Restaurants have almost always been a figure in the world of dining, but thanks to fast food, it has become an integral part of the modern dining culture. So much so, that the world is now jam-packed with hundreds if not thousands of different options in every city and country. That especially includes fast food as while a few companies may dominate the landscape, the industry continues to evolve and grow with many others slowly but steadily holding their own ground on the culinary battlefield.
What was the first fast-food restaurant?
Even with all the information available, there is still a lot of debate as to what was the first fast-food restaurant. White Castle is credited with being the first American one. It was founded in 1921 after White Castle’s founders decided to change the public perception of hamburgers, and the rest is history. However, Japanese fast food company Yoshinoya started in Tokyo in 1899 which would make it, technically, the first fast food restaurant in the world.
Even then, restaurants have existed in one form or another for most of human civilization, with many dating back to ancient Rome and Greece. But it wasn’t until the 18th century that eating out for fun changed things and started an entirely new trend.
When was McDonald's founded?
Many believe that McDonald's was the first and the oldest fast-food restaurant chain. However, it came second to White Castle as it was founded in 1940, nearly 19 years after White Castle was founded. The restaurant started as a simple hamburger stand before being turned into a franchise with their now infamous Golden Arches logo introduced in 1953. The rest is history as now it is one of the most popular and largest fast food restaurant chains in the world.
FAQs
A. McDonald's and Burger King started as a franchise food business in 1955 and 1954 respectively although both restaurants were founded in the same year, 1953.
A. As of 2025, the CEO of Burger King is Joshua Kobza.
A. The first burger was technically made in 1st Century AD in Rome while the first modern hamburger was technically after Nagreem squashed a beef meatball between two slices of bread in 1885.
