These Are Some Of The Oldest Fast Food Chains In The US - Tasting Table

"Can you imagine a world without fast food? We'll hazard a guess, and it's probably a no. As there are roughly half a million fast food restaurants in the world, it's not surprising that most of us have grown up with fast food all around us. This means that it's hard to picture a life without drive-thru burgers and fries on tap. But it did exist, albeit quite a long time ago."

"He was a Jewish Polish immigrant who didn't speak English, and he'd never been to school. But he was determined to succeed. After working at Feltman's Restaurant in Coney Island as a roll slicer, Handwerker decided to branch out and open his own rival hot dog stand, after being egged on by two of his colleagues."

"That simple hot dog stand evolved into Nathan's Famous, the fast food hot dog chain we're all familiar with today. There were many reasons why it thrived, and it wasn't an easy ride, but it largely came down to this very simple fact: The hot dogs were far cheaper than Feltman's offerings, but they still tasted pretty good, thanks to the secret recipe provided by Handwerker's wife."

Fast food is ubiquitous, with roughly half a million restaurants worldwide and many people growing up with easy access to drive-thru burgers and fries. The fast food industry began forming in the early 1900s and expanded throughout the 20th century as numerous chains entered the market. Ten of the oldest U.S. fast food chains are identified, using the date each opened its first restaurant under its current name. Nathan's Famous began as a Coney Island hot dog stand opened in 1916 by Polish immigrant Nathan Handwerker. The stand succeeded by offering cheaper yet tasty hot dogs using a secret recipe from Handwerker's wife.

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