Have you ever wondered how fast food and chain restaurants came about? Well it all dates back to 1896. Fast food restaurants used to be called Automats and Smash and Grabs, which was invented in Berlin, and mainly used as vending machine restaurants. In 1921, the first chain restaurant was created called, White Castle which first was found in Wichita, Kansas. White Castle was considered the original American food chain most famously known for its 5 cent burgers.

The fast food industry flourished after WWII with the rise of suburbia, interstate highways, and other car forward infrastructures ,which is later how drive through became. The drive through system was a success along with drive in restaurants. In & Out burger was the restaurant that really created the modern drive through in 1948 like the ones we see today. 

In the early 21st century there were around 200,000 fast food chains in the United States alone. Other corporations like McDonald’s, Subway, and Starbucks had thousands of locations internationally. In 2021 the fast food industry collectively made more than $250 billion dollars in revenue. 

All this fast food history has led to now. From automats to 5 cent burgers to the first drive through restaurant and to now. The fast food industry has certainly come a very long way.