Most people think that the McDonald brothers from California started the fast food craze in America, but in reality, it was the White Castle hamburger chain that really started fast food history in America. J. Walter Anderson opened the first White Castle in 1916 in Wichita, Kansas, and people liked the cheap burgers, fries, and colas he offered. However, fast food didn’t really become commonplace in America until after World War II, when Americans began to fall in love with their cars and had free time and more money to spend eating out.

The McDonald brothers

The true heroes of American fast food history are Richard and Maurice McDonald, the two brothers who created the first McDonald’s restaurant in 1948 in San Bernardino, California. They wanted their restaurant to be more efficient and profitable, so they designed a simple menu in a small building with no tables, so people would grab their food and eat in their cars. By 1953, the brothers had decided to franchise their idea and two franchises were opened in Downey, California and Phoenix, Arizona.

imitators

As McDonald’s became more successful, others began to take note and copy their example to make their own fast food history in America. Keith Cramer started an operation in Florida that would become Burger King, and Ray Kroc, a blender salesman, was so impressed with McDonald’s that he asked the brothers if he could sell his franchises. He opened his own McDonald’s in Des Plaines, Illinois in 1954, eventually buying out the brothers and becoming the owner of the corporation. Kroc was the driving force behind the phenomenal growth of the food chain across the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Wendy’s was created by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio, where he opened the first restaurant in 1962.

more new arrivals

As fast food became popular, more people decided that they liked to dine in their cars; more fast food stores sprang up across the country. Jack-in-the-Box began in San Diego, California in 1951, and by 1960 it had spread outside of California to other areas. Troy Smith opened the first SONIC Drive-In in 1954 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, Dunkin’ Donuts first opened in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1950, and the first Taco Bell opened in 1962 in Downey, California. All of these operations based their business, at least loosely, on the McDonald’s operation and then modified it to work with their specialty foods.

today’s story

Today, fast food chains have spread all over the world and have spread American culture along with them. There are plenty of more popular chains, like Carl’s Jr., Arby’s, Domino’s, and Dairy Queen, indicating that fast food isn’t always about burgers. In fact, pizza, Chinese food, and just about every type of food imaginable is now available for takeout at fast-food chains around the world. The history of fast food in the United States is really the foundation of fast food as we know it today, and that history has made many of the people who first established the concept of fast food millionaires.

History of fast food in the United States

Post navigation


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *