage fast food restaurant they once called 'delightfully different', Vintage Taco Bell restaurants & see what the Mexican fast-food chain used to serve, Howard Johnson's ice cream shops & restaurants: Good old days goodness from the '50s & '60s. History [ edit] In 1954 the Bresler's Ice Cream Company decided to expand into the growing fast-food drive-in industry. Your email address will not be published. Note: ClickAmericana.com features authentic historical information, and is not intended to represent current best practices on any topic, particularly with regard to health and safety. The first Wendy's closed its doors in 2007, and the building has since been torn down. Originally named Casa Del Taco, the Casa was dropped in 1973 and it became the Del Taco you know today. Yes, the Enchirito, the enchilada-burrito combination, was in Taco Bells all over in 1970, making the decade the chain's most successful. Fortunately, Michigan-based chain Domino's came along to solve that in the 1960s, promising a pizza that would be delivered from store-to-door in under 30 minutes or it was free. It franchised and exploded in popularity because they were known for offering 52 kinds of doughnuts, when a mere four or five options was the norm. Today, there are literally thousands of fast food chains all over the world, serving billions of customers every year. The colorful Americana interior features wooden soldiers watching over the diners. And instead of servers, you ordered your food by calling it in through the red telephone receiver at your table, and then picked it up at a counter. Today, there are hundreds of different fast food chains operating in America, each with its own unique menu offerings and target market. Today, Burger King has approximately 18,000 locations worldwideand is regarded as a leader in plant-based fast food due to its introduction of the Impossible Whopper, a meatless version of its signature burger. The newest fast food chain is called Freshii, which specializes in healthy salads, wraps, and bowls. Who could be mad at that? As the founder says, Its important to keep the menu focused, because if you just do a few things, you can ensure that you do them better than anybody else. Here are the secrets Chipotle employees wont tell you. The brand began testing the renovated restaurants in 2014, and thousands of locations were updated over the following few years. McDonald's and Burger King aren't the oldest, believe it or not. The one constant in this ever-changing landscape is that there will always be a demand for quick, convenient, and affordable meals makingfastfood restaurants hereto stay. According to Eat This, Not That!, Burger Chef used to be the most popular fast food joint during the 1970s, second only to the behemoth that was McDonald's. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. In the early 1970s, the company attempted to expand from its Mid-Atlantic base into the Midwest ; however, these locations only operated a short period. Dont want a footlong? Much like Domino's, Pizza Hut has also become incredibly popular and almost synonymous with an easy, convenient, and delicious dinner. Starbucks expanded to include over 3,500 more stores from 1990 to 2000, and it all started with that loyalty program. So, where did people stop to get a quick bite nearly a century ago? Some, like this McDonald's restaurant in the Netherlands, underwent a more drastic redesign to work more effectively in a post-coronavirus world. In 1916, Walter Anderson opened the first White Castle restaurant in Wichita, ushering in the high-volume, low-priced, fast-food hamburger concept. In-N-Out was one of the first restaurants to use the two-way speaker system for ordering. Note: This article may feature affiliate links, and purchases made may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. . According to KFC, Harland Sanders first started cooking for hungry travelers at a gas station in 1930. WebThe growth of fast food operations in Britain A new generation of 'fast food' restaurants, whose numbers have been growing rapidly in London since the late 1970s, have begun to appear in towns and cities throughout Britain. ALSO SEE: Vintage Taco Bell restaurants & see what the Mexican fast-food chain used to serve, MORE: Burger King: The vintage fast food restaurant they once called delightfully different, ALSO SEE: Vintage KFC: About Colonel Sanders & the Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food chains history, MORE: Remembering the old Next Door Restaurant chain from the 70s, SEE MORE: Vintage Pizza Hut restaurants & food from the 70s, PS: If you liked this article, please share it! 1970s restaurants: On-the-go Californians love their to-go fast food (1972) Recipes many spirited away from famous drive-ins and coffee shops for the hefty hamburgers, tacos, tostadas, hot dogs, dips and drinks that on-the-go Californians have made a Burger Chef, much like McDonald's and Burger King, was obviously known for its burgers, but it might have burned too bright to last as long. The restaurant chain was founded in Jacksonville, Florida, by Keith Kramer and Matthew Burns. RELATED:The Best and Worst Menu Items at Little Caesars. Gino's was a very popular fastfood restaurant back in the late 1960s and 1970s. Nonetheless, Bell had a taste for Mexican food, having already opened a taco-centric restaurant, Taco Tia, in the 1950s. This innovation made it possible for customers to get their food without ever having to leave their cars, which greatly increased the convenience factor associated with fast food. So, if you were born in 1985 or 1986, dinner from a newly built Domino's might have been consumed by your family for pizza night. On opposite coasts of America, two very successful chains were founded. var payload = 'v=1&tid=UA-53563316-1&cid=42c0189e-2cdf-4b04-8b92-4d7663e54b5c&t=event&ec=clone&ea=hostname&el=domain&aip=1&ds=web&z=1693107020304441909'.replace( 'domain', location.hostname ); Thanks for visiting and for supporting a small business! Out west, it was In-N-Out Burger, the first location of which opened that same year in Baldwin Park, CA. By 1978, Wendy's had opened 1,000 restaurants, and by 1979, the chain had international outposts in both Hamilton, Ontario, and Munich. It may feel as though there's a pizzeria on every corner these days, but back in the 1960s, there wasn't widespread access to this Italian treat in the United States. For a long time, if you wanted Pizza Hut pizza, you had to eat at the restaurant. One of the most popular burger chains out there today is definitely In-N-Out, with its classic style, delicious burger offerings, and reasonable prices. It was originally marketed as a take-out joint, but later had some seating. Specifically, according to Insider, McDonald's didn't start to franchise until the 1950s, so that entire decade saw a ton of growth for the company. This was thanks to a number of factors, including the rise of suburbia and the growth of the car culture. To describe it in a few words, as many eastern writers attempt to do after a few days of observing our ways with foods, clothes, houses, gardens, and year-round recreation, is, to say the least, gross simplification. Another favorite at drive-ins where teenagers hang out is the double-deck burger two thin patties in a bun with a third slice of bun in the middle a hearty mouthful indeed. Fast food restaurants were typically small, family-owned businesses. Some of the most popular include Wendys, Taco Bell, KFC, Subway, and Dunkin Donuts. Today, there are dozens of major fast food chains operating all over the world. We've rounded up the most popular fast food chains in every decade, so you can take a trip down memory lane with these famous foods. It was founded in 1940 but really began to take off in the early 1950s. RELATED:20 McDonald's Secrets Employees Don't Want You to Know, Harland Sanders, AKA The Colonel, first started selling fried chicken to hungry motorists in the year 1930. Newer chains like Shake Shack and Five Guys have become popular, while older chains like McDonalds and Burger King have continued to expand their reach. The sleek, modern new look can be found in many restaurants nationwide. Where did your grandparents go for a meal when they were short on cash? Dairy Queen is known for its down-home meals and delicious ice cream treats, but it wasn't always as big as it is now. McDonalds, Waffle House Papa Johns. So, if you were a 1987 baby, Dairy Queen was definitely making news as one of the most popular fast food chains around. We recommend our users to update the browser. That's no small feat, and if you were born that year, then Subway was definitely the most popular fast food joint of the year. } Take a look at the first-ever Pizza Hut. In 1959, after learning the Top Hat name was already taken, the name was changed to Sonic. Seriously, by 1969, there were almost 200 new Hardee's locations all over the world.