Random Fast Food In Every Decade Since Turn Of th Century (12 items)

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  (#4) 1930s: QSRs Were Slow To Grow During The Great Depression

  The Great Depression was a tough time for quick service restaurants, but several important milestones occurred during the 1930s. In 1930, Harlan Sanders opened a restaurant in Corbin, KY, which he named Sanders' Court & Cafe. The roadside restaurant serviced fried chicken to travelers and locals. 

  Sanders didn't turn his cafe into the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise until 1952. 

  Also in the 1930s, Howard Johnson came up with a new idea: he would let other restaurant operators use his name for a fee. Johnson, an ice cream seller, thus invented the restaurant franchising model, which soon became standard in the fast food industry. 
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  (#10) 1990s: Value Menus Gain Traction At Burger King And Wendy’s

  The 1990s brought a new innovation in fast food: value menus. Wendy's pioneered the idea of a value menu in 1989. As a growing number of chains competed for burger sales, Wendy's used the value menu to drive new customers. The value menu offered nine items sold at 99 cents, including hamburgers, fries, and drinks. 

  Burger King launched its first value menu in 1998, quickly followed by other chains, including McDonald's Dollar Menu, launched in 2003. 
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  (#8) 1970s: Breakfast Items Were Introduced To Fast Food Menus

  Chains like Dominos, Wendy's, and Jack in the Box focused on lunch and dinner menus until the 1970s, when many fast food chains expanded into breakfast.

  In fact, Jack in the Box introduced the first breakfast sandwich in 1969, but it was McDonald's that revolutionized fast food breakfast. 

  In 1972, McDonald's created the first Egg McMuffin. Herb Peterson, a franchise owner, came up with the idea, which he shared with Ray Kroc. Peterson loved eggs benedict and wanted to expand the idea to fast food. 

  By 1977, McDonald's restaurants across the country were serving up Egg McMuffins and a complete breakfast menu, including hotcakes, sausage, and hash browns. 
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  (#3) 1920s: White Castle Marks The First Traditional Fast Food Restaurant Opening

  In 1921, Walter Anderson and Billy Ingram opened the first White Castle in Wichita, KS. By 1924, the chain had multiple locations in Kansas and Missouri. 

  But White Castle wasn't just the first fast food restaurant. It also pioneered the most popular fast food: burgers. Anderson invented the hamburger bun and developed the assembly line as a method to cook fast food. 

  Thanks to White Castle, burgers soon became an inexpensive, fast option across the Midwest, where the chain quickly expanded. 
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  (#12) 2010s: Clean Eating Initiatives Spark Change In Fast Food Menus

  In 2006, two years after Super Size Me, 75% of adults reported they were trying to eat healthier in restaurants. Three years later, a National Restaurant Association survey said the No. 1 food trend was increasing the use of local produce. 

  The clean eating movement changed the fast food industry - but not without challenges. In 2013, Burger King introduced a lower-calorie French fry, but it lasted less than a year. Still, fast food chains have increased their plant-based options, often incorporating vegan foods like the Impossible Burger.

  In 2018, McDonald's also announced that it would remove all preservatives and artificial colors from seven burgers. The restaurant also offers carrots, apple slices, and salads. 

  However, the changes aren't always winning over customers. Although McDonald's now offers healthier sides, a recent study showed that the number of parents buying healthier sides with their kids' meals dropped between 2013 and 2016.
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  (#1) 1900s: The First American Automat Opens Introducing Americans To Take-Out Dining

  Fast food was brand new at the turn of the 20th century. The recently invented automat offered a new, high-tech experience for hungry diners - diners would insert coins into a massive vending machine to receive their meal. Horn & Hardart unveiled its first automat in 1902. 

  “New Method of Lunching,” a New York Times advertisement declared. “Try It! You’ll Like It!!” 

  What did people buy from automats? The vending machines contained sandwiches, chicken pot pie, and hot slices of pie. The hot food options included steak, soup, and mashed potatoes. Behind the machine, food service workers refilled empty slots to keep the machine running smoothly. The slogan promised "less work for mother."

  Horn & Hardart opened another automat in Times Square, truly kicking off the fast food era.

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