Fast food in the USA

Why americans still love fast food

What do you know about fast food? Probably that they do not need to get involved. And rightly so, but in fact the question is much more interesting. Argue that we will break at least 3 stereotypes right now?

1. 01. Americans did not eat hamburgers until the doctors began to eat them.
2. 02. The top 10 best fast food places in the opinion of the Americans is not headed by McDonalds.
3. 03. Starbucks eat more than they drink coffee.

Who came up with the idea to sell cutlets with rolls

Dishes of the “quick and satisfying bite” format exist in almost every cuisine of the world from time immemorial. But it was in America that they switched to a separate restaurant format. We will tell you how and why this way of eating is so popular, and also rank the best fast food spots in America with the most delicious food.

We have a stereotype that fast food is necessarily hamburgers. And it really all started with them.

It happened in Kansas in 1921. The first catering chain that made burgers not just an item on the menu, but a feature of the establishment was White Castle. It was more like an ordinary square sandwich: heated and melted cheese and pickled cucumber slices on a thin cutlet between a cut bun, supposedly a replacement for a long lunch.

The Americans reacted to this with great distrust, and almost immediately discussions began about the dangers of such food for health and the wallet. But the owners of White Castle made a knight's move. They opened the kitchen of the restaurant, reduced the price to five cents, and to make sure the food was healthy, they hired actors in white coats. For several months, they pretended to be visiting doctors who regularly eat burgers. It seems naive today, but the fact is stubborn — things immediately took off.

Looking at the growing popularity of White Castle and fast cheap food in general, enterprising Americans began to open food service outlets one by one. And each new restaurant needed its own twist. Somewhere they introduced drive-in customer service — beautiful waitresses brought the food ordered by the client directly to the car. Somewhere they expanded the menu: they remembered about Belgian fries, and about Mexican burritos, and about Italian pizza.

McDonald's era

The real revolution in the world of fast food came in the 60s, along with the rise of McDonald's restaurants. Their concept killed almost all competitors, and even now we say "fast food" and mean McDonald's. Why? Because they managed to calculate the success factors.

• Universal menu

It included various types of burgers, french fries, nuggets, pies, ice cream and other high-calorie dishes, from which the production of pleasure hormones is guaranteed. Drinks only help this — cold cola, coffee, milkshakes... All that is sweet that causes joy, cheerfulness and a desire to eat something else.

• Uniform production standards

Due to the automation of processes and the use of semi-finished products, cooking became much faster and easier — this made it possible to get rid of chefs and hire anyone who wanted to. And even faster to serve customers and provide a complete statement about any dish.

• Customer service

The restaurant switched to self-service and abandoned reusable dishes, which was very profitable and convenient. Behind the cash register, the client was greeted by friendly people in bright uniforms, always ready to chat.

• Purity

In their free time, restaurant employees are required to clean the premises. The kitchen is open, each visitor can evaluate the presence of gloves, hats and hygiene.

• Targeting children and adolescents

For those who are younger, there are special food sets with collectible toys, Ronald the Clown and children's parties. For those who are older — free internet, bright design of the premises, affordable prices.

It was McDonald's that first began selling franchises to open restaurants across America and abroad. They did not just make super profits — they became symbols of the entire industry and set the vector for its development.

The most harmful and delicious top: Top 10 rating of American fast food

McDonald's is not the only American fast food alive! Based on official consumer satisfaction ratings, we will compile the top 10 best fast food establishments in the United States.

1. 10. Taco Bell is one of the oldest Mexican fast food chains. Although in terms of fat content and ingredients, this is more of an American food, stylized as tacos, burritos and other national dishes.
2. 09. Wendy's — the usual set of dishes from potatoes, hamburgers and other stereotypical things. But what to add to your burger or sandwich, the client decides for himself — it is not necessary to choose standard options from the menu, you can "assemble" and fill the dish as you like.
3. 08. Dunkin' Donuts — classic American donuts with a huge number of fillings and toppings. Fatty, high-calorie, sweet, but insanely delicious.
4. 07. Pizza Hut/Domino's — These competing companies hold almost the same position in the eyes of Americans. Both those and others are engaged in pizza — in 15 minutes it will be prepared for you in a restaurant or brought to your home. The quality of the pizza is almost identical, otherwise it's a matter of taste.

1. 06. Subway — sandwiches, rolls and salads — this is here. In addition to standard sets, you can assemble your own version of a sandwich with any possible filling and sauce. Known as a "burger break". Today it is the largest fast food chain in the world.
2. 05. Chipotle Mexican Grill is a rapidly growing restaurant chain specializing in burritos, tacos and salads. Visitors are attracted by their focus on using only natural and fresh vegetables and meat. The lack of convenience foods has even propelled Chipotle to the top of healthy fast food restaurants.
3. 04. Burger King — oddly enough, it overtakes McDonald's in the consumer rankings. Perhaps the main difference between one institution and another is that in Burger King the taste of dishes is more intense, the choice of sauces is wider and there is an opportunity to add something to the composition of the burger.

1. 03. Starbucks is no longer just a coffee shop. In every Starbucks, in addition to coffee, you can find a lot of desserts, salads and pastries. In 2016, the amount eaten there equaled the amount drunk for the first time.
2. 02. Panera Bread — still, the promotion of a healthier diet is taking its toll. At Panera Bread, the menu consists mainly of salads, soups and fresh pastries. In addition to better food, these restaurants have raised service standards.
3. 01. Chick-fil-a — a few years ago, this chicken fast food chain was among the worst. But after the reformation of the kitchen and the revision of the rules for communicating with customers, for the second year in a row, the chain has received the highest consumer confidence rating among all fast food establishments. Its main competitor, KFC, could not even dream of such ratings.