It's a Meat Market Out There by Deborah Tirico
California. Kroc had long seen the potential of
fast-food joints in general and the hamburger in
particular, because they provided a basic menu
that lent itself to production line control.
Without ado, he made a deal with them to be
their franchise salesman.
Isn’t it amazing the Burger King was founded
that very same year?… hummmmm.
Burger King's first restaurant, originally called
InstaBurger King, was opened on December 4,
1954 in a suburb of Miami, Florida by James
McLamore and David Edgerton; both alumni
of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. McLamore visited the
original McDonald's hamburger stand belonging to Dick and Mac McDonald in San
Bernardino, California; sensing potential in their innovative assembly
line-based production system, he decided to create a version of his own. By
1959, BK had grown to five regional stores in and around the metropolitan Miami
area. The rest is history.
McDonald's sells the Big Mac, one of the world's top selling hamburgers. Other
major fast-food chains – including Burger King (also known as Hungry Jack's in Australia), A&W, Culver's ,Whataburger, Carl's Jr./Hardee's chain, Wendy's (known for their
square patties), Jack in the Box, Cook Out, Harvey's, In-N-Out Burger, Five
Guys, Fatburger, Burgerville, Back Yard Burgers, Lick's Homeburger, Roy Rogers,
and Sonic – also rely heavily on hamburger sales. Fuddruckers and Red Robin are popular
hamburger chains that specialize in mid-tier "restaurant-style" hamburgers. The
"slider" style of mini hamburger is still popular regionally in the White
Castle and Krystal chains. Sliders, or small hamburgers, have become popular
today, maybe as a result of the obesity issue. But then, one wonders why they are sold 5 at a time!
Wimpy made it all the way to England and is the brand name of a chain of
fast-food
hamburger restaurants based
in the UK. The restaurants
were originally called Wimpy
Bars and many people still
refer to them by this name,
despite the fact that the name
“Wimpy Bar” was dropped
in favor of “Wimpy” many
years ago. Obviously the
name was inspired by the
character of J. Wellington
Wimpy from the Popeye
cartoons created by Elzie
Crisler Segar –and he was
an American cartoonist.
“I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday
for a Hamburger today.”
There is plenty of work for ad people in the fast food
sector. The fast food wars started in the 80’s and are still going on as BK, McDonald’s Wendy’s and the rest all claim to be the best, freshest, fastest and most intriguing
burgers.
The all American hamburger - a grilled ground beef patty in a sliced bun served with classic condiments
including ketchup, mustard and relish. It would not be the 4th of July in America without them. Summer in the US means barbeque season and Americans love their burgers. Add a
slice of American cheese … so much the better!
The Burger Generation - I grew up during the hamburger era in America. McDonalds and Burger King were founded within a year of my birth. The growth of
the fast food restaurants in the US depended on us … the baby boomers ... born to eat burgers. By the time I was 16, I went to my first McDonald’s drive-in on the Berlin turnpike in Rocky Hill, Connecticut. I will never
forget those yellow arches. I thought the building was quite ridiculous, but I
absolutely loved the salty taste of the French fries.
By the time I was in college, I was dating a guy with a White Castle habit. I
remember leaving a disco and driving directly to “the Castle” for a bag of burgers. Another ridiculous looking building, I thought, when I saw the white tiled
structure; complete with turrets, apparently modeled after the Chicago Water
Tower building. The burgers were small and tasted like onions, but I watched my
boyfriend happily down 4 or 5 at a sitting.
Burger History, there’s no ham in hamburger -
The earliest appearance of a hamburger sandwich was in Hamburg, New York, 1885.
Frank and Charles Menches
ran out of pork for their sausage
 |
patty sandwiches at the 1885 Erie
County Fair. Their supplier,
reluctant to butcher more hogs in
the summer heat, suggested they use
beef instead. The brothers fried beef
flavored with coffee, brown sugar,
and spice to create a distinct taste
they named the "Hamburg Sandwich" after Hamburg, New York where the fair has
been held since 1868. The name was probably later condensed by common use to
"hamburger", which may explain why a beef sandwich - which never contained any
pork - bears this name.
After WWI anti-German sentiment was such that Hamburger patties were referred to
as Salisbury Steaks. By 1921 in Wichita Kansas, White Castle was marketing
2 ½ inch square hamburger patties successfully. But, the hamburger's place in American life wasn't firmly established until
1954, when a milk-shake-mixer salesman named Ray Kroc met the McDonald
brothers, Maurice and Richard, who operated a thriving assembly-line hamburger
stand between two golden arches in San Bernardino,
Configurations of hamburgers are limitless including: double cheeseburger, bacon
double cheeseburger, bacon burgers, banquet burgers, pizzaburger, California
burger, Veggieburger, tofuburger, Gardenburger (for the non-meat eating crowd)
Big boy, Monster Thickburger, Slyders and a variety of topping to suit any
palate anywhere.
As obesity has become a growing problem in recent years, McDonald's and other
fast food chains have been under increasing pressure to revamp their products
and advertising with healthier alternatives. As part of this campaign,
McDonald's has agreed to discontinue marketing to children under the age of
twelve.
Remember this? “Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a
sesame bun” – This commercial tongue twister lived beyond its tv career run.
