What Exactly Was The First Ever Fast Food Restaurant?

We may say that something is "as American as apple pie," but perhaps no food represents America in this day and age quite like the fast food hamburger. Over the course of the 20th century, fast food went from a novelty to an institution, and then to a symbol of American cultural hegemony so potent that the opening of a McDonald's in Moscow symbolized the end of the Cold War. Sure, it may not be the healthiest thing for society, and we're not just talking about what it does to people's waistlines: American fast food has been criticized around the world for undermining the local culture. Still, it's hard not to be in awe of its sheer scope.

But where did fast food start, exactly? Well, quick, convenient ways of getting food have been around for millenia, long before the modern conception of what fast food looks like. Ancient Rome had small fast food shops called "thermopolia" that sold pre-cooked, ready-to-eat meals. And the tradition may have started even earlier, with evidence of ancient takeout windows in Mesopotamia. There is also a long, proud tradition of street food served in kiosks to consumers on the go, originating dishes like the calzone, that handheld Italian favorite. But for the first example of American-style fast food, you'll have to go back to 1921, when the first White Castle opened in Wichita, Kansas.

When White Castle opened, over 100 years ago, hamburgers actually had something of a bad rap. Hamburgers, being made of ground beef, were seen as a dish consisting of the cheapest, nastiest parts of the cow, mixed in with heaven knows what else. Bear in mind that just 15 years earlier Upton Sinclair published "The Jungle," a legendary and stomach-turning exposé of the American meatpacking industry which led to the creation of stronger food safety laws. Think of how people side-eyed McDonald's after "Super Size Me" came out and multiply it by a thousand, and you'll understand the kind of skepticism people had towards ground beef at the time.

Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson, the founders of White Castle, sought to change that reputation. While Anderson had previously operated a successful burger stand, he wanted to move up to a full-on restaurant in order to show customers their meals were being made safely. In fact, the name "White Castle" was chosen specifically to connote cleanliness and respectability, indicating that this was a business intended to last, rather than a shoddy grease emporium. 

The buildings were shiny and well-maintained, and the grills (which were in full view of the customers) were kept immaculately clean, just to drive the point home. As extra as it may seem, it worked: White Castle quickly grew in popularity, paving the way for the paradigm-shifting success of McDonald's almost thirty years later.