A brilliant red roof tops the colonial-style, white-walled Next Door restaurant, and the red front doors feature leaded glass windows in red, white and blue. | McDonalds, Waffle House Papa Johns. } EatThis.com is part of the Dotdash Meredith Publishing Family. Eventually, Burger Chef went out of business, but before that, it was seriously impressive. The Hardee's website reported that there were already Hardee's in international cities such as Heidelberg, Germany. McDonald's and Burger King aren't the oldest, believe it or not. Mix this exaggerated bounty, which is available year-round, with the exotic traditions of the ethnic cuisines, add a little homey Yankee or Southern or Middle America cooking, then stir it up with the casual, rather unorthodox freshness that seems to come with living here and you have an idea of what cooking in the California style is all about. The Oldest Fast-Food Chains in AmericaRevealed! The well-known finger lickin good slogan came about by accident, though. Today, there are many different types of fast food chains, offering a variety of foods. Originally called Petes Super Submarines, the sandwich shop was renamed Subway in 1968. Edited by Liz O. Baylen and Mike Benoist. RELATED:11 Secrets In-N-Out Doesn't Want You to Know, Chick-fil-A is both one of the most beloved and most loathed fast-food restaurants in America. Required fields are marked *. One of the most significant changes to the fast food industry in this period was the introduction of drive-thru service. Carpeting in the initial unit is bright blue with flecks of red to add to the warm, inviting atmosphere which appeals to diners of all ages. So, if you were born between 1960 and 1969, then KFC was probably where everyone you know went for a great, fast, and cheap meal. On the east coast, it was Dunkin' Donuts, now just Dunkin', then called Open Kettle, which opened its doors in Quincy, Massachusetts. In fact, it wasn't until 1960, when KFC already had 200 locations, that the fast food chain really started to gain traction. The famous Frosty was one of the original items on the menu in 1969, and is still one of Wendys best-selling products today. Get the best food tips and diet Erica is a cleaning and home dcor expert. In 1970, Wendy's pioneered the first drive-thru window. Today, given their lack of presence in some regions, some people might not know that A&W is a restaurant chain at all. Specifically, Hardee's totally took over the world of fast food by 1964, because the chain was franchising like crazy, and there seemed to be no stopping it. of a decade: 1970s restaurants day. WebBurger Chef: For more than 40 years, Burger Chef was a major fast-food chain in the United States, based out of Indianapolis, Indiana. These years also saw the advent of new technologies that allowed for the mass production and consumption of fast food on a scale never before seen. var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest(); Heres another flashback from the disco era. Arbys was founded in 1964, with the idea to open a fast-food restaurant that served something other than hamburgers. var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest(); Source: The pictures and information come from vintage Pizza Hut International annual reports from the 1970s. 2023 Galvanized Media. 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. ClickAmericana.com is made with and by Synchronista LLC 2011-2022. Material on this site is provided for purposes of education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis. Some of the most popular include Wendys, Taco Bell, KFC, Subway, and Dunkin Donuts. Most of their locations were on the east coast. Today, Burger Kingstill broils and flame-grills its burgers. As more people discovered Chipotle, more people came back for more delicious burritos and bowls with a Mexican twist. According to the KFC website, it started "in a Kentucky gas station way back in 1930 when Harland Sanders first started cooking for hungry travelers." day. When it opened, its menu only offered nine items hamburgers, cheeseburgers, french fries, milkshakes, milk, root beer, orangeade, Coca Cola, and coffee. 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 Greene Turtle: This sports-focused Northeastern restaurant chain with 34 locations is offering ID-presenting teachers a free entree (up to a $13 value) on Teacher Appreciation Day. 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. Clearly, this entire decade was all about the golden arches. All Rights Reserved. Originally founded in 1954, Burger Chef had 1,050 different locations at its peak in the 1970s, and it was eventually purchased by Hardees. 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. 7 Oldest Fast-Food Items In America On the one hand, it is convenient and affordable; on the other hand, it is often criticized for being unhealthy and contributing to obesity rates. Back in the 1920s, there were few chains to compete with, making White Castle a standout in the market. In addition to being credited with the invention of the hamburger bun, it is also officially recognized as the oldest fast-food chain in America. Howard johnson's. Produced by Will Reid and Michael Simon Johnson. Pizza Hut was founded in 1958 by two brothers, and within a year the chain already had six locations. McDonalds first opened its doors in 1940, serving hamburgers, fries, and shakes. By this point, the fried chicken establishment had already perfected its chicken sandwich recipe, so obviously, people flocked to it. He had been cooking fried chicken for decades already, having learned it as a child, but it would still be another decade until he hit on the famed "11 herbs and spices" we still know today. Thus he was well primed for success when he opened the first Taco Bell in Downey, California in 1962. According to the McDonald's website, the company now operates a total of 36,525 restaurants worldwide. It was unique thanks to its square hamburger patties and the introduction of a salad bar in 1979. The chain has a brand new logo, and the official brand colors are now orange and white. It had a separate grill for quick service. Some, like this McDonald's restaurant in the Netherlands, underwent a more drastic redesign to work more effectively in a post-coronavirus world. Various Treatment Options Available For Acid Reflux. Originally named Casa Del Taco, the Casa was dropped in 1973 and it became the Del Taco you know today. They catered to young affluent people who were part of the emerging California car culture. By 1978, Wendy's had opened 1,000 restaurants, and by 1979, the chain had international outposts in both Hamilton, Ontario, and Munich. 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. Because of that, the fast food chain expanded even further and got even more popular between 1998 and 2001. These 48 vintage indoor malls were so dazzling, you'll want to hop in a time machine and shop 'til you drop. The McDonald brothers started selling burgers in the 1940s. But, it took a while for it to catch on. Rather than pizza, though, the restaurant served steaks, seafood, hamburgers, sandwiches, salads and desserts. The package described them as that last little extra-crispy fry that people fight for. Franchises are businesses that are owned and operated by individual entrepreneurs but use standardized branding and marketing materials provided by a larger parent company. Fast Food Restaurants Fast food restaurants were typically small, family-owned businesses. The 1950s and 1960s were a time of great change for the fast food industry. The chain had five locations in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. But just about everyone knows A&W root beer, which can be bought canned or bottled just about anywhere. According to Insider, the most popular fast food chain in 1990 wasn't even really a question, and it wasn't even food. Find out more here. Hosted by Michael Barbaro. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), Subway became the worlds most popular chain, Taco Bell at home with our best copycat recipes, fast-food restaurants are best for vegetarians, secrets Chipotle employees wont tell you, Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Treacher cashed in on his fame by lending his name to this Ohio-based fast-food chain, which opened its first restaurant in Columbus in 1969. 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. See how Subway became the worlds most popular chain. Obviously, this set it apart and had people flocking to the establishment making it super popular in the 1950s, but that's not all. One of the most popular fast food chains of this era was McDonalds. It initially went by the name Insta-Burger King based on the name of the device used to cook up its burger. Original publication date: September 1972. a Burger King. 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