Introduction
Fast food is a convenient and affordable way to get a quick meal, but it can also be unhealthy and full of hidden secrets. From the ingredients used to the way food is prepared, fast food owners have a lot of secrets they don’t want you to know. In this article, we’ll reveal 10 secrets fast food owners are keeping from you. From the unhealthy ingredients used to the deceptive marketing tactics, you’ll be shocked to learn what’s really going on behind the scenes. So, if you’re looking to make healthier choices when it comes to fast food, read on to learn the truth about what you’re really eating.
10 Secrets Fast Food Owners Are Keeping From You
Fast food restaurants are a staple in many people’s diets, but there are some secrets that fast food owners don’t want you to know. From the ingredients they use to the way they market their food, here are 10 secrets fast food owners are keeping from you.
1. They Use Low-Quality Ingredients
Fast food restaurants often use low-quality ingredients to keep costs down. This means that the food you’re eating may not be as fresh or nutritious as you think. Many fast food restaurants also use artificial flavors and preservatives to make their food taste better.
2. They Don’t Always Follow Health Regulations
Many fast food restaurants don’t always follow health regulations when it comes to food preparation and storage. This means that the food you’re eating may not be as safe as you think. It’s important to be aware of the health regulations in your area and make sure that the fast food restaurant you’re eating at is following them.
3. They Use High-Calorie Ingredients
Fast food restaurants often use high-calorie ingredients to make their food taste better. This means that the food you’re eating may be higher in calories than you think. It’s important to be aware of the calorie content of the food you’re eating and make sure that you’re not consuming too many calories.
4. They Don’t Always Disclose Allergens
Many fast food restaurants don’t always disclose all of the allergens in their food. This means that if you have a food allergy, you may be at risk of having an allergic reaction. It’s important to ask about allergens before you order and make sure that the food you’re eating is safe for you.
5. They Use Unhealthy Cooking Methods
Fast food restaurants often use unhealthy cooking methods to prepare their food. This means that the food you’re eating may not be as healthy as you think. It’s important to be aware of the cooking methods used and make sure that the food you’re eating is cooked in a healthy way.
6. They Don’t Always Follow Food Safety Guidelines
Many fast food restaurants don’t always follow food safety guidelines when it comes to food preparation and storage. This means that the food you’re eating may not be as safe as you think. It’s important to be aware of the food safety guidelines in your area and make sure that the fast food restaurant you’re eating at is following them.
7. They Use High-Sodium Ingredients
Fast food restaurants often use high-sodium ingredients to make their food taste better. This means that the food you’re eating may be higher in sodium than you think. It’s important to be aware of the sodium content of the food you’re eating and make sure that you’re not consuming too much sodium.
8. They Don’t Always Disclose Nutritional Information
Many fast food restaurants don’t always disclose all of the nutritional information for their food. This means that you may not be aware of the nutritional content of the food you’re eating. It’s important to ask about nutritional information before you order and make sure that the food you’re eating is healthy for you.
9. They Use Unhealthy Fats
Fast food restaurants often use unhealthy fats to make their food taste better. This means that the food you’re eating may be higher in unhealthy fats than you think. It’s important to be aware of the fat content of the food you’re eating and make sure that you’re not consuming too much unhealthy fat.
10. They Market Unhealthy Food to Kids
Many fast food restaurants market their food to children, even though it may not be healthy for them. This means that children may be exposed to unhealthy food choices and may be more likely to make unhealthy food choices in the future. It’s important to be aware of the marketing tactics used by fast food restaurants and make sure that your children are not being exposed to unhealthy food choices.
According to The Atlantic, America is home to some 190,000 quick-service restaurants, a pleasant euphemism for the oft pejorative term fast food. That means we have more fast food restaurants here than there are citizens of more than 20 of the world’s nations.
In other words, fast food is a huge business, and it can be a hugely profitable enterprise for the people who own and operate a fast food franchise. Said owner-operators might see a bit less foot traffic and fewer cars in the drive-thru line if more customers knew some of these secrets we unearthed, though.
According to data crunched by Franchise Business Review, most franchise owners in the food and beverage sector are not making all that much money. In fact, more than a third of them, some 37%, earn less than $50,000 per year, meaning they are making less than the average U.S. salary, which is $53,490 a year in 2022, per Jobted.
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When you step into a crisp, clean fast food joint, your first thought might be that the owner and managers take their jobs seriously and that the food must be as safe as possible. That may not be the case, according to Reader’s Digest: while your food likely won’t be spoiled or mishandled, it may contain traces of chemicals that are used to clean the store daily, and the cleaner the store looks and feels, the more chemicals may be present.
Managers of corporate stores or fast food franchise owners can get bonuses for keeping employee turnover rates low, per Reader’s Digest. This often results in locations holding onto subpar employees who should really be let go.
It’s almost an ongoing joke how often McDonald’s soft serve ice cream machines are broken. But according to workers sharing in a Reddit thread, the constant need for maintenance may be no accident: When franchise owners are forced to pay for pricey service calls on their hardware, the McDonald’s Corporation, which is partnered with the maker of the units, Taylor, makes money.
While franchisees have fought to make this fact public, corporate leadership at McDonald’s, in particular, has tried to keep it quiet, but store owners of color, specifically Black franchisees, were subjected to discriminatory practices for years, according to Bloomberg. This included these owner-operators only being allowed to open or acquire restaurants in lower-income areas, thereby ensuring they would be less profitable.
Via Delishably, according to a former McDonald’s manager who worked at multiple locations for four different owners over the course of seven years, many franchise owners totally disregard labor laws. This includes not giving workers proper breaks, hiring staff who are too young to work, and ignoring cases of harassment, to name but a few issues.
Sure, some owners may gripe about the cost of installing one of those new-fangled self-serve kiosks in their restaurants, as the units can cost well over $5,000 each, per Upserve. But they also get the average customer to unwittingly spend about 20% more per order thanks to all the upsell options they present.
Prior to the 1990s, McDonald’s fries were cooked in beef tallow, aka rendered fat. That year, the chain switched to vegetable oil frying, but if you look closely at the nutrition info stashed away on the chain’s site, you’ll see “Natural Beef Flavor” listed in the ingredients. Why might a Mickey D’s owner want this kept secret? Because fries are the chain’s best-seller, per Cheat Sheet.
According to Reader’s Digest, scores of individual fast food restaurants have shut down in 2022, including many Subways, Pizza Huts, Taco Bells, and others. And what’s more, entire chains have shut down system-wide many times over the years, chains like Chi-Chis and Kenny Rogers Roasters, and White Tower. Owning a fast food restaurant can be difficult, thankless work.
Steven John