What was the first fast-food restaurant? 15 earliest fast food chains
Some of the earliest fast-food chains began over 100 years ago and are still active today. But what was the first fast-food restaurant to be established? This article covers some of the oldest fast-food eateries that rose from humble beginnings to become iconic brands globally.
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Fast-food restaurants have existed longer than anyone thought. Some were created as a commercial strategy to accommodate large numbers of busy commuters, travellers, and wage workers. These chains typically offer a limited, standardised menu with items that are quick to prepare and serve. These items often include burgers, fries, pizzas, sandwiches, and soft drinks.
What was the first fast-food restaurant?
Fast-food restaurants originated in the United States with White Castle in 1921. The most popular chains have stood the test of time and continually evolved to keep up with changing culinary trends. Below are some of the first fast-food restaurants in the world.
| Fast-food restaurant | Founded |
| White Castle | 1921 |
| A&W Restaurants | 1923 |
| McDonald’s | 1940 |
| Dairy Queen | 1940 |
| In-N-Out Burger | 1948 |
| Dunkin’ | 1950 |
| Kentucky Fried Chicken | 1952 |
| Sonic Drive-In | 1953 |
| Burger King | 1954 |
| Sbarro | 1956 |
| Pizza Hut | 1958 |
| Domino's Pizza | 1960 |
| Taco Bell | 1962 |
| Tim Hortons | 1964 |
| Subway | 1965 |
1. White Castle
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- Founded: 13 September 1921
- Founders: Billy Ingram, Walter Anderson
- Headquarters: Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Number of locations: 350 (as of 2024)
White Castle is an American regional hamburger restaurant chain with 345 locations in 13 states. It is arguably the world’s first fast-food hamburger chain, with its greatest presence in the Midwest and New York metropolitan area.
Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson founded White Castle in Wichita, Kansas, on September 13, 1921. It is widely known for its small, square hamburgers, called "sliders," made with beef patties, onions, and pickles on soft buns.
2. A&W Restaurants
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- Founded: 20 June 1923
- Founders: Roy W. Allen, Frank Wright
- Headquarters: Lexington, Kentucky, USA
- Number of locations: 900+
A&W Restaurants, Inc., also known as Allen & Wright Restaurants, is a fast-food restaurant chain best known for its "Burger Family" combos, draft root beer, root beer floats and snacks, such as popcorn, peanuts, and sandwiches on sliced bread.
As one of the oldest fast-food chains in the United States, A&W was founded by Roy W. Allen and Frank Wright in Lodi, California, and has over 900 locations nationwide.
3. McDonald’s
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- Founded: 15 May 1940
- Founders: Richard & Maurice McDonald
- Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Number of locations: 41,822 (as of 2024)
McDonald's is one of the world's largest and earliest fast-food restaurant chains. It was founded on 15 May 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald in San Bernardino, California, United States.
Currently, McDonald's operates over 40,000 locations in over 100 countries. The chain is known for its hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and French fries. Their menu also includes chicken, fish, fruit, and salads.
4. Dairy Queen
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- Founded: 22 June 1940
- Founder: John Fremont McCullough
- Headquarters: Bloomington, Minnesota, USA
- Number of locations: 4,455
Dairy Queen (DQ) was founded in 1940 in Joliet, Illinois, United States, by John Fremont McCullough. The first Dairy Queen was owned and operated by Sherb Noble. It is best known for its soft-serve ice cream, which became an instant hit due to its creamy texture and unique formula.
Dairy Queen quickly expanded its menu to include sundaes, Blizzards, and fast food items like burgers, hot dogs, and fries.
5. In-N-Out Burger
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- Founded: 22 October 1948
- Founders: Esther Snyder, Harry Snyder
- Headquarters: Irvine, California, USA
- Number of locations: 400
In-N-Out Burger was founded in 1948 by Harry Synder and Esther Snyder in Baldwin Park, California. The chain has over 400 locations and is headquartered in Irvine, California.
The chain is also one of the oldest fast-food chains in the world. Its affordable menu serves a standard selection of burgers, such as the famous "Animal Style," fries, and milkshakes, based on customer preferences.
6. Dunkin’
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- Founded: 1950
- Founders: Bill Rosenberg
- Headquarters: Canton, Massachusetts, USA
- Number of locations: 12,871
Dunkin' is one of the world's largest coffee and doughnut shop chains. Founded in 1950 by Bill Rosenberg, it has approximately 13,200 restaurants in 41 countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and China.
In addition to various coffee and doughnut varieties, the company sells bagels, breakfast sandwiches, muffins, and doughnut holes branded as Munchkins.
7. Kentucky Fried Chicken
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- Founded: 24 September 1952
- Founders: Colonel Sanders, Pete Harman
- Headquarters: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Number of locations: 30,000 (as of 2024)
Popularly known as KFC, Kentucky Fried Chicken is an American fast food chain founded by Colonel Harlander Sanders in 1952. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, it is the world's second-largest restaurant chain after McDonald's, with over 30,000 locations worldwide in 150 countries as of 2024.
KFC is known for its pressure-fried chicken, served in various forms, including buckets, sandwiches, French fries, desserts, and soft drinks.
8. Sonic Drive-In
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- Founded: 18 June 1953
- Founder: Troy Smith
- Headquarters: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
- Number of locations: 3,545
Sonic Drive-In, commonly known as Sonic, is one of the oldest American fast-food chains. It was founded in 1953 by Troy Smith Sr. in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Sonic currently has around 3,545 locations in the United States. Its core products include the Chili Cheese Coney, Sonic Cheeseburger Combo, Sonic Blasts and Master Shakes.
9. Burger King
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- Founded: 1954
- Founders: David Edgerton and James McLamore
- Headquarters: 5707 Blue Lagoon Drive, Miami-Dade County, Florida, USA
- Number of locations: 19,384
Burger King is known for serving high-quality, great-tasting, and affordable food. Founded in 1954, it is the second-largest fast-food hamburger chain in the world, with 19,384+ restaurants worldwide.
Burger King grew in popularity, especially with its flame-grilled burgers and the iconic Whopper introduced in 1957. The chain also offers French fries, sodas, and milkshakes.
10. Sbarro
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- Founded: 1956
- Founders: Gennaro Sbarro, Carmela Sbarro
- Headquarters: Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Number of locations: 600+
Sbarro is among the oldest fast-food chains in the world. Founded in 1956 by Gennaro and Carmela Sbarro as a pizza chain, it has grown to offer Italian-American cuisine in food courts worldwide.
Sbarro has more than 600 locations in 28 countries. Its stores are in shopping malls, airports, college campuses, the Pentagon, and American naval bases. Sbarro is known for its Original XL New York-style pizza, made from hand-stretched dough, San Marzano tomato sauce, and 100% whole milk Mozzarella cheese.
11. Pizza Hut
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- Founded: 31 May 1958
- Founders: Dan Carney, Frank Carney
- Headquarters: 7100 Corporate Dr., Plano, Texas, USA
- Number of locations: 19,866
Pizza Hut is an American pizza chain restaurant chain founded by the Carney brothers in 1958. The chain has quickly expanded, becoming one of the most well-known pizza chains worldwide. It is headquartered in Plano, Texas, and operates over 19,866 restaurants worldwide as of 2024.
Pizza remains the restaurant chain's primary offering, alongside chicken wings, pasta, desserts, and beverages. The fast food chain has also adapted its model to include various restaurant formats, including family-style dine-in, carry-out, and hybrid locations.
12. Domino's Pizza
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- Founded: 9 December 1960
- Founders: Jim Moaning, Tom Monaghan, Dominick DeVarti
- Headquarters: Ann Arbor Township, Michigan, USA
- Number of locations: 20,591
Domino's Pizza, Inc., popularly known as Domino's, is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain founded in 1960 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is one of the world's largest pizza delivery services, operating over 20,000 restaurants in almost 90 countries.
While pizza remains the restaurant's primary product, it offers specialty pizza to cater to different needs. Its other popular dishes include chicken, sandwiches, desserts, and soft drinks.
13. Taco Bell
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- Founded: 21 March 1962
- Founder: Glen Bell
- Headquarters: 1 Glen Bell Way, Irvine, California, USA
- Number of locations: 8,564
Taco Bell is among the oldest fast-food restaurants in Irvine, California, United States. The restaurant serves various Mexican-inspired foods, including tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, and novelty and speciality items.
Founded in 1962 by American entrepreneur Glen Bell, the chain has over 8,564 locations in over 30 countries.
14. Tim Hortons
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- Founded: 17 May 1964
- Founder: Tim Horton, Jim Charade
- Headquarters: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Number of locations: 5,701
Tim Hortons is a Canadian multinational coffeehouse and restaurant chain founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, by the late Canadian ice hockey player Tim Horton and Jim Charade.
Tim Hortons is the largest quick-service restaurant chain, with over 5,701 restaurants in 13 countries. The fast-food restaurant’s primary menu is coffee. It also offers doughnuts, sandwiches, breakfast egg muffins and other fast-food items.
15. Subway
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- Founded: 28 August 1965
- Founders: Fred DeLuca, Peter Buck, Carmela DeLuca
- Headquarters: Shelton, Connecticut, USA
- Number of locations: 37,000
Subway is an American fast-food restaurant chain founded by Fred DeLuca in 1965 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It is the world's largest sandwich franchise, with over 37,000 locations in 100 countries, more than half of which are in the United States.
Subway’s menu specialises in submarine sandwiches, wraps, salads, and soft drinks. It is the largest single-brand restaurant chain and the largest restaurant operator in the world. Its international headquarters are in Shelton, Connecticut.
What is the first fast food restaurant in America?
White Castle, founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas, is considered the first fast-food restaurant in America. It is known for some of the best recipes for various fast foods.
Who was first, McDonald's or Burger King?
McDonald's was founded in 1940 in San Bernardino, California, while Burger King was established in 1945 in Miami, Florida, United States.
What came first, McDonald's or In-N-Out?
McDonald's came first as it was founded in 1940 in San Bernardino, California. In-N-Out followed, opening its first location in 1948 in Baldwin Park, California.
Many people have been curious about the origins of fast food, often asking questions like, "What was the first fast-food restaurant?" White Castle, founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas, is widely considered to be the first fast-food restaurant in the world. Other earliest fast-food chains include A&W Restaurants, KFC, and McDonald’s.
Legit.ng recently published an article about the largest hotels in the world. The hotel sector is one of the world's fastest-growing industries. There are numerous enormous hotels worldwide, but some are far larger than others based on the number of rooms and structures.
These appealing hotels provide many luxurious amenities, such as luxury guest accommodations and suites, bars, restaurants, private beaches, cafés, pools, spas and many travel and tourism services. This article lists some of the top ten largest hotels in the world today.
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