The Fast Food Industry

The fast food industry has caused irrevocable changes to the American culture, workforce, and economy. The days of families eating dinner together as a unit have dwindled, with faster meal options being the answer for most. Corporations like McDonald’s have contributed to many of America’s new jobs and continue to do so. The faster and cheaper production of food has caused a rift in the American economy by forcing farmers to adapt to the new way of food production. That way, the larger corporations became the economic giants.

Advancements in technology, especially after industrialization, helped to change how products like meat were handled. Towards the late 1800’s, due to industrialization, Americans started to mass produce, mass market, package, and distribute different kinds of food. Then in the 1920’s, the refrigerator was perfected. With that technology change, companies were able to store their mass produced meat. That gave people ideas on how to capitalize on this new way of handling food.

Over the past century, the food industry has vastly changed. It is difficult to ever imagine that food was processed in a different way than it is now. In 1921, the first White Castle opened and then McDonald’s opened in 1940. With the introduction of those types of restaurants, similar competitors such as Burger King and Taco Bell opened. Fast food was a whole new term that Americans were not familiar with. Back then, the demand and popularity of fast food was not what it is today. These companies that we are so familiar with today were not always the large corporations we now know them to be.

The food that Americans were eating at these new restaurants were being processed at a slower rate, but was also more natural...

... middle of paper ...

...od restaurant to get dinner for the family after a “hectic day” at the office in our never ending fast, high charged work environment.

In concluding it is apparent that big business in the food industry has, through the use of advertising contributed to the cultural changes that our society has experienced in the past few decades. Big business observed a need that would positively assist the desires of consumers as times have changed. This change has alleviated the chore of preparing the daily evening family meal. A fact that has taken on significant consequences in light of the average household which now consists of two breadwinners. A change that is irrevocable in that it appears highly unlikely that our society will ever revert back to only one parent earning a sufficient amount of money so as to maintain a “normal” lifestyle in these high tech and fast times.