Fast Food Restaurant

Fast Food Restaurant

A Fast Food Restaurant is a quick service restaurant QSR. They are a specific type of restaurant and well known for  fast food and minimal table service. The food served in these restaurants is very often offered from a limited menu, and typically cooked and prepared in advance, kept hot and when an order is placed, it is then ready to be served. If the food is to be taken away, it will be packaged.

These restaurants are very often part of a restaurant chain, and the provisions they use are standardized ingredients and sometimes partially prepared food will be supplied to them through controlled channels. The first one most likely originated in the United States. Another variation of this is a catering van or truck, which has the advantage of mobility.

At the time of writing this article there are around 58 popular restaurants, and totalled together they offer almost 3000 menu items, and the number is still rising.

These restaurants are generally located in towns, cities, along major roadways, leisure parks and other easy to get to locations. Many of these restaurants provide drive through facilities. A drive through facility enables customers to place an order and then pick it up at the customer service bay without leaving their vehicle.

Some of these restaurants provide dining areas where food can be ordered and eaten on the premises, and a few will even take orders by phone and deliver the food to the required address. Many pizza restaurants provide this delivery service at no extra cost to the customer, however a minimum order must be adhered to.

Fast food is any food that is quick, convenient and usually inexpensive. Fast food can be bought just about anywhere that sells food and snacks. Vending machines, drive through restaurants and 24hr convenience shops are the most common places to obtain fast food.

Fast food is generally cheaper because it is made with cheaper ingredients such as, refined grains, added sugar and high fat meat. Many of these quick and convenient meals contain a high amount of sodium which can increase the risk of high blood pressure. Sodium can also lead to build-up of fluids in case of people with congestive heart failure, cirrhosis or kidney disease.

Today most fast food chains are responding to customers comments by changing their menus to more healthy alternatives, and these can include more fruits and vegetables, and reducing the amount of fat, salt and added sugar on many of their menu items.