Is it possible for fast food to ever become a thing of the past?

[crazyflyingdonut]

I know nowadays that more people stay away from fast food than ever, but... is it even possible for fast food to stop existing?

 

When's the last time YOU ate fast food? Do you try to eat healthy? Do you eat too much burgers and fries? Do you resent fast food brands?

 

Burger chains are a staple of American capitalism. Well, that and soda. It's like they completely dominated the world.

 

There have been numerous times where companies seem like they've reached global recognition and then they fall harder than a baby being dropped from an irresponsible parent. Can this happen to popular fast food chains?

[seed]

Huh, it's actually the opposite where I live.

 

There's more fast foods in my town than ever (4 in the center alone, and they're almost always crowded, with the exception of one of them), and one on my street.

 

I rarely ever eat ff, last time I did was in the autumn of 2018 and before that, I haven't touched it for almost 3 whole years. But then, I don't eat all that much in general :p.

 

I don't know whether they'll ever disappear, and I don't have much info on the topic to begin with, but based on what I'm seeing here, they're only becoming more popular.

[crazyflyingdonut]

I know there's one person in particular on this forum that absolutely despises fast food...

 

At some point in time, I bet he will reply to this thread.

 

EDIT:

here he is

Edited February 10, 2019 by crazyflyingdonut

[Mister Xiado]

It will never go away, due in part to the fact that the global population is being dumbed down via concerted effort. I was considered to be some sort of wizard at my last job, because I would cook stuff for company dinners. Baked ham, baked macaroni & cheese, sweet potato pie, cookies, cakes, you name it. Most people can barely make a bowl of cereal without burning down the kitchen anymore, or if they can manage that, eat it without drowning in the milk.

The last time I had fast food was a few days ago, when my brother brought me some chicken thingits and french fries from Rally's, but the last time I personally sought fast food was nearly a year ago.

[Chezza]

No it won't go away. It has the potential to evolve and operate fairly differently, i.e. might someday mostly serve healthy options or become delivery only etc, but not vanish.

 

Why? Well ask yourself this, do you think there will always be a demand for getting food, well... fast? For many Western and other societies, are they getting more time on their hands or less? I argue it's the latter.

 

Can fatty fast foods die? I'm leaning more towards no due to humans being wired to desire fatty foods from ancient survival needs. But I think it's possible for much of the market to gradually shift where all the kfcs, mcdonalds, dominos etc has a significant smaller market to contend with. Also fast food is known to be affordable in addition to convenient but the cost attribute can change overtime.

 

Unless fresh and healthier cooked meals become just as or more convenient and affordable as fast food, then it is here to stay.

[MrGlide]

Depression and shortage of time will keep these businesses alive perhaps forever.

[geo]

Make it slower?

 

My friend has an automated Wendy's in his area. As in no employees, just robots and automation. He says no one goes there.

 

People place orders with touch screen kiosk and Wendy's went that way because major cities have increased minimum wage. There's also increased traffic and increased traffic means more employees need to be hired... or just automate everything and they pay for themselves in a year.

 

Analysts were speculating in the world of people hating to deal with other people, this would be a big hit, but it has failed to be.

Edited February 10, 2019 by geo

[Mr. Freeze]

7 minutes ago, geo said:

My friend has an automated Wendy's in his area. As in no employees, just robots and automation. 

 

That sounds awesome. 

[[McD] James]

30 minutes ago, geo said:

Make it slower?

 

My friend has an automated Wendy's in his area. As in no employees, just robots and automation. He says no one goes there.

 

[crazyflyingdonut]

Just now, Ajora said:

 

There you are! You're that one guy on here who really really hates fast food! I knew you'd reply to this thread! I predicted it on my second post in this thread!

[[McD] James]

I don't hate fast food. No idea what gave you that idea. 

[LHSpanner]

I normally get kebabs or pizzas from local takeaway.  There's a Domino's, Subway and McDonald's in my town (small industrial town in northern England, population ca. 20,000) but they've got serious competition - you can get tastier fast food round here, and pay less for it, from multiple takeaways, whether they're chip shops, Indian, Pakistani, Chinese or Turkish.  This is generally the case for towns in this part of the country.

 

Plus the chain stuff is bit bland for my taste - I like spicier stuff.

 

[Doom_Dude]

Fast food joints everywhere. I don't see it dying anytime soon. I think coffee and donut places will outlast cockroaches.

 

I never ate fast food very often. I love pizza, but when I do have a pizza I make it myself. As for grabbing a burger or something at a fast food place, that's very rare. I had KFC a month ago and probably won't have it again for 10 months or something.

[Chezza]

@Ajora My guess is sarcasm. I think you're so attuned with fast food chains I still see you with a little suspicion. I like your threads though.

Edited February 11, 2019 by Chezza

[Jamie Faith]

I think fast food is fucking delicious even tho Its terribly unhealthy and all these businesses are highly unethical...

[Gez]

The current form of fast foods (international chains with a lot of marketing behind them, like McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, etc.) might disappear; but the basic concept of getting a ready-made snack from a street vendor has been around pretty much since cities have existed.

[[McD] James]

You might find this interesting. I certainly did.

 

 

[MrGlide]

Well that makes me want to fly to Vietnam and eat street food until I stroke out.

[Maser]

As long as fat lazy fucks exist in the world, so will fast food.  Hell, I read not too long ago that in Saudi Arabia there's an obesity epidemic in their women there due to all the fast food chains that showed up there.  And we all know how great Saudis treat their women. 

[insertwackynamehere]

I think travel is being forgotten. Train stations, airports, highways all represent fast food to me. And the fact that the global chains being ubiquitous is part of the appeal in those contexts where consistency is desired as opposed to normally where it’s a sign of mediocrity (the negative trade off to consistency in many cases).

[crazyflyingdonut]

1 hour ago, Maser said:

And we all know how great Saudis treat their women. 

I did not intend for this to get political. I'm out. Not replying to THIS thread anymore.

[Cruduxy Pegg]

Fast food won't magically make you fat if you go there a couple of times. Although they probably have terribly high fat and sodium compared to alternatives. Definitely does not belongs as a staple in any diet. 

 

3 hours ago, Maser said:

As long as fat lazy fucks exist in the world, so will fast food.  Hell, I read not too long ago that in Saudi Arabia there's an obesity epidemic in their women there due to all the fast food chains that showed up there.  And we all know how great Saudis treat their women. 

 

Totally not because of the way people eat in the region. http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/most-obese-countries/ is totally wrong about having so many countries from the middle-east in the top 25 list of obese countries. Some of which are considerably poorer than first world countries. You don't know about the region as much as you think you do.

[AndrewB]

No, because speed will always be a factor in situations involving hunger, and speed will always come at the cost of quality. Therefore, fast food will always be a category of food.

[Xcalibur]

On 2/10/2019 at 10:12 PM, Gez said:

The current form of fast foods (international chains with a lot of marketing behind them, like McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, etc.) might disappear; but the basic concept of getting a ready-made snack from a street vendor has been around pretty much since cities have existed.

pretty much this. it'll always be around in one form or another. however, the current form of fast food is closely tied with modern capitalism.

[Urthar]

I don't travel often, but I always enjoy trying the local fast food. Roast beef po'boy in New Orleans was one of my favorites.