In the 1990s, fast food culture revolutionized, giving rise to a multitude of establishments offering delicious food and fast service. The multi-million dollar fast food industry had modest beginnings and has a fascinating history. America is considered the pioneer of fast food culture, as many of the largest and oldest fast food chains in the world are located there. Offering burgers, pizza, donuts, hot coffee, and soft drinks, these fast food chains grew rapidly. In this article, we list the ten oldest fast food chains in the world.
1. The world's first automated coffee shop chain, Horn & Hardart, was founded in 1888 in Philadelphia by Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart. They played a key role in popularizing freshly brewed coffee and gradually expanded their menu over the years, opening numerous restaurant chains around the world.
This restaurant chain began as a small coffee shop in Philadelphia in 1888. Within a decade, they had opened about half a dozen locations across the country. Although the chain has expanded its menu, it is known for its high-quality coffee. The owners also played a key role in launching the first "automatic" coffee machine, dubbed the "waiterless restaurant," in 1902 at their Philadelphia coffee shop.
They were pioneers in providing high-tech, affordable food in a technology-less era. In their heyday, these vending machines were renowned for selling 90 million cups of freshly brewed coffee annually. The store adhered to a strict "fresh food policy" and was recognized as the fastest-growing fast-food chain in the 1950s, with 100 stores across New York City.
In the 1980s, the company began to struggle, and its success proved unsustainable: the last coffee shop closed in 1991 due to internal and external factors. However, by 2009, the Mazzone family acquired all rights to Horn & Hardart coffee and, after much trial and error, successfully created an original blend in 2017. (source)
2. Yoshinoya is Japan's oldest fast food chain, founded in 1899 in Tokyo. It is famous for its traditional dish - gudon , a bowl of rice with thinly sliced beef and onions simmered in a slightly sweet sauce. The chain gradually expanded to 1,200 restaurants in Japan and 700 abroad.
Japanese food giant Yoshinoya began its humble beginnings in 1899 as a family-run fish market shop in Tokyo. Nearly 117 years in business, the chain still strives to offer its customers "delicious, affordable, and fast food.".
The company is famous for its dish gyudon Beef kabobs—a signature Japanese dish consisting of a bowl of rice topped with slices of beef and onions simmered in a slightly spicy, sweet sauce. The sweet sauce is flavored with dashi, mirin, and soy sauce. The dish is garnished with a raw or hard-boiled egg.
Over the years, the chain has expanded its menu, offering over 20 rice bowl variations with various toppings. Currently, the chain has over 2,000 locations worldwide and boasts serving 500,000 servings of rice daily. (source)
3. The famous fast-food chain White Castle was founded in 1921 in Kansas. They offered mini-burgers for just five cents and gradually expanded their empire. The company was also a pioneer in promoting its brand, offering coupons through newspaper ads.
In 1916, Walter Anderson opened his first diner in a converted streetcar. In 1921, he met his partner, Billy Ingram, and founded the famous White Castle fast-food chain in Wichita, Kansas. The chain was famous for its hamburgers with buns and fried onions. The first White Castle storefront was built in 1927 in Cincinnati.
Shortly after Anderson left the company in 1933, Billy moved the headquarters from Wichita to Columbus, Ohio. The restaurant chain pioneered the innovative idea of standard uniforms for all its locations to ensure customers received the same product and service at every location. The company also actively promoted its fast-food chain, offering coupons and discounts through newspaper ads.
In 2014 Time magazine He called their iconic signature slider the most influential of all time. Currently, the business is run by the Ingram family and is not franchised, ensuring consistency. There are currently over 420 chains in the United States, as well as two international chains in Shanghai. (source)
4. In 1928, Harry Ramsden, a popular British fast food restaurant chain specializing in fish and chips, was founded in a wooden hut in West Yorkshire, northern England. In 1952, the store entered Guinness Book of Records for selling as many as 10,000 portions of fish and chips in one day.
Harry Ramsden capitalized on the fish and chips craze that swept Britain in the 1910s by opening the first restaurant chain in the United Kingdom. The first shop opened in 1920 in a wooden hut in West Yorkshire and later moved to a new, luxurious location nearby. The old hut is still thriving and holds the Guinness World Record for selling 10,000 portions of fish and chips in a single day.
In 1954, Ramsden sold the chain to Eddie Stokes, an experienced catering specialist, for £37,500. Long queues were reported, and the chain employed over 100 staff to meet customer demand. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher visited the fast food chain in 1983 with her entourage.
In 1988, Eddie Stokes sold the restaurant to John Barres for a hefty £3 million, who aggressively promoted the brand, leading to the creation of a chain of restaurants. The restaurant is currently owned by Ranjit Boparan, who acquired the chain for £10 million in 2010. The chain has franchises worldwide, making it one of the oldest restaurant chains in the UK. (source)
5. In 1948, Richard and Maurice McDonald founded McDonald's, an American fast-food chain specializing in hamburgers. Initially a barbecue restaurant, they later updated the menu to include chicken dishes, milkshakes, hamburgers, breakfast items, desserts, and soft drinks. McDonald's is also the second-largest private employer, with 36,900 locations worldwide.
McDonald's, dubbed "the largest American fast-food chain in the world," is famous for its burgers. Brothers Maurice and Richard McDonald opened the first restaurant in 1948 in California. The brothers produced large quantities of food at low prices and pioneered the self-service concept, eliminating the need for waiters.
Salesman Ray Kroc recognized the business's potential and requested a franchise. The first McDonald's franchise opened in 1955 in Illinois and achieved phenomenal success over the years thanks to dishes like the Big Mac, Egg McMuffin, Happy Meal, and the famous chicken nuggets.
Their iconic clown mascot, Ronald McDonald, was introduced in 1963 and has become synonymous with the fast food chain. The fast food chain has more than 39,900 locations worldwide. (source)
6. In 1948, the Snyder couple created the iconic first fast-food restaurant with takeout, eliminating long lines and providing fast service in California. In-N-Out Burger is a regional fast-food chain that abandoned the franchising model to maintain consistency and service quality.
Harry and Esther Snyder opened the first In-N-Out Burger restaurant in 1948 in California. The restaurant billed itself as the first drive-in restaurant, where customers ordered via a two-way speakerphone system. They maintained a strict policy of making their burgers from fresh ingredients.
The fast-food chain offers an original menu and a "secret menu" for customers seeking new culinary adventures. The burger recipe remains a closely guarded family secret. Employees receive a competitive salary, which, in turn, ensures exceptional and positive service. The owners are known for their original details, such as biblical verses on burger wrappers and cups and the planting of crossed palm trees in each location. Their fast-food chain currently has 342 locations across the United States. (source)
7. Dunkin Donuts, formerly known as Kettle Donuts's Dunkin, is an American multinational coffee company and quick-service restaurant chain founded by William Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1950. It is one of the world's largest coffeehouse and bakery chains, selling donuts, bagels, and pastries, as well as a variety of hot and cold beverages.
In 1950, Dunkin Donuts began as a chain of coffee shops and fast-food restaurants founded by William Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts. The fast-food chain is considered "the largest coffee shop and bakery chain in the world." The chain constantly updates its menu, adding new items.
By 1963, the company opened its 100th store and has since experienced phenomenal growth. Having reached this milestone, the chain introduced its signature treats and began adding new flavors. The company is also known for its doughnuts and freshly brewed coffee, making it the perfect spot for a quick snack. It's estimated that the store sells approximately 1.9 billion cups of tea and coffee per year. Currently, there are over 17,000 stores worldwide. (source)
8. In 1952, Colonel Harland Sanders founded the world-famous American fast-food chain KFC, specializing in fried chicken. The company is the second-largest restaurant chain in the world after McDonald's, with nearly 20,404 locations worldwide.
Colonel Harland Sanders, a jack-of-all-trades, opened his first franchise in 1952 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The colonel had started cooking at a gas station in the 1930s and opened his first franchise later. The chain quickly grew, but eventually became too difficult to manage. The colonel later sold it to John Y. Brown and his partner, John Massey, for $2 million.
The company specializes in serving fried chicken using its own secret recipe and coined the phrase "finger-licking good." After signing the necessary agreements, the company began international franchising in England and Canada, and later expanded nationwide to Florida. Currently, the company is owned by Yum! Brand and has over 20,404 franchises worldwide, including approximately 4,563 outlets in China. (source)
9. In 1953, Keith Kramer and his uncle, Matthew Burns, founded a McDonald's-inspired burger chain in Jacksonville, Florida. They purchased a special grilling machine known as the "Insta-boiler" and named their restaurant "Insta-Burger King.".
Their popular idea was picked up by two Cornell University students, James McLamore and David Edgerton, who acquired the franchise in 1954 in Miami. The students modified the boiler design and renamed it the "Fiery Cauldron." The restaurant chain was renamed Burger King, and their signature burgers, known as the "Whopper," became famous nationwide.
In 1967, the students sold the franchise to Pillsbury for $18 million, and the fast-food chain became the second-largest in the country, behind only McDonald's. The chain currently has over 15,000 locations worldwide. (source)
10. In 1965, Subway was an American privately held fast-food restaurant chain that primarily sold sandwiches and salads. The company was founded by Dr. Peter Buck, a nuclear physicist. Subway is one of the fastest-growing chains in the world, with approximately 42,000 stores in more than 100 countries, making it the largest fast-food restaurant chain in the world.
This sandwich giant has an unusual history: its founder was Dr. Peter Buck, a nuclear physicist. He pitched the idea of opening a sandwich shop to his classmate, Fred DeLuca, to help him pay for his studies. Dr. Buck provided an initial investment of $1,000 and formed a business partnership with DeLuca that paved the way for a revolution in affordable, healthy, and made-to-order sandwiches.
The first restaurant opened in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and became known for offering healthy, affordable sandwiches made with fresh vegetables.
The Subway brand was created for franchising in 1974 and has demonstrated impressive revenue growth. The company is recognized as the world's largest fast-food restaurant chain, offering franchises in over 40,000 locations. (source)