Introduction
The fast-food industry has been around for decades, and it has become an integral part of American culture. But did you know that the oldest fast-food chain in America is still around today? This chain has been serving up delicious burgers, fries, and shakes since the 1940s, and it has become a beloved part of Americana. In this article, we’ll take a look at the history of this iconic fast-food chain and how it has managed to stay relevant for so many years.
This Is the Oldest Fast-Food Chain In America
The oldest fast-food chain in America is White Castle, which opened its first restaurant in Wichita, Kansas in 1921. White Castle is credited with inventing the hamburger slider, and it is the first fast-food chain to offer burgers, fries, and shakes. The chain is known for its small, square-shaped burgers, which are cooked on a bed of onions and served on a steamed bun. White Castle has over 400 locations in 13 states.
White Castle is not the only fast-food chain with a long history in the United States. McDonald’s opened its first restaurant in 1940 in San Bernardino, California. Burger King opened its first restaurant in Miami, Florida in 1954. Wendy’s opened its first restaurant in Columbus, Ohio in 1969. Taco Bell opened its first restaurant in Downey, California in 1962.
The fast-food industry has grown significantly since the first White Castle restaurant opened in 1921. Today, there are over 200,000 fast-food restaurants in the United States, and the industry generates over $200 billion in annual sales. Fast-food restaurants have become a staple of American culture, and they are now found in nearly every city and town in the country.
Should you go by sure numbers, White Fort is a comparatively minor participant within the general panorama of fast-food eating places. It has fewer than 400 areas unfold throughout simply 13 states, in comparison with a staggering footprint of 37,800 McDonald’s eating places, which will be present in virtually each nation on earth. White Fort’s complete annual income for 2018 was round $556 million, whereas Wendy’s generated some $1.59 billion that yr. And whereas White Fort employs about 10,000 folks, Subway, the world’s largest restaurant chain, has an estimated 384,000 staff across the globe.
However there may be one quantity no different chain can contact: years in enterprise. White Fort was based in 1921 and can have fun 100 years of burgers, fries, and different quick meals subsequent yr. It’s arguably the oldest fast-food chain not simply in America, however on the earth. And their signature merchandise, the small, sq. slider, has withstood the check of time, altering little or no because it debuted on the menu at 5 cents a pop. (Associated: McDonald’s Is Making These 8 Main Upgrades.)
White Fort predates McDonald’s by 19 years, the burger big being based in 1940. It additionally predates Burger King, or Insta-Burger King, because it was known as, in addition to KFC, Sonic, and Whataburger, all of which opened up through the quick meals growth within the Fifties.
Regardless of its modest location rely, it’s the oldest chain restaurant in America. And anyway, the restricted variety of areas is totally intentional and by design, not based mostly on the dearth of curiosity from would-be franchisees.
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