Fast food was born in the United States, although its true origin takes us to Ancient Egypt

The concept of fast food as we understand it today, which is a form of restoration based on the fast and inexpensive consumption of hamburgers in places run by large international chains, took shape in the first half of the 20th century in the United States. However, it seems that its origin is much more distant.

Who Invented Fast Food?

If we look back by tracing the steps on which fast-food chain was the first to originate the "boom" for this type of food as we understand it today, many will think of the origin of McDonald's, or perhaps Burger King's. However, the oldest fast-food chain is A&W Restaurants, founded in 1919 by entrepreneurs Roy Allen and Frank Wright, whose example was followed in 1921 by Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson, founders of White Castle.

Like an Assembly Line

It was then that the future "star" of the sector burst onto the scene: McDonald's, whose first traces date back to 1940, when the entrepreneurial creativity of the brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald (better known as Dick and Mac) led them to perfect process standards of production and rationalization of spaces (as in an assembly line) that characterize fast food today. This business then attracted more and more entrepreneurs, and already in 1953 another well-known chain was born: Burger King. In the following decades, fast food established itself in Europe and then the rest of the world.
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Fast Food in Ancient Egypt

However, the concept of fast food and takeout was not new, but actually has its roots in the ancient world. The first ancestors of fast food go back to the Egyptian and Greek world who already had specialized stalls selling fried fish.

However, it was in ancient Rome that "fast food" was successful. In fact, the inhabitants of Rome and other centers, from Ostia to Pompeii (Italy), frequented the thermopolium, places to buy drinks and prepared food, both to take away and to consume on the spot. They were equipped with a counter, overlooking the street, in which terracotta amphoras were placed for the preservation and presentation of food, especially soups and legumes.

Street Vendors of The Middle Ages

In medieval times, however, there were a large number of street vendors who, with their carts, offered easy food to eat while walking. Among the specialties, pasta wrappers filled with meat, cheeses, and vegetables.

It was with the arrival of the modern era and the industrial revolution that the custom of eating in pioneering fast-food restaurants spread, especially in large cities, where workers had little time to eat lunch. In Victorian London, around 1860, the fashion for fish and chips (wrapped in newspaper) was established, to be consumed in the street shops with popular prices, which would end up generating the tradition of the popular British fish and chips.

The First Vending Machine

The evolution of fast food, which also includes Neapolitan pizza, also born in the 19th century as street food, continued in the United States, where the economic boom of the early 20th century and intense work rhythms pushed millions of people to eat out. Many entrepreneurs sniffed at the deal and began designing increasingly efficient stores. For example, automatic fast-food restaurants appeared in which prepackaged food was dispensed from coin dispensers. This type, known as "Automat" and already tested in Germany (in Berlin) in 1895, spread in the USA from 1902 from Philadelphia to the rest of the country.

In the same year, a new specialty was established: the hamburger. The meat sandwiches (accompanied by fries) made the fortune of the first chains like A&W and White Castle. This last one, to attract new customers, created a square-shaped sandwich, still the best seller, the "White Castle Slider", and distinguished himself by the use of advertising and discount coupons.
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Burgers in Sight

But White Castle's most innovative move was to standardize food supply and production and to show the public the preparation of burgers, thanks to the large windows that revolved around the kitchen, all in simple and replicable local decoration in each branch.

In the aftermath of White Castle, the McDonald brothers moved in, modernizing production processes and helping fast-food restaurants adapt current characteristics. Since the late 1950s, his company was expanded by his business partner Ray Kroc, who kept the name, transforming it into an economic empire.

Meanwhile, in addition to Burger King, another chain destined for success was born, Kentucky Fried Chicken, founded in 1952, while in 1965 Subway will arrive. Fast food restaurants "Made in America" had no choice but to land in Europe, and the first was a McDonald’s, opened in 1971 in Zaandam, the Netherlands.
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Healthier Foods With Less Fat

And we come to the new millennium, characterized by a greater sensitivity towards the relationship between nutrition-environment-health. Many fast-food restaurants, accused of offering unhealthy food, have introduced salads and less fatty foods on their menus. Also, given the rise in vegetarians and vegans, many chains offer "veggie" burgers, similar to the original in appearance, salads, and more.

But in addition to the new ecological perspectives, there are also other technological ones. In fact, an automated fast-food change is beginning to be seen, with mechanical arms in charge of preparing the food and, as is already the case in some restaurants in China and Japan, waiter robots ready to serve.

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