Fast Food Nation Sparknotes

Throughout Fast Food Nation, there are many topics and issues discussed that bring the reader to question one’s self and their eating habits. While reading through, I had a burning question that seemed like a reasonable thing to wonder. How was fast food evolved or changed since it’s upbringing? With a little research and some strategic digging, I was able to find some information that would lead me to a satisfying answer. With the start up of McDonalds in the late 1940’s, fast food was a new and sketchy way of buying food on the fly. Their menu was to the point and direct with just a cheeseburger, a hamburger, fries, shakes, and a small array of beverages that included Coke, root beer, coffee, orange soda, and last but not least, milk. These
were the basics of a McDonald's back then and it may not seem like much, but this was all new and foreign to the common consumer. People were quite skeptical of this new fast food concept but after a few years of major success, the copycats began popping up. Burger King came into light around the same time as Taco Bell and after a couple more years Wendy’s, Jack in the Box, and KFC started making noise in the newly created fast food community. All of these restaurants that popped up had a very basic set of items to buy just like McDonalds but that didn’t take too long until they started experimenting and adding new things to their menu.
Continuing, new items were not quite added on right away.
The first major change that affected most, if not all, fast food chains was the implementation of the drive through, courtesy of Wendy’s. This cut down on the cost of labor since car hops were no longer needed. Ever since then, it is quite rare to see any fast food restaurants without a drive through. As more time progressed, people began getting tired with such a basic menu to choose from. To keep customers coming back to their business, fast food restaurants attemped to add new things onto their menu. A notable addition that is still on menus everywhere to this day, is the beloved Chicken Nuggets. McDonalds added them to their menus in 1981 and just like anything else that does extremely well in the fast food world, the other restaurants followed. Ever since then, there have been countless additions to the menu that come and go in the blink of an eye. McDonalds tried selling pizza and hot dogs at one point but it was not quite the hit as they expected. Just recently, Burger King tried going out of its comfort zone by offering customers a new item called the Whopperito. A burger in a burrito.
Weird.
To continue, fast food is an ever changing scene of experimentation.
It doesn’t always have to be the food that changes either. McDonalds has made their breakfast available all day, added touch screen kiosks that allow you to order your food and have had seasonal menu items every year that include the McRib and Shamrock Shake. As mentioned, Burger King attempted a burger burrito but has also explored into the world of chicken fries, cereal flavored shakes and a crazy invention called Mac n’ Cheetos. These would be inconceivable ideas back in the 1960’s but here we are now with the option to buy a caesar salad from a Wendy’s drive through at 10 p.m on a Sunday. We have come a long way form 10 cent
hamburgers.
In conclusion, fast food has evolved past what we could even imagine. We started with food you could buy with only a quarter to now having upscale Taco Bell restaurants that are able to sell alcohol to their customers. It is amazing to think that about 60 years ago, fast food didn’t even exist and no one even knew what it was. Now it is possibly one of the staples that the US is known for. I have no words to express my astonishment besides “I’m Lovin’ It”.