Friday, June 1, 2007

Fast food is food cooked in bulk and in advance and kept warm, or reheated to order. Many fast-food restaurants, (also known as "Quick Service Restaurants" or QSR) are part of restaurant chains or franchise operations, and standardized foodstuffs are shipped to each restaurant from central locations. There are also simpler fast-food outlets, such as stands or kiosks, which may or may not provide shelterchairs for customers. Because the capital health codes, small individually-owned fast-food restaurants have become common throughout the world. requirements to start a fast-food restaurant are relatively small, particularly in areas with non-existent or poorly enforced



Although fast-food restaurants are often viewed as a representation of a day by day family outing, the concept of "ready-cooked food to go" is as old as cities themselves; unique variations are historical in various cultures. Ancient Roman cities had bread-and-olive stands, East Asian cultures feature noodle shops. Flat bread and falafel are ubiquitous in the Middle East. Popular Indian "fast" food delicacies include Vada pav, Papri Chaat, Bhelpuri, Panipuri and Dahi Vada. In the French-speaking nations of West Africa, meanwhile, roadside stands in and around the larger cities continue to sell- as they have done for generations- a range of ready-to-eat, chargrilled meat sticks known locally as "brochettes" (not to be confused with the bread snack of the same name found in Europe).

Posted by azih at 6:57 AM | | Comments

History

The modern history of fast-food in America began on July 7, 1912 with the opening of a fast food restaurant called the Automat in New York. The Automat was a cafeteria with its prepared foods behind small glass windows and coin-operated slots. Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart had already opened an Automat in Philadelphia, but their “Automat” at Broadway and 13th Street, in New York City, created a sensation. Numerous Automat restaurants were quickly built around the country to deal with the demand. Automats remained extremely popular throughout the 1920's and 1930's. The company also popularized the notion of “take-out” food, with their slogan “Less work for Mother”. The American company White Castle is generally credited with opening the second fast-food outlet in Wichita, Kansas in 1921, selling hamburgers for five cents apiece.[1] Among its innovations, the company allowed customers to see the food being prepared. White Castle later added five holes to each beef patty to increase its surface area and speed cooking times. White Castle was successful from its inception and spawned numerous competitors. In recent decades, Mexican-style food like tacos and burritos, as well as pizza, have also become staples of fast food culture.

Posted by azih at 6:46 AM | | Comments

Why fast foods are bad??

French fries and chicken nuggets from two major global fast-food chains contain very high levels of artery-clogging “trans” fats, researchers warn. And the level of trans-fats served by the chains varies dramatically from country to country.Researchers who analysed the fast food say that daily consumption of 5 grams or more of trans fats raises the risk of heart attack by 25%. Half of the 43 “large”-sized fast food meals, 24 from McDonald’s and 19 from KFC, examined in the study – purchased in outlets around the world – exceeded the 5 gram level.Trans fats are thought to pose a hazard by raising the proportion of “bad” cholesterol in the blood, leading to the accumulation of fat in arteries. Trans fats also increase the risk of arterial inflammation and the development of an irregular heartbeat.“That’s why it’s called ‘killer fat’,” says Steen Stender of the Gentofte University Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark, and lead author of the analysis in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Some combinations of “large” fries and “large” chicken nuggets from McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets contained between double and five times the 5-gram danger level.Because of its convenience, fast food is popular and commercially successful in most modern societies, but it is often criticized for having the following shortcomings, among others:

  • Many popular fast-food menu items are unhealthy, and excessive consumption (where excessive is generally defined as two or more times per week) can lead to obesity.
  • Exploitative advertising and marketing are used, especially directed at children (which can have an adverse effect on their eating habits and health).
  • It causes environmental damage through excessive packaging and clearing forests for animal rearing.
  • It reduces the diversity of local cuisines.
  • It survives on a low-wage, low-benefit employment model, promoting exploitative labor practices throughout the food and food service industry
  • Its franchising scheme (royalties).
  • Its often lower quality versus sit-down restaurants.



Posted by azih at 6:44 AM | | Comments

Consumer Spending

In the United States alone, consumers spent about US$110 billion on fast food in 2000 (which increased from US$6 billion in 1970). The National Restaurant Association forecasts that fast-food restaurants in the U.S. will reach US$142 billion in sales in 2006, a 5% increase over 2005. In comparison, the full-service restaurant segment of the food industry is expected to generate $173 billion in sales. Fast food has been losing market share to so-called fast casual restaurants, which offer more robust and expensive cuisines.


McDonald's and other major brands

McDonald's, a noted fast-food supplier, opened its first franchised restaurant in the US in 1955 (1974 in the UK). It has become a phenomenally successful enterp rise in terms of financial growth, brand-name recognition, and worldwide expansion. Ray Kroc, who bought the franchising license from the McDonald brothers, pioneered many concepts which emphasize d standardization. He introduced uniform products, identical in all respects at each outlet, to increase sales. At the same time, Kroc also insisted on cutting food costs as much as possible, eventually using the McDonald's Corporation's size to fo rce suppliers to conform to this ethos.

Posted by azih at 6:41 AM | | Comments

Google Docs & Spreadsheets -- Web word processing and spreadsheets. Edit this page (if you have permission) | Report spam