For as long as fast food has been around, McDonald’s has been the most popular. However, there may be trouble in paradise as the nation is slowly moving on from burgers and fries to salads and chicken! In recent years consumer reports are showing a growing support for healthy “quick service foods”. The average consumer is showing that they’re willing to pay extra for a premium product. Due to this change, brands like Panera Bread, Jason’s Deli, and Chick-fil-a are all making a splash in recent years due to their high quality of food and more welcoming environment, meanwhile the fast and casual trend in still growing and continuing to develop within the public. Take for instance the recent push for fresh and organic ingredients. As a result of the recent E Coli outbreak in early 2016 the public began to demand fresh, clean, and organic ingredients. Subsequently this demand has been met by nearly every respectable fast food chain. |
It’s no secret that America loves fast food. Even from the start, the census was obsessed! So much so that once McDonald’s opened its first restaurant in 1948 (essentially conceiving the industry), Merriam-Webster had added the term ‘Fast-Food’ to the dictionary by 1951, and by 1958 fast food restaurants had served over 100 million burgers. Fast-food and the industry as we know it today, has come a long way since the first burgers were served and has established itself [the fast food industry] into the lives of billions across the globe. One of the most significant companies of our generation is easily McDonald’s. A food-service juggernaut luring in people of all ages with their golden arches like moths to a light in the night that from the start was successful! After opening its doors in 1948 the then small time restaurant served burgers for 15 cents a patty, and has since evolved into an international symbol for french fries and cheeseburgers for children across the globe. McDonald’s initially opened its doors in the late ‘40s, the then small chain focused on fast service by limiting its menu to 9 items; today it serves over 170 items on the menu with ease. The biggest change the industry has seen since its creation is the increase in meal size per capita. Take for example; the average serving of french fries is 7-8 ounces of fries. If this doesn’t seem like a lot of food, for comparison the average full meal in 1955 was only 2.4 ounces. Drink sizes have also increased over time, gradually rising over 17 ounces from the original 8 ounce size! This philosophy of “bigger is better” was accepted as law in the food industry. That was the case until the early 2000's when filmmaker Morgan Spurlock filmed himself eating McDonald’s for every single meal in Supersize Me (2004). In the documentary Spurlock’s body essentially turned on itself by the end of the film due to the high fat content and the over portioning of the meals. The film brought to surface the grotesque truth that one of America's biggest industries is willing to sacrifice their consumer’s well-being for profit. The documentary led to legislation reform and eventually lead to major changes in McDonald’s menu as it quickly cleansed itself of supersize meals and replaced them with “mini” options. As a result, major change was sparked in the fast food industry. In the matter of just a decade the entire industry’s focus changed from ‘biggest bang for your buck’ to focusing on all around nutrition and calorie control, for example congress just passed new legislation on the food service industry. As you can see, the food service industry has come a long way since the days of 15 cent burgers and short menus. Today it has evolved into a fluid and ever developing industry that continues to grow along with its audience! Yesterday we were focused on getting the most for the least, today people are demanding raw and organic ingredients. What will we demand as a consumer tomorrow? Drone delivery? Completely automated restaurants? Unfortunately we can’t know for sure, but it will undoubtedly create a major change that will shape the food service industry of the future for generations to come. Author: Adam B. Platt
1 Comment
2/26/2018 02:28:58 am
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