

This was the importation of assembly line principles into a commercial kitchen. Food preparation was divided into separate jobs done by different workers, eliminating the need for skilled and expensive short-order cooks. In the 1950s in San Bernardino, the McDonald brothers implemented a standardized system of food preparation that increased speed, lowered prices, and boosted sales. LA’s low-density, detached-home model of growth was ideally suited for the burgeoning fast food industry, as motorists could drive through for a quick meal as they passed by the restaurants (conveniently located off the new freeways). This population growth also occurred at a time when rates of automobile ownership were rising, causing the region to be heavily shaped by the car. Rise of Fast Foodįast food began in the early 1950s in Southern California, which experienced a massive population growth in the years following World War Two. Below are some of the key themes and topics from Fast Food Nation. The rise of fast food has negatively impacted American life, through manipulative marketing aimed at children, exploitative labor practices, the destruction of American family farms, lax food safety standards, and a national epidemic of obesity. From its origins in the new suburbs of California in the 1950s, fast food has spread across every corner of the nation and profoundly altered the way American food is produced, sold, and consumed.

1-Page Summary 1-Page Book Summary of Fast Food Nationįast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal tells the story of how the United States-and, increasingly, the world-has become shaped and defined by the fast food industry.
