In America, fast food began in 1916 at a White Castle in Wichita Kansas. By the 1920’s, people would deliver food to cars as curb service starting at A&W Root Beer Shop. Roller skates were worn by the waitresses called car hops. Drive through windows were invented in the 1940’s becoming a quick and easy way to order and receive food.
McDonald’s, one of the most successful companies in the world, started out as a hot dog stand, which then became a drive in barbecue restaurant. In 1948, it became the burger place we know of today.
Let’s learn about a few facts about McDonald’s.
The Golden Arches of McDonald’s became the logo in 1968. 12.5% of the population has worked at McDonald’s at some point in their life. Every second, 75 hamburgers are sold and 68 million customers are served each day. You can find a McDonald’s in 119 out of 196 total countries in the world. Ronald McDonald is the most universal character in the world besides Santa Claus. 3.4 billion pounds of potatoes a year are purchased and used to make McDonald’s infamous french fries. 550 million Big Macs are sold a year globally.
Whether you’re craving a Big Mac or nuggets, you can have an inexpensive, quick and easy meal at McDonald’s in the U.S. Most everyone obviously knows and has eaten at McDonald’s, no matter where you’re from. Here in the U.S., there are over 1.5 more McDonald’s than hospitals. In Hong Kong, you can even get married in a McDonald’s starting at $1,200. In 1961, Hamburger University was opened where over 5,000 people attend every year to learn how to become a manager of McDonald’s. Did you know that McDonald’s is the world’s largest distributor of toys? Over 1.5 billion toys are given out in Happy Meals a year.
McDonald’s menus varies from country to country around the globe reflecting the culture. In Japan, you can find a teriyaki burger, squid ink burger and McChocolate potato fries. A McRice burger in Singapore, mashed-potato burger in China, and McSamurai pork burger in Thailand. In Germany, there’s the McSasuage burger, a McFalafel in Israel, and a McCurry pan in India. The McLobster can be found in Canada, Gazpacho soup in Spain, and McNoodles in Austria. Would you be up for trying some of these meals at your McDonald’s? For more global McDonald’s foods, click here.
Watch Americans taste and provide feedback on menu items at McDonald’s in Japan here and Dubai here.
Whether you are traveling abroad or in Boston for the first time, visiting a McDonald’s to check out the menu should be on your itinerary.
