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This timeline chronicles the evolution of fast food from its humble beginnings in the late 19th century to its global dominance in the modern era.
Charles Feltman opens the first hot dog stand on Coney Island, New York.
The first vending machine dispensing gum is invented by the Adams Gum Company.
1902: The Automat
In early 20th century Philadelphia, Horn & Hardart revolutionized dining with coin-operated Automats that fed 700,000 people daily at their peak, featuring quirky elements like tables "reserved" nightly for prostitutes and fascination with the "nickel-throwers" who collected thousands of coins each day.
White Castle, founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas by Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson, revolutionized fast food with its small square burgers called "sliders" and innovative practices like standardized cooking methods and prefabricated porcelain steel buildings.
It is credited as the world's first fast-food hamburger chain despite its relatively small size of only 350 locations today.
Howard Johnson's restaurant chain is founded, pioneering the concept of franchising in the food service industry.
KFC, founded by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1930 as a roadside restaurant in Kentucky, grew into a global fast-food empire known for its secret blend of 11 herbs and spices.
It survived multiple ownership changes including being sold for $2 million in 1964 (equivalent to $17 million today), and faced controversies ranging from animal welfare concerns to accidentally promoting a chicken special on the anniversary of Kristallnacht in Germany.
The first McDonald's, opened in 1940 by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald in San Bernardino, California, revolutionized fast food with their "Speedee Service System" and limited menu of just nine items.
It would spawn a global empire that would sell its 50 billionth hamburger by 1984 and ironically force the closure of the brothers' own rebranded restaurant, "The Big M," when franchise agent turned owner Ray Kroc opened a competing McDonald's nearby after buying them out for $2.7 million in 1961.
In 1950, Bill Rosenberg founded Dunkin' Donuts in Quincy, Massachusetts, after his successful experience selling coffee and donuts to factory workers, and he bizarrely came up with the iconic name by putting executives in a room with a tape recorder and telling them to brainstorm.
Sonic Drive-In, founded in 1953 as Top Hat Drive-In by Troy Smith in Shawnee, Oklahoma, began as a small root beer stand and steakhouse before evolving into a pioneering drive-in restaurant chain. It used intercom ordering systems, controlled parking layouts borrowed from a used car lot, and initially funded franchising by charging an extra penny for each Sonic-labeled hamburger bag sold.
Burger King was founded in 1953 as "Insta-Burger King" in Jacksonville, Florida, after its founders were inspired by visiting the original McDonald's, and they purchased special "Insta-Broilers" to cook burgers before the company was acquired and renamed by Miami franchisees in 1954, launching an iconic fast food empire.
In 1954, milkshake mixer salesman Ray Kroc stumbled upon the efficient McDonald brothers' restaurant in San Bernardino, California.
Within a year he had opened his first franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois, kickstarting a fast-food empire that would eventually serve an estimated 1% of the world's population daily and maintain a secret police force to spy on franchisees.
Pizza Hut, founded in 1958 by two college students in Wichita, Kansas, grew from a single location to a global empire with over 18,000 restaurants, pioneering innovations like stuffed crust pizza and space delivery.
Taco Bell, founded in 1962 by Glen Bell in Downey, California, began as a small walk-up taco stand and grew into a global fast-food giant.
Subway, founded in 1965 as "Pete's Super Submarines" by a 17-year-old with a $1,000 loan, grew to become the world's largest restaurant chain by number of locations, surpassing McDonald's in 2010.
Domino's Pizza was founded in 1960 by brothers Tom and Jim Monaghan, who bought an existing pizzeria called DomiNick's for just $500 down and a $900 loan. Within 8 months Jim traded his half of the business to Tom for a used Volkswagen Beetle.
S. Truett Cathy invents the chicken sandwich and opens his first Chick-fil-A.
Founded on November 15, 1969 in Columbus, Ohio by Dave Thomas. Wendy's revolutionized fast food with its square hamburger patties and became the world's third-largest hamburger chain, while also introducing the iconic "Where's the beef?" advertising campaign and creating a frosty dessert that was intentionally thick enough to require a spoon.
Starbucks was founded in 1971 by three coffee-loving friends in Seattle who were inspired by coffee roaster Alfred Peet, chose the name from the novel Moby-Dick, and originally sold only roasted coffee beans before Howard Schultz joined in the 1980s. Shultz transformed it into a coffeehouse chain—complete with a controversial mermaid logo that was originally topless.
Popeyes, originally named "Chicken on the Run," was founded in 1972 by Al Copeland in New Orleans, initially failing after just months before reopening as "Popeyes Mighty Good Chicken" and later "Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken”.
Copeland claimed he named it after detective Popeye Doyle from The French Connection movie rather than the cartoon character, and facetiously stating he was "too poor" to afford an apostrophe in the name.
Jason's Deli is founded by Joe Tortorice Jr.
Charlotte based fried chicken chain, Bojangles, is founded.
Panera Bread was founded in 1987 as the St. Louis Bread Company by Ken and Linda Rosenthal with a $150,000 investment and SBA loan, then acquired by Au Bon Pain in 1993 for $23 million before changing its name to Panera in 1997.
It eventually grew into a multi-billion dollar chain with over 2,000 locations—all while pioneering concepts like free Wi-Fi, digital ordering kiosks, and even experimenting with pay-what-you-can nonprofit cafes.
McDonald's opens its first restaurant in Moscow, signaling the spread of American fast food globally.
Papa John's Pizza goes public and begins rapid expansion.
Chipotle Mexican Grill was founded in 1993 by Steve Ells, a classically-trained chef who started the chain with a single restaurant near the University of Denver using an $85,000 loan from his father.
Within a month was selling over 1,000 burritos per day despite initially calculating it would need to sell just 107 burritos daily to be profitable.
Amazon Meal Delivery (now Amazon Restaurants) is founded, marking the beginning of the online food delivery trend.
Burger King introduces the "Whopper Bar" concept, allowing customers to customize their burgers.
McDonald's introduces all-day breakfast in the United States.
2016: Plant Based-Burger & Drone Delivery
Impossible Foods releases its plant-based burger, marking a shift towards more vegetarian and vegan options in fast food.
Domino's introduces pizza delivery by drone in New Zealand.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerates the adoption of contactless delivery and mobile ordering in fast food.
Many fast food chains expand their drive-thru capabilities and implement new safety measures.
McDonald's announces plans to open 1,900 new restaurants globally, with a focus on China, demonstrating the continued growth of fast food internationally.
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