If you're the curious type and want to know where the fast food 'hot spot' was when you
were brought into the world, stay tuned, as we list down 10 Fast-Food Restaurants That
Were Popular When You Were Born.
McDonald's - 1950 To 1960
McDonald's is one heck of a success story. Everyone knows the world-famous Golden Arches
logo. With 38,000 locations in over 100 countries, it would be pretty difficult not to be familiar
with it. Back in the 1950s, even though McD's was just starting out, it still started out
with a bang. People all around could finally get a taste of what a fast-food burger experience
looked like. Founded in 1940, it wasn't until the end of the decade that the chain perfected
its fast-food model - their Speedee Service System - delivering hamburgers faster and
faster every year until finally, it reached perfection. It also wasn't until 1950 that
McDonald's began franchising, meaning the entire decade saw exponential growth for the
company. With new stores opening left and right, by 1958, McDonald's had already sold
100 million burgers. And, when it comes to what the menu looked like back then, these
were the years when new offerings like milkshakes made people flock to the restaurants. So,
if you were born, or if your parents were born during these "golden years," McDonald's
was the best around - and just beginning its reign of the fast food world.
KFC - 1960s
Another pretty iconic and renowned fast-food chain. After all, if we say "giant red-and-white-striped
bucket filled with crispy fried chicken," odds are you won't be thinking about anyone
but the Colonel. The one and only KFC began all the way back in 1930 in a Kentucky gas
station. Harland Sanders first started cooking for hungry travelers. A decade later, he introduced
the Original Recipe chicken to the delight of fast-food fans around the globe with the
delicious, one-of-a-kind, top-secret recipe we all know and love today. However, the Colonel's
chicken didn't exactly get a lot of recognition at first. It took a while before people really
started to take notice, and it was in the 1960s that things really took off for the
chain. In fact, it wasn't until 1960 that KFC, who already had 200 locations at the
time, really started to gain traction. By 1963, there were now at least 600 locations
across the United States. KFC was also was one of the first American fast-food chains
to expand internationally, opening restaurants in Canada and the United Kingdom. Over the
years, the chicken chain cemented its popularity in more than 145 countries, with a total of 24,000
restaurants. So, if you were born in the 1960s, KFC is probably where your parents and their
friends went for their fried chicken fix.
Taco Bell - 1970 To 1979
The recent obsession with Mexican food didn't start yesterday - actually, it was probably
born back in the 1970s, when Taco Bell was the talk of the town. So, if you're a 1970s
baby and you share that same unexplained love for tacos, then this might just be the explanation
you were looking for. Taco Bell started out in 1954 when Glen Bell, the founder of it
all, began selling a variety of Mexican-inspired food. After it started franchising in 1964,
it wasn't too long before things really started to look up, and it became just about the
most popular fast-food chain out there. The franchise really seemed to take off in 1975,
as it expanded to nearly 700 locations. What started out as a tiny taco joint began spreading
like wild, spicy fire all over the country and soon became the place to eat during the
70s. Amid all the ever growing franchise expansion, the 1970s was also the time Taco Bell welcomed one
of the chain's most popular items ever to the menu - the famous Enchirito. Soon, everybody
was obsessed with all things Taco Bell. Obviously, today with all of the other crazy delicious
menu offerings, the Enchirito looks like a small player, but back then, it was the next
best thing. The combination of an enchilada and a burrito was the star of the menu and
helped make Taco Bell the most successful chain of the decade.
Wendy's - 1980
Just like McDonald's, Wendy's has been a fast-food staple for a very long time. Since first opening
in 1969, the chain has steadily been gaining in popularity. Even though Wendy's might not
be as popular or as famous as that other burger joint with the clown mascot, it has still
managed to attract its fair share of loyal customers. And for good reason. I mean, who
else was serving up square burger patties? So, if you were born in the late 1970s or
early 1980s, you happen to be born at a time when Wendy's was super popular. In November
1970, Wendy's was responsible for one of the greatest fast-food technological advancements
of our time, the introduction of the first drive-thru window. This practically revolutionized
the world of fast-food into what we know today. When 1980 hit, Wendy's also hit a huge milestone.
Because more people started going to Wendy's, the chain needed to open more locations to
meet all the demand. Well, in 1980, Wendy's opened its 2,000th location, when only 2 years prior,
they had already set an industry record by opening 1,000 restaurants in 100 months. Let's
just say 1980 was a big year for the establishment.
Burger King - 1981 To 1984
Just like the other classic, go-to burger joints (hello Wendy and Ronald) - Burger
King has seen a thing or two since it first opened in 1953. I mean, it is called Burger King
for a reason, right? However, it hasn't always been fast-food royalty. It was originally
founded as a response to McDonald's raging success, thus, marking the beginning of the
ongoing war between the two chains. What set Burger King apart from McDonald's, though,
was its unique grill called the Insta-Broiler. This grill allowed the chain to grow its following
considerably and build its own menu. The Whopper, a quarter-pound burger with tomatoes,
lettuce, mayonnaise, ketchup, and pickles on a sesame seed-topped bun, has been a hit
for the chain for decades. It was first introduced in 1957, and from that moment on, the two
competitors became friendly rivals... Or so we thought. It wasn't until the early eighties
that Burger King launched its infamous "Battle of the Burgers" ad campaign. If you were born
during these years, you were also born during the official start of animosity between the
King and the Golden Arches, and it was Burger King who struck first. The gloves were now
off. The string of hostile commercials drew attention to the “poor quality” of McDonald’s
cooking techniques and how superior Burger King was. From about 1981 to 1984, these
commercials made Burger King the most popular fast-food chain.
Domino's - 1985-1986
Today, you can pretty much get pizza from anywhere. There are thousands of different
pizza joints from which you can grab a slice for dinner any night of the week. But, one particular
pizza joint stands out from the crowd, or at least, it used to. Domino's might just
be your run-of-the-mill regular pizza spot today, but back in the mid-1980s, it looked
like it could take on the world - and it did. Ever since it was first opened in the 1960s,
Domino's has been growing and growing every single day. And while it's still a pretty
impressive and successful chain nowadays, it's certainly not as memorable as it was
in the mid-1980s. By 1985, Domino's became the "fastest-growing pizza restaurant" in
all of the United States after opening its 2,841st store. It was also the year the chain opened
its first store in the United Kingdom and on the continent of Asia, in Minato, Japan.
After that, Domino's kept on growing like a weed, and eventually, you could find an
outlet just about anywhere you looked. Now, there are over 17,000 locations in over 83
countries. Once the memorable "one call does it all" commercial hit the scene, it couldn't
help but grow. If you happen to be born in 1985 - or even 1986 - your family's pizza
night was most likely happening thanks to a newly built Domino's.
Dairy Queen - Late 1980s
When it comes to tasty, emblematic frozen treats, no one does it quite like Dairy Queen.
Around since the dawn of time - or you know, since 1940 - Dairy Queen has been serving
up amazing soft-serve and sundaes in 20 countries all around the world. While it had been around
for a while when the eighties rolled around, it wasn't until the end of the decade that
the chain got the true recognition it deserved. And, why would a seemingly old chain at the
time suddenly surge in popularity like that, you may ask? Well, it's very simple; it's
all thanks to the beloved Blizzard. This soft-serve creation was introduced to the
DQ menu in 1985 and was an instant hit - to say the least. During the first year alone, it
sold 175 million units. In one year. The genius idea came to a DQ franchise owner after
seeing a competitor’s ice cream shop selling frozen custard, and the rest is history. This
winning creation was quickly followed by the acquisition of Orange Julius in 1987, which
could only help Dairy Queen move forward from that point on. And only two years after its
expansion, in 1989, Dairy Queen reached top category status in the country. So, turns
out you weren't the only baby born in 1985; another legend was too.
Chipotle - 1998 To 2001
Again, so what's with this obsession with Mexican fast-food places? Maybe it's because
it's so good. Fair enough. First opened in 1993 by Steve Ells, Chipotle is one of the
most heard of up-and-coming fast food restaurants. The chain started as a very modest, very small
company that needed to work hard in order to stay afloat in a world full of competing
chains. We can easily say that Chipotle had rather humble beginnings. It was in 1998 that
the chain got exactly the push it needed to thrive in the industry following the investment
from a very important player in the fast-food game: McDonald's! Yes, that's right, McDonald's
was a huge key investor and was greatly responsible for Chipotle's success. McD's invested over
$360 million dollars into the franchise, which resulted in the fast-food chain expanding
even further. This small initial first step allowed Chipotle to expand from 16 restaurants
in 1998 to over 500 stores by 2005, and today, there are over 2000 locations. Chipotle reached
its pinnacle of popularity from 1998 to 2001, as more people got to discover the chain and
wanted to test it out. Obviously, growing popularity also means a growing menu. While
today, McDonald's no longer owns Chipotle, it's safe to say they're still doing pretty
good on their own. So, if you were born at the end or the beginning of the century, Chipotle
was probably the restaurant on everybody's mind at the time.
Subway - 2002
If you think about a sandwich joint that makes some of the best subs on the market, what's
the first place that pops into your head? Is it, perhaps, Subway? One of the most successful
sandwich chains ever created? Well, in any case, that's the one we're talking about.
Subway was founded in 1965 by 17-year old student Fred DeLuca who needed to find a way
to pay for college. Knowing absolutely nothing about the industry before getting involved,
DeLuca took a $1,000 loan to start the business. Needless to say, as the world's largest international
fast food restaurant chain, beating out McDonald's in terms of number of locations, he was able
to pay his bills just fine. But it didn't always have the title of "largest fast-food
chain." That didn't come until 2002 after Subway's effort to advertise themselves as
being healthy paid off greatly. After hiring the infamous Jared Fogle as a spokesperson
for the chain in 2000, the chain really took off. He had claimed that Subway's sandwiches
had helped him lose 200 pounds. With practically everyone having a desire to eat healthier
and better, this was a turning point for the chain that would change Subway's success forever.
However, the franchise did see setbacks and its reputation tarnished with the arrest and
prosecution of their spokesperson.
Starbucks - 1990 To 1995
When Starbucks was first founded in 1971, the main goal of the chain was to serve the
most basic coffee to its under-caffeinated customers. Then, as the years passed, Starbucks
began offering certain drinks that were a little fancier and more aesthetically pleasing
than your plain, old usual cup of Joe. And in 1995, the world of coffee was rocked forever
when the famous Frappuccino was rolled out. Available in both caffeinated and caffeine-free
flavors, the blend of coffee, milk, and ice, truly created a successful wave for Starbucks
and greatly helped the chain expand even more. Of course, the introduction of the drink wasn't
the only thing that turned this coffee place into a fruitful company. A few years previous,
in 1990, Starbucks launched a new customer loyalty program. This move allowed the company
to grow their clientele and expand really quickly. From 1990 to 2000, thanks to the
loyalty program, Starbucks expanded to include over 3,500 more stores. Hands down, this coffee
chain was the biggest coffee hang-out spot of the decade.
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