Fast food

Fast food is food prepared and served quickly at a fast-food restaurant or shop at low cost. Fast food is a multi-billion dollar industry which is continuing to grow at a rapid pace in the early 21st century in many countries as fewer people cook at home.

Business

Consumer spending

In the United States alone, consumers spent about $110 billion on fast food in 2000, up from $6 billion in 1970 (Fast Food Nation, 2001).

Related Topics:
United States - 2000 - 1970 - Fast Food Nation

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

McDonald’s

McDonald's is a noted company which supplies fast food. It is a phenomenally successful enterprise, in terms of financial dominance, brand-name recognition, and worldwide expansion. Ray Kroc, who bought out the original restaurant from the McDonald brothers, pioneered many concepts related to standardization. Using strict rules, he sought to increase profits by offering a very uniform product that would increase sales by offering a consistent product at all locations. At the same time, Kroc also insisted on slashing food costs as much as possible, eventually using the McDonald's Corporation's size to force suppliers to conform.

Related Topics:
McDonald's - Ray Kroc

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It is important to note that uniform and standardized brands/chains of restaurants- franchises- are often fast food restaurants, but not all franchises are fast food (such as Friday's and Outback Steakhouse in the United States) and not all fast food restaurants are franchises, as, especially in the United States, there are many localized fast food establishments. Because McDonald's is one of the most visible and most uniform franchises in the world, "fast food" has become synonymous with "franchise", which is technically incorrect as franchises are not limited to being fast food establishments or even restaurants.

Related Topics:
Outback Steakhouse - McDonald's

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

International Chains

Fast food restaurants are popular in the United States, which is credited with developing the style. Many major international chains are based in the United States. As a result, fast food has often been the target for opponents of globalization, the target of anti-Americanism and subject to attacks on the grounds of cultural imperialism.

Related Topics:
Globalization - Anti-Americanism - Cultural imperialism

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Multinational corporations generally modify their menus to local tastes. However, this has not staunched the criticism.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In addition, multinational fast food chains are not the only or even the primary source of fast food in most of the world. Many regional and local chains have developed around the world to compete with international chains. Most fast food in the developing world is provided by small individual mom and pop eateries. In the developing world, multinational chains are considerably more expensive; they usually are frequented because they are considered chic and somewhat glamorous and because they usually are much cleaner than local eateries.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~