Many of the pioneer locations of some of our favorite fast food restaurants are still going
strong, in full operation and slinging quick-service grub to legions of loyal fans, just as they
have since the very beginning.
These are some of the original fast food locations you can still eat at today.
We begin our list with a bit of a contentious entry, since the location of the world's first
KFC depends a lot on who you ask.
According to the national historical society of North Corbin, Kentucky, the "birthplace
of Kentucky Fried Chicken" is located inside Sanders Cafe on 1002 W. Dixie Hwy.
That's where the Colonel first developed the recipe for his signature chicken.
Today, hungry diners can still feast there, in a dark wood-paneled dining room populated
with the original maple tables and chairs from the 1940s.
But while that's where Colonel Sanders first learned to cook his chicken, the first actual
KFC franchise location is on 3890 S. State St. in Murray, Utah.
It opened in 1952, and now it contains a life-sized bronze statue of the Colonel to greet hungry
customers.
Inside, you'll find a collection of additional Colonel Sanders memorabilia, including original
posters, advertising, and that iconic white suit.
Countless donut and coffee concoctions were created at the very first ever location of
Dunkin' Donuts, which opened in 1950 on 543 Southern Artery in Quincy, Massachusetts.
Present-day visitors to the store's first location may not find cups of coffee for just
a dime, but the location received a retro makeover in 2011 to honor the '50s-era roots
of the original.
There's a unique script logo emblazoned on the outside of the building, along with horseshoe-shaped
counter service inside.
It's the only location where you'll find this retro revival, as a Dunkin' Donuts spokesman
has promised that it won't approve any other throwback renovations in any other location.
As one of the pioneers in fast-casual restaurant chains in the United States, Chipotle's unique
blend of infinitely customizable burritos and fresh ingredients continues unfettered.
And it turns out, it's been that way from the very beginning.
Well, almost.
The world's first Chipotle was located in a barely-functional block of buildings in
a run-down neighborhood in downtown Denver.
Multiple storefronts used the same water supply, which meant that if someone was getting a
shampoo at the hair salon next door, Chipotle's fountain soda machine stopped working.
Founder Steve Ells estimated that to stay in business, he'd need to sell 114 burritos
per day.
Soon, he was selling more than ten times that many, out of a storefront that was basically
broken half the time.
Lovers of the chain's mission-style burritos can still slide into the original location
on 1644 E. Evans Ave. for their Chipotle fix.
Even if you've never visited the original iconic Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Stand, smack
on the boardwalk in the middle of New York's Coney Island, you're probably familiar with
the brand.
In addition to a line of packaged hot dogs and condiments, Nathan's Famous has sprawled
out to include dozens of locations in rest stops, airports, and strip malls.
And that's not to mention the annual Nathan's-sponsored hot dog eating contest, where slender men
eat dozens of water-soaked hot dogs in the blistering heat of the Brooklyn sun.
The original location can be found at 1310 Surf Ave., right down the street from one
of Coney Island's longest-operating sideshow and burlesque venues.
Hungry hot dog gobblers can rub elbows with sword swallowers, tattooed ladies, and some
guy from Staten Island starting a fistfight.
It's been a sprawling, neon-soaked icon of Surf Avenue for more than 100 years.
In the 1950s, pizza's popularity in America was skyrocketing.
Enter Mike Ilitch and his wife Marian, who sunk their life savings into the opening of
the first Little Caesars in Garden City, Michigan in 1959.
On their first day in business, Little Caesars sold 49 pizzas, and Ilitch recorded each of
the sales by hand in a spiral-bound notebook.
You can still stop in for a "Pizza!
Pizza!" at the store's first location, located at 32594 Cherry Hill Road in an aging strip
mall in Garden City.
A commemorative plaque hangs on the wall outside, marking the chain's place in pizza history.
Sadly, concerns over the mall's future mean that Little Caesars is currently planning
to leave the original location and relocate to a new store a few blocks away.
Tucked away on a quiet road not too far from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport sits
an important piece of fried chicken history: the legendary Dwarf House café, where founder
S. Truett Cathy and his brother Ben first started tinkering with variations of his signature
sandwich in 1946.
After lots of testing and feedback from customers, Cathy settled on a recipe worthy of building
an empire around, eventually opening more than 2,000 locations.
Chick-fil-A superfans can still stop in at the original location at 461 N. Central Ave.
in Hapeville, Georgia, where they will find numerous unique touches not found in the nationwide
franchise locations.
This includes counter and table service, as well as special menu items including BLTs,
steaks, burgers, and a "Hot Brown" consisting of a fried chicken filet drenched in gravy
and cheese.
Unlike many franchise locations, The Dwarf House is open 24 hours a day, but only from
Monday to Saturday, because, like all Chick-fil-A locations, the original is always closed on
Sundays.