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FAST FOOD BLUES
I guess most Americans are usually in a hurry. Our fast paced lives don’t allow for a big sit down, break out the fine china, 3 course meal, except on weekends and holidays.(ok maybe on Thanksgiving) Come to think of it how many young families even have china, or china cabinets anymore. Paper plates and foam take out boxes seem to be more standard faire in most kitchens. Let’s face it, a good home cooked meal takes time and planning. Active families have to contend with work, sports, and mismatched schedules. We are a mobile society and a lot of our activities revolve around time in the family car.
So where do most of us turn to, when time and money is in short supply and hunger strikes…you guessed it,..the fast food restaurant. We can walk in or make a pit stop at the drive thru and get a quick meal in a matter of minutes. Burgers, fries, chicken, subs, or Tacos are available 24 hours a day. Is the taste as good as a nice home cooked meal ? No….but heck, at least it’s cheap and fast. We can have what we want, when we want it, by just taking a short drive.
When I was a kid, the evening meal was a place for the family to get together and discuss the events of the day. It was a place for the family to gather together after a hectic day and spend some quality time together. It was a private time for just the family, no television, no phone calls, no distractions, and a hearty meal prepared with love by my Mom. Today, our values have changed and its all about speed, convenience, and supersizing a #3 meal. We are just a likely to eat in the car as around the family table.
We are conditioned to getting our meals on the run. I have to admit; the fast food guru’s do a great job in their marketing. They flood us with television, radio, billboards, and print ads. Their highly recognizable signs and logos beacon to motorist from California to Florida. Each concept has opened thousands of stores nationwide and worldwide. One can hardly drive a few miles in any direction without passing a fast food outlet of one type or another. Their distinctive signs and recognizable store fronts are a constant reminder to hungry drivers. (and those in need of restrooms)
So, weather you are in the mood for a burger, a shake, or even some fries, there is a good chance you will soon find yourself at your favorite fast food restaurant. We are all so conditioned to eating fast food that the very thought of a piece of fried chicken, burger, or taco, brings to mind one of these national chain restaurants.
The funny thing is that most of us realize the food we purchase is likely to be very fattening and high in calories, yet we still find ourselves strangely drawn to that drive in window. I’m particularly impressed with how the kitchen magicians at these places can continually re-market the same basic ingredients under new and catchy names.
They continually conjure up new and exotic monikers for their burgers and then sit back and watch sales increase, as their hungry clientele rush in to sample the new offering. The marketing team, takes carefully orchestrated pictures of each menu item for display in the restaurant. The high gloss pictures depict a tasty and visually appearing rendition of the food, that is seldom ever captured on the actual production line. I’ve often sat there looking at the food I was served then back up at the picture again, and wondering if I was in fact served the same item.
Also, they have us conditioned to ordering our meals while hanging out the window of our cars and yelling into a small box. Then it’s “by the numbers”.(Give me a number five with a supersized coke and fries). We then drive back home with the smell of hot burgers wafting thru our car and while nibbling on some French fries, only to find out when we get home that they shorted us a double burger.
One of the keys to prospering in the business is to design menu items that can be assembled quickly and with a minimum of culinary skill. Almost everything is pre-packaged, pre-cut, and pre-measured. This system ensures a consistent product that can be served up in a matter of minutes, with a minimum of human intervention and waste. Some of the food is cooked to order, but much of it is prepared in batches and then kept in warmers or tossed in the microwave for a quick “heat-up”.
There is a new trend in the restaurants towards healthier food offerings. Most franchise now sprinkle in a few salads and low calorie alternatives, but lets not kid ourselves, the reason we go to the these places in the first place is for that good old fashioned fried and fattening food. Let’s face it, there is nothing like a greasy double cheeseburger and some fries to help clog those arteries. The nutritional value of these quick meals may also be in question and could possibly be leading to a more obese America.
The funny thing is that most people will readily acknowledge that the food is not very healthy nor is it particularly well prepared, however it is definitely a part of the American diet. Even though many of us will complain about the food and the service, we find ourselves going back often. I’ve also noticed that despite the less than perfect level of quality, we all tend to seek out the very same familiar named restaurants when we travel across the country and even on international trips. Good or bad, for the most part they offer a consistent product in all the restaurants in a chain.
Let’s face it, not everyone has the time or desire to cook every meal at home. I think most of us frequent these fast food places more often than we would like to admit. The fast food restaurant is here to stay. They are big business with billions and billions served, and have become part of the American lexicon and the American diet. Next to Disney, tourists from foreign countries always make plans to stop at one our fast food restaurants. So, say goodbye to tradition and home cooked traditional meals and please pull forward to window #2. It’s the Fast Food Blues.
Please feel free to contact me at: pooritalianboy@gmail.com
P.I.B.
I guess most Americans are usually in a hurry. Our fast paced lives don’t allow for a big sit down, break out the fine china, 3 course meal, except on weekends and holidays.(ok maybe on Thanksgiving) Come to think of it how many young families even have china, or china cabinets anymore. Paper plates and foam take out boxes seem to be more standard faire in most kitchens. Let’s face it, a good home cooked meal takes time and planning. Active families have to contend with work, sports, and mismatched schedules. We are a mobile society and a lot of our activities revolve around time in the family car.
So where do most of us turn to, when time and money is in short supply and hunger strikes…you guessed it,..the fast food restaurant. We can walk in or make a pit stop at the drive thru and get a quick meal in a matter of minutes. Burgers, fries, chicken, subs, or Tacos are available 24 hours a day. Is the taste as good as a nice home cooked meal ? No….but heck, at least it’s cheap and fast. We can have what we want, when we want it, by just taking a short drive.
When I was a kid, the evening meal was a place for the family to get together and discuss the events of the day. It was a place for the family to gather together after a hectic day and spend some quality time together. It was a private time for just the family, no television, no phone calls, no distractions, and a hearty meal prepared with love by my Mom. Today, our values have changed and its all about speed, convenience, and supersizing a #3 meal. We are just a likely to eat in the car as around the family table.
We are conditioned to getting our meals on the run. I have to admit; the fast food guru’s do a great job in their marketing. They flood us with television, radio, billboards, and print ads. Their highly recognizable signs and logos beacon to motorist from California to Florida. Each concept has opened thousands of stores nationwide and worldwide. One can hardly drive a few miles in any direction without passing a fast food outlet of one type or another. Their distinctive signs and recognizable store fronts are a constant reminder to hungry drivers. (and those in need of restrooms)
So, weather you are in the mood for a burger, a shake, or even some fries, there is a good chance you will soon find yourself at your favorite fast food restaurant. We are all so conditioned to eating fast food that the very thought of a piece of fried chicken, burger, or taco, brings to mind one of these national chain restaurants.
The funny thing is that most of us realize the food we purchase is likely to be very fattening and high in calories, yet we still find ourselves strangely drawn to that drive in window. I’m particularly impressed with how the kitchen magicians at these places can continually re-market the same basic ingredients under new and catchy names.
They continually conjure up new and exotic monikers for their burgers and then sit back and watch sales increase, as their hungry clientele rush in to sample the new offering. The marketing team, takes carefully orchestrated pictures of each menu item for display in the restaurant. The high gloss pictures depict a tasty and visually appearing rendition of the food, that is seldom ever captured on the actual production line. I’ve often sat there looking at the food I was served then back up at the picture again, and wondering if I was in fact served the same item.
Also, they have us conditioned to ordering our meals while hanging out the window of our cars and yelling into a small box. Then it’s “by the numbers”.(Give me a number five with a supersized coke and fries). We then drive back home with the smell of hot burgers wafting thru our car and while nibbling on some French fries, only to find out when we get home that they shorted us a double burger.
One of the keys to prospering in the business is to design menu items that can be assembled quickly and with a minimum of culinary skill. Almost everything is pre-packaged, pre-cut, and pre-measured. This system ensures a consistent product that can be served up in a matter of minutes, with a minimum of human intervention and waste. Some of the food is cooked to order, but much of it is prepared in batches and then kept in warmers or tossed in the microwave for a quick “heat-up”.
There is a new trend in the restaurants towards healthier food offerings. Most franchise now sprinkle in a few salads and low calorie alternatives, but lets not kid ourselves, the reason we go to the these places in the first place is for that good old fashioned fried and fattening food. Let’s face it, there is nothing like a greasy double cheeseburger and some fries to help clog those arteries. The nutritional value of these quick meals may also be in question and could possibly be leading to a more obese America.
The funny thing is that most people will readily acknowledge that the food is not very healthy nor is it particularly well prepared, however it is definitely a part of the American diet. Even though many of us will complain about the food and the service, we find ourselves going back often. I’ve also noticed that despite the less than perfect level of quality, we all tend to seek out the very same familiar named restaurants when we travel across the country and even on international trips. Good or bad, for the most part they offer a consistent product in all the restaurants in a chain.
Let’s face it, not everyone has the time or desire to cook every meal at home. I think most of us frequent these fast food places more often than we would like to admit. The fast food restaurant is here to stay. They are big business with billions and billions served, and have become part of the American lexicon and the American diet. Next to Disney, tourists from foreign countries always make plans to stop at one our fast food restaurants. So, say goodbye to tradition and home cooked traditional meals and please pull forward to window #2. It’s the Fast Food Blues.
Please feel free to contact me at: pooritalianboy@gmail.com
P.I.B.
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