Fast-Food Restaurants Date Back 2,000 Years

Fast-food is a part of the American and global culinary landscape, an inescapable reality for millions of people. According to Gallup, 80% of Americans eat fast-food at least once a month. The history behind these institutions of speedy satisfaction goes back over 100 years in America... but also 2,000 years in Europe!

Ancient Romans Loved Fast-Food

In fact, for the majority Roman citizens, fast-food was basically their only food option.

For context, ancient Roman cities featured plenty of thermopolium ("hot shops" or "shops that sell hot things") also known as popina ("restaurants"); these were similar to modern-day snack bars or lunch counters featuring a stone counter with amphorae (jars) embedded in the counter. These amphorae would be filled with all sorts of foods, including cheeses, olives, vegetables, dried fruits, legumes, and garum (the Romans' beloved fermented fish condiment).

Thermopolium would also feature hot foods prepared on-site including sausages and meat skewers, as well as hot drinks. While some thermopolium had sit-down areas, the majority of them were take-out only. As most Roman apartments lacked a true kitchen and had at most a brazier or firebox for reheating foods, thermopolium provided foods that Romans could reheat in a hurry or better yet eat on the go.

It's not quite fast-food as we know it, but it certainly planted a seed that would sprout close to 1,500 years later.

White Castle^® Gets the Ball Rolling!

Fast-food as we understand it in the 21st century dates back over 100 years ago. Two Wichita, Kansas food stall owners, Edgar "Billy" Ingram and Walter Anderson, joined forces to create a new kind of restaurant that would cater to the tastes of their era and ultimately change food forever: White Castle.

White Castle started in 1916 as a handful of food stands, and was formally established in 1921, a time when Americans were more concerned than ever before about the quality of their food and health standards. White Castle presented itself as a bastion of cleanliness and hygiene, showcasing its white porcelain and stainless-steel interiors. Meat-grinding took place in front of customers.

Adam Chandler, journalist, and author of "Drive-Thru Dreams," notes that White Castle's focus on mechanization, standardization, and the assembly line appealed to the 1920s American consumer: "Something that's very familiar is kind of seen as a negative now, but back then it absolutely was a cherished part of the experience."

Another early fast-food chain, A&W^®, was first franchised in 1925. Some of the most recognizable fast-food chains — McDonald's^®, Dairy Queen^®, and In-N-Out^® — all got their starts in the 1940s. With the introduction of highways in the 1950s and 60s and the innovation of the drive-thru window, fast-food became even more synonymous with fast, easy, and tasty, and the industry ballooned into the behemoth it is today.

References: Fast Food in Ancient Rome | Thermopolium, the fast food of the ancient Romans | Roman Fast Food | Fast food has existed since ancient Rome — where restaurants sold fish sauce and baked cheese — and narrowly survived 2 emperors | The History of Burgers – How They Became an Iconic American Food? | Where Hamburgers Began—and How They Became an Iconic American Food | A Crispy, Salty, American History of Fast Food | Oldest Fast Food Chains In The World: History, Facts, And More!