2.+Founding+Fathers

In the opening chapter of Fast Food Nation, the history of the fast food industry is discussed. It begins with discussing the life of Carl N. Karcher. Karcher dropped out of school after 8th grade and worked on a farm until he decided to take a job his uncle offered him when he was 20 in Anaheim, California. Eventually, he buys a hotdog cart outside of a factory. The World War II economy kicks in and soon, he and his new wife are feeding hungry factory workers at his small cart. Eventually, he buys and second cart, and a third, and then a few more, until finally he decides to open up his own drive in barbeque restaurant, which becomes very popular in Anaheim. Meanwhile, while Carl lives his life, the McDonald's brothers revolutionize the food industry: they open a restaurant where the customers come up to a window and order their food, instead of a Carhop bringing their food out to them. They eventually establish one of the most popular restaurants in Anaheim. Also, other country wide fast food restaurants are established in response to the popularity of McDonald's: Taco Bell, Dunkin' Donuts, Wendy's and Domino's spring up and challenge McDonald's for business. Carl ends up opening Carl's Jr and Hardees. Now, partially thanks to the fast food industry, Anaheim is a booming metropolis.

The book almost sheds Carl in a negative light because at the end of the book, it states that Anaheim used to be a place with sprawling orange and lemon tree groves, but now it's a bustling city filled with fast food joints and commerce. It somewhat blamed Carl for making this happen, since, in some aspects, he may have spawned the fast food industry in Anaheim. However, if you examine American history, you will realize that Carl isn't the reason that Anaheim changed. During the Great Depression, people moved to other parts of the nation to find jobs, and once World War II finished, veterans and their families moved so they can begin raising their children. They moved west into what is known as the Sunbelt and established many towns and began industrializing the nation. Basically, we can attribute the growth in American Industry and population to the establishment of large cities such as Anaheim. However, this isn't to say fast food chains haven't changed the landscape of America. McDonald's current has over 33,000 plus with 14,000 of these being in the US. It is said you can't go more than 100 miles in any direction without hitting a McDonald's. Also, overall, there are over 23,000 Subways, 11,000 Starbucks, and 7,000 Burger Kings. There's no doubt that fast food has shaped the American culture, but we can't attribute the fast food industry for destroying the American landscape.