Early Fast Food
A SPEEDEE SYSTEM ERA
First ever fast food restaurant (Wichita, Kansas), 1921, wonderopolis.org
The Speedee System started in the mid-20th century before the fast-food industry was a major player in restaurant/food culture. It was vastly different from the industry we know today. Dining out was typically associated with sit-down formal restaurants . The first true fast-food restaurant was White Castle. White Castle was created in the 1920s and didn’t rise in fame until the '60s fast-food boom. Before the boom of fast food in the 50s and 60s, drive-in restaurants were extremely popular. With rollerskating waitresses (carhops), these restaurants dominated the food industry. Bob’s Big Boy, A&W, and Dairy Queen were popular drive-in restaurants in the early-mid 1900s. These restaurants upheld their heyday for a couple of decades until their downfall in the 1950s and 60s.
First ever McDonald's restaurant (San Bernardino, California), 1940, mcdonalds.com
Before the Speedee System was introduced, the McDonald brothers were already in the restaurant business. They owned a drive-in restaurant but strived for a more innovative and efficient approach. They knew they must create a restaurant that focused on speed and efficiency. Thus, the many people who partook in creating and growing this model shaped a vision for speed in the restaurant business, birthing an industry by optimizing quick, efficient, and effective dining experiences.