Fast-food restaurant

A fast-food restaurant in the port of Malinska, Croatia
A Hesburger fast-food restaurant in Tapiola, Espoo, Finland
A McDonald's restaurant in New York City
A Café de Coral restaurant in Hong Kong
A fish and chip shop in Broadstairs, Kent, England

A fast-food restaurant, also known as a quick-service restaurant (QSR) within the industry, is a specific type of restaurant that serves fast-food cuisine and has minimal table service. The food served in fast-food restaurants is typically part of a "meat-sweet diet", offered from a limited menu, cooked in bulk in advance and kept hot, finished and packaged to order, and usually available for take away, though seating may be provided. Fast-food restaurants are typically part of a restaurant chain or franchise operation that provides standardized ingredients and/or partially prepared foods and supplies to each restaurant through controlled supply channels. The term "fast food" was recognized in a dictionary by Merriam–Webster in 1951.[1]

Arguably, fast-food restaurants originated in the United States with White Castle in 1921.[2][unreliable source?] Today, American-founded fast-food chains such as McDonald's (est. 1940) and KFC (est. 1952)[3][4][5][6] are multinational corporations with outlets across the globe.

Variations on the fast-food restaurant concept include fast-casual restaurants and catering trucks. Fast-casual restaurants have higher sit-in ratios, offering a hybrid between counter-service typical at fast-food restaurants and a traditional table service restaurant. Catering trucks (also called food trucks) often park just outside worksites and are popular with factory workers.[citation needed]

  1. ^ "Jack In The Box Inc". Archived from the original on 23 July 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  2. ^ "The Evolution of the Quick Service Restaurant". A Management Consultant @ Large. Archived from the original on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
  3. ^ "Franchising". KFC.com. Archived from the original on 24 March 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  4. ^ "Our Story". KFC.co.uk. KFC UK. Archived from the original on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  5. ^ "KFC Thailand". fcthailand.com. Archived from the original on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  6. ^ "KFC founder Colonel Sanders didn't achieve his remarkable rise to success until his 60s". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.