To understand how the fast food industry emerged and gained popularity, we must go back to the postwar 1950s. It was the heyday of consumer culture, with more and more cars on the streets and people seeking speed and convenience in their meals. This was when brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald created a ground-breaking concept. They opened a restaurant that served simple dishes, like burgers, through an optimized process.

McDonald’s immediately became popular, appealing to consumers with its speed and accessibility. Initially, the company’s primary audience was teenagers, but soon, adults visiting with small children also appeared. The McDonald brothers were making a lot at the time—$100,000 a year in profit. But they had no plans to expand. Everything changed when Ray Kroc, the seller of milkshake machines, joined the company. He was the person who made McDonald’s a global sensation.

Ray Kroc began to expand the network and traveled all over the country, making the business even more successful. In 1960, there were 250 McDonald’s restaurants in the United States. 13 years later, this number increased to 3000! As of 2020, there are about 37,000 locations worldwide. Over time, other establishments began to appear, copying the idea. Fast-food restaurants were lucrative because they did not require a lot of money to open, but they brought in a lot of profit.

Wall Street quickly noticed the financial benefits of the fast food chain and began to invest heavily in it. Thus, a small idea grew into a whole industry that is still in demand worldwide. Moreover, this area has become the most profitable component of American business. After McDonald’s, other chains such as Burger King, Wendy’s, and Kentucky Fried Chicken took the original idea, added their characteristics to it, and became world-famous and wealthy companies.