Fast food is food cooked in bulk and in advance and kept warm, or reheated to order.

Many fastfood restaurants are part of restaurant chains or franchise operations, and standardized foodstuffs are shipped to each restaurant from central locations. There are also simpler fast-food outlets, such as stands or kiosks, which may or may not provide shelter or chairs for customers. Because the capital requirements to start a fast-food restaurant are relatively small, particularly in areas with non-existent or poorly enforced health codes, small individually-owned fast-food restaurants have become common throu hout the world. !estaurants such as "ulver#s and $oodles, where the customers sit down and have their food orders brou ht to them, are also considered fast food.

History
%lthou h fast-food restaurants are often viewed as a representation of a day by day family outin , the concept of &ready-cooked food to o& is as old as cities themselves' unique variations are historical in various cultures. %ncient !oman cities had bread-and-olive stands, (ast %sian cultures feature noodle shops. )lat bread and falafel are ubiquitous in the Middle (ast. *opular +ndian &fast& food delicacies include ,ada pav, *apri "haat, Bhelpuri, *anipuri and -ahi ,ada. +n the )renchspeakin nations of .est %frica, meanwhile, roadside stands in and around the lar er cities continue to sell- as they have done for enerations- a ran e of ready-to-eat, char rilled meat sticks known locally as &brochettes& /not to be confused with the bread snack of the same name found in (urope0.

Typical interior of an %utomat. This one was built in $ew 1ork in 2345, at the hei ht of their popularity. The modern history of fast-food in %merica be an on 6uly 7, 2328 with the openin of a fast food restaurant called the %utomat in $ew 1ork. The %utomat was a cafeteria with its prepared foods behind small lass windows and coinoperated slots. 6oseph 9orn and )rank 9ardart had already opened an %utomat in *hiladelphia, but their :%utomat; at Broadway and 24th <treet, in $ew 1ork "ity, created a sensation. $umerous %utomat restaurants were quickly built around the country to deal with the demand. %utomats remained extremely popular throu hout the 2385#s and 2345#s. The company also popularized the notion of :take-out; food, with their slo an :=ess work for Mother;. The %merican company .hite "astle is enerally credited with openin the second fast-food outlet in .ichita, >ansas in 2382, sellin hambur ers for five cents apiece.?2@ %mon its innovations, the company allowed customers to see the food bein prepared. .hite "astle later added five holes to each beef patty to increase its surface area and speed cookin times. .hite "astle was successful from its inception and spawned numerous competitors. +n recent decades, Mexican-style food like tacos and burritos, as well as pizza, have also become staples of fast food culture. Mc-onald#s, the lar est fast-food chain in the world and the brand most associated with the term &fast food,& was founded as a barbecue drive-in in 23A5 by -ick and Mac Mc-onald. %fter discoverin that most of their profits came from hambur ers, the brothers closed their restaurant for three months and reopened it in 23AB as a walk-up stand offerin a simple menu of hambur ers, french fries, shakes, coffee, and "oca-"ola, served in disposable paper wrappin . %s a result, they were able to produce hambur ers and fries constantly, without waitin for customer orders, and could serve them immediately' hambur ers cost 2C cents, about half the price at a typical diner. Their streamlined production method, which they named the &<peedee <ervice <ystem& was 2

influenced by the production line innovations of 9enry )ord. The Mc-onalds# stand was the milkshake machine company#s bi est customer and a milkshake salesman named !ay >roc travelled to "alifornia to discover the secret to their hi h-volume bur er-and-shake operation. >roc thou ht he could expand their concept, eventually buyin the Mc-onalds# operation outri ht in 23D2 with the oal of makin cheap, ready-to- o hambur ers, french fries and milkshakes a nationwide business. >roc was the mastermind behind the rise of Mc-onald#s as a national chain. The first part of his plan was to promote cleanliness in his restaurants. >roc often took part at his own -es *laines, +llinois, outlet by hosin down the arba e cans and scrappin um off the cement. >roc also added reat swaths of lass which enabled the customer to view the food preparation. This was very important to the %merican public which became quite erm conscious. % clean atmosphere was only part of >roc#s rander plan which separated Mc-onald#s from the rest of the competition and attributes to their reat success. >roc envisioned makin his restaurants appeal to families of suburbs. &.here .hite Tower /one of the ori inal fast food restaurants0 had tied hambur ers to public transportation and the workin man...Mc-onald#s tied hambur ers to the car, children, and the family.& /=evinstein, p.88B-8830 .endy#s opened in "olumbus, Ehio in 23D3 by -ave Thomas, a protF F of >entucky )ried "hicken founder "ol. 9arlan <anders, is credited with pioneerin the use of the &drive-thru& window to allow consumers to purchase fast food without havin to park or exit their cars' it was first introduced in 2378, and copied by Mc-onald#s in 237C.?8@

The "fast" in fast food

)ast-food outlets are take-away or take-out providers, often with a &drive-thru& service which allows customers to order and pick up food from their cars' but most also have a seatin area in which customers can eat the food on the premises. $early from its inception, fast food has been desi ned to be eaten &on the o& and often does not require traditional cutlery and is eaten as a fin er food. "ommon menu items at fast food outlets include fish and chips, sandwiches, pitas, hambur ers, fried chicken, french fries, chicken nu ets, tacos, pizza, and ice cream, althou h many fast-food restaurants offer &slower& foods like chili, mashed potatoes, and salads. &)ast food& is also available in other places. )or example many petrolG as stations have convenience stores which sell pre-packed sandwiches, donuts or hot food. <upermarkets often include their own cafes with prepared food service counters. <ome, like %<-% and .al-Mart may even include a well-known fast food chain within their own store, such as Mc-onald#s.

Food preparation
The convenience of traditional street food around the world, from ,ietnamese noodle vendors to Middle (astern falafel stands to $ew 1ork hot do carts, lies in servin one or two basic in redients that can be cooked in batches and served quickly on the spot. Modern commercial fast food, by contrast, is often hi hly processed and prepared in an industrial fashion, i.e., on a lar e scale with standard in redients and standardised cookin and production methods. +t is usually rapidly served in cartons or ba s or in a plastic wrappin , in a fashion which minimizes cost. +n most fast food operations, menu items are enerally made from processed in redients prepared at a central supply facility and then shipped to individual outlets where they are reheated, cooked /usually by microwave or deep-fryin 0 or assembled in a short amount of time. This process ensures 8

a consistent level of product quality, and is key to bein able to deliver the order quickly to the customer and eliminate labor and equipment costs in the individual stores.

Business

$ei hborin fast food restaurant advertisement si ns in Bowlin Hreen, >entucky

Consumer spending
+n the Inited <tates alone, consumers spent about I<J225 billion on fast food in 8555 /which increased from I<JD billion in 23750?4@. The $ational !estaurant %ssociation forecasts that fastfood restaurants in the I.<. will reach I<J2A8 billion in sales in 855D, a CK increase over 855C. +n comparison, the full-service restaurant se ment of the food industry is expected to enerate J274 billion in sales. )ast food has been losin market share to so-called fast casual restaurants, which offer more robust and expensive cuisines.

McDonald's and other major brands

Mc-onald#s, a noted fast-food supplier, opened its first franchised restaurant in the I< in 23CC /237A in the I>0. +t has become a phenomenally successful enterprise in terms of financial rowth, brand-name reco nition, and worldwide expansion. !ay >roc, who bou ht the franchisin license from the Mc-onald brothers, pioneered many concepts which emphasized standardization. 9e introduced uniform products, identical in all respects at each outlet, to increase sales. %t the same time, >roc also insisted on cuttin food costs as much as possible, eventually usin the Mc-onald#s "orporation#s size to force suppliers to conform to this ethos.

Regional chains
Many fast food operations have more local and re ional roots, such as .hite "astle in the Midwest Inited <tates, alon with 9ardee#s /owned by ">( !estaurants, which also owns "arl#s 6r., whose locations are primarily on the Inited <tates .est "oast0, >rystal, BoLan les#, and Maxby#s restaurants in the %merican <outheast, !aisin "ane#s in =ouisiana, the famous +n-$-Eut Bur er /in "alifornia, %rizona, and $evada0 and Tommy#s chains in <outhern "alifornia, -ick#s -rive-+n in <eattle .ashin ton, and %rctic "ircle in Itah and other western states. %lso, .hatabur er is a popular bur er chain in the <outh and Mexico. "anada pizza chains Toppers *izza and *izza *izza are primarily located in Entario. "offee chain "ountry <tyle operates only in Entario, and competes with the famous coffee and donut chain Tim 9ortons and -unkin -onuts.

nternational chains
The fast-food industry is popular in the Inited <tates, the source of most of its innovation, and many maLor international chains are based there. <een as symbols of I< dominance and perceived cultural imperialism, %merican fast-food franchises have often been the tar et of %nti- lobalization protests and demonstrations a ainst the I< overnment. +n 855C, for example, rioters in >arachi, 4

*akistan, who were initially an ered because of the bombin of a <hiite mosque, destroyed a >entucky )ried "hicken restaurant.?A@ Multinational corporations typically modify their menus to cater to local tastes and most overseas outlets are owned by native franchisees. Mc-onald#s in +ndia, for example, uses lamb rather than beef in its bur ers because 9induism traditionally forbids eatin beef. +n +srael the maLority of Mc-onald#s restaurants are kosher and respects the 6ewish shabbat, there is also a kosher Mc-onald#s in %r entina. +n ( ypt and <audi %rabia, all menu items are halal. 9owever, these concessions to local practice have not quashed criticism. %dditionally, multinational fast-food chains are not the only or even the primary source of fast food in most of the world. Many re ional and local chains have developed around the world to compete with international chains and provide menu items that appeal to the unique re ional tastes and habits. Most fast food in the developin world, however, is provided by small individual mom and pop eateries. +n the developin world, local eateries. +n "anada the maLority of fast food chains are %merican owned, or were ori inally %merican owned but have since set up a "anadian mana ementGheadquarters location in cities such as Toronto and ,ancouver. %lthou h the case is usually %merican fast food chains expandin into "anada, "anadian chains such as Tim 9ortons have expanded into 25 states in the Inited <tates, but are more prominent in border states such as $ew 1ork andGor Michi an. +n the Inited >in dom, many home based fast food operations were closed in the 2375s and 23B5s after Mc-onald#s became the number one outlet in the market?citation needed@. 9owever, brands like .impy still remain, althou h the maLority of branches became Bur er >in in 23B3. +n )rance and Bel ium, Nuick is a popular alternative to Mc-onald#s and Bur er >in . Traditional ramen and sushi restaurants still dominate fast food culture in 6apan, althou h %merican outlets like *izza 9ut, Mc-onald#s and >entucky )ried "hicken are also popular, alon with .estern-style 6apanese chains like Mos Bur er. +n %frica, Mr. Bi #s and Tantalizers are the predominant fast food chains in $i eria, while $ando#s and <teers are predominant in <outh %frica.

!utritional "alue
Because the fast food concept relies on speed, uniformity and low cost, fast food products are often made with in redients formulated to achieve a certain flavor or consistency and to preserve freshness. This requires a hi h de ree of food en ineerin , the use of additives and processin techniques that substantially alter the food from its ori inal form and reduce its nutritional value.

Changes
)ast-food chains have come under fire from consumer roups /such as the "enter for <cience in the *ublic +nterest, a lon time fast-food critic0 over the past decade. <ome of the concerns have led to the rise of the <low )ood movement. This movement seeks to preserve local cuisines and in redients, and directly opposes laws and habits that favor fast-food choices. %mon other thin s, it strives to educate consumers# palates to prefer what it considers richer, more varied, and more nourishin tastes of fresh local in redients harvested in season.

<ome of the lar e fast-food chains are be innin to incorporate healthier alternatives in their menu, e. ., salads and fresh fruit. 9owever, some people see these moves as a tokenistic and commercial measure, rather than an appropriate reaction to ethical concerns about the world ecolo y and people#s health. Mc-onald#s has announced that in March of 855D, the chain will include nutritional information on the packa in of all of its products. ?C@.

Consumer appeal
)ast-food outlets have become popular with consumers for several reasons. Ene is that throu h economies of scale in purchasin and producin food, these companies can deliver food to consumers at a very low cost. +n addition, althou h some people dislike fast food for its predictability, it can be reassurin to a hun ry person in a hurry or far from home.?D@ +n the post-war period in the Inited <tates, fast food chains like Mc-onald#s rapidly ained a reputation for their cleanliness, fast service and a child-friendly atmosphere where families on the road could rab a quick meal, or seek a break from the routine of home cookin . *rior to the rise of the fast food chain restaurant, people enerally had a choice between reasy-spoon diners where the quality of the food was often questionable and service lackin , or hi h-end restaurants that were expensive and impractical for families with children. The modern, stream-lined convenience of the fast food restaurant provided a new alternative and appealed to %mericans# instinct for ideas and products associated with pro ress, technolo y and innovation. )ast food restaurants rapidly became the eatery &everyone could a ree on&, with many featurin child-size menu combos, play areas and whimsical brandin campai ns, like the iconic !onald Mc-onald, desi ned to appeal to youn er customers. *arents could have a few minutes of peace while children played or amused themselves with the toys included in their 9appy Meal. There is a lon history of fast food advertisin campai ns, many of which are directed at children. +n other parts of the world, %merican and %merican-style fast food outlets have been popular for their quality, customer service and novelty, even thou h they are often the tar ets of popular an er towards %merican forei n policy or lobalization more enerally. Many consumers nonetheless see them as symbols of the wealth, pro ress and well-ordered openness of .estern society and therefore become trendy attractions in many cities around the world, particularly amon youn er people with more varied tastes.?citation needed@

nno"ations timeline

2372O .endy#s be ins drive-throu h service utilizin call-box technolo y 23B5O 7-(leven introduces the 48-ounce Bi HulpP 23B2O %rby#s offers nutritional information 233AO Mc-onald#s be ins &supersizin & (xtra ,alue Meals 233AO %rctic "ircle becomes the first fast-food restaurant to sell %n us beef exclusively. 233AO %rby#s is first fast-food restaurant to implement a no-smokin policy 855DO %rby#s be ins elimination of trans fat oils in french fries 8557O <tarbucks announces a phase-out of trans fats on all menu items ?7@

Criticisms
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*lease help improve this article by addin citations to reliable sources. /help, et involvedQ0 %ny material not supported by sources may be challen ed and removed at any time. This article has been ta ed since %ctober &''(.

9ot -o Because of its convenience, fast food is popular and commercially successful in most modern societies, but it is often criticized for havin the followin shortcomin s, amon othersO

Many popular fast-food menu items are unhealthy, and excessive consumption /where excessive is enerally defined as two or more times per week0 can lead to obesity. (xploitative advertisin and marketin are used, especially directed at children /which can have an adverse effect on their eatin habits and health0. +t causes environmental dama e throu h excessive packa in and clearin forests for animal rearin . +t reduces the diversity of local cuisines. +t survives on a low-wa e, low-benefit employment model, promotin exploitative labor practices throu hout the food and food service industry +ts franchisin scheme /royalties0. +ts often lower quality versus sit-down restaurants.

% chicken sandwich from 9ooters The fast-food industry is a popular tar et for critics, from would-be populists like 6osF BovF /whose destruction of a Mc-onald#s in )rance made him a folk hero to some0 to ve etarian activist roups such as *(T%. +n his best-sellin 8552 book Fast Food Nation, investi ative Lournalist (ric <chlosser leveled a broad, socio-economic critique a ainst the fast food industry, documentin how fast food rose from small, family-run businesses /like the hello Mc-onald brothers# bur er Loint0 into lar e, multinational corporate Lu ernauts whose economies of scale radically transformed a riculture, meat processin and labor markets in the late twentieth century. .hile the innovations of the fast food industry ave %mericans more and cheaper dinin options, it has come at the price of destroyin the environment, economy and small-town communities of rural %merica while shieldin consumers from the real costs of their convenient meal, both in terms of health and the broader impact of lar e-scale food production and processin on workers, animals and land. <chlosser#s critics?B@ respond that fast food companies merely provide somethin consumers want and that the economies of scale developed by the industry have had a net positive effect on the %merican and lobal economy. -efenders of fast food companies point out that they provide entrylevel Lobs to people with few skills who mi ht otherwise be unemployed and that individual consumers should be responsible for their eatin choices, not business. They say that <chlosser and other critics blame fast food companies for social problems that are not of their makin . D

)egal issues
+n the hi h profile Mc=ibel case, Mc-onald#s took two anti-Mc-onald#s campai ners, 9elen <teel and -avid Morris, to court for a trial lastin two and a half yearsRthe lon est in (n lish le al history and part of a 85-year battleRafter the pair distributed leaflets critical of the company and its food in =ondon#s streets. Mc-onald#s won the case in the I> 9i h "ourt, and were awarded SD5,555 dama es, which later was reduced to SA5,555 by the "ourt of %ppeal. 9owever, the court ruled in favour of a number of the defendants# claims, includin that Mc-onald#s low rates of pay depress rates across the fast-food industry. <teel and Morris then made a separate but related claim a ainst the I> Hovernment in the (uropean "ourt of 9uman !i hts, claimin that the lack of access to le al aid and the heavy burden of proof that lay with them to prove their claims /rather than Mc-onald#s, the claimants, havin to prove that the claims were false0 under I> libel law breached the ri ht to a fair trial and freedom of expression. The ("9! ruled a ainst the I> Hovernment, which subsequently introduced le islation to chan e the libel laws to remedy the defects hi hli hted by the ("9! Lud ment. The libel char e and fine were overturned in an appeals case. +n 8554, Mc-onald#s was sued in a $ew 1ork court by a family who claimed that the restaurant chain was responsible for their teena e dau hter#s obesity and attendant health problems. By manipulatin food#s taste, su ar and fat content and directin their advertisin to children, the suit ar ued that the company purposely misleads the public about the nutritional value of its product. % Lud e dismissed the case, but the fast food industry disliked the publicity of its practices, particularly the way it tar ets children in its advertisin . ?3@ %lthou h further lawsuits have not materialized, the issue is kept alive by in the media and political circles by those promotin the need for tort reform httpOGGwww.le alunder round.comG855CG5AGfastTfood.html. +n response to this, the &"heesebur er Bill& ?25@ was passed by the I.<. 9ouse of !epresentatives in 855A' it later stalled in the I.<. <enate. The law was reintroduced in 855C, only to meet the same fate. This law was claimed to &?ban@ frivolous lawsuits a ainst producers and sellers of food and non-alcoholic drinks arisin from obesity claims.& The bill arose because of an increase in lawsuits a ainst fast-food chains by people who claimed that eatin their products made them obese, disassociatin themselves from any of the blame.