mujer-del-sol

[mujer-del-sol]

The Most Popular Fast Food Restaurant the Year You Were Born

Sonic Drive-In, 1959

The Sonic Drive-In you know and love, was once a root beer stand named The Top Hat. In 1959, after learning the Top Hat name was already taken, the name was changed to Sonic. Today, Sonic locations are still designed with a retro flair and are known for their use of carhops, some on roller skates. Sonic even holds an annual competition to determine the best skating carhop.

Hardee’s, 1960

Wilbur Hardee opened the first Hardee’s in 1960. The menu in 1964 offered hamburgers for 15 cents, fries for 10 cents and milkshakes for 20 cents. (What a deal!) Eventually franchised, there were over 200 locations in the United States by the end of the 1960s. To set Hardee’s apart from McDonald’s, the Hardee’s buildings were designed in a hexagonal shape with a pointed roof. Some Hardee’s burger patties were also hexagonal.

Kentucky Fried Chicken, 1963

Kentucky Fried Chicken was founded by Harland Sanders in 1955, but it really took off by 1963 when it became the largest fast food operation in the United States with 600 locations. With a market dominated by burgers, KFC’s chicken and secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices was an instant hit.

Arby’s, 1964

Arby’s was founded in 1964, with the idea to open a fast-food restaurant that served something other than hamburgers. Originally, customers could only order roast beef sandwiches, potato chips and soft drinks. Popular items like the Beef n’ Cheddar, curly fries and their signature Horsey Sauce didn’t join the menu until the 1970s.

Domino’s, 1965

At its beginning, Domino’s was called DomiNick’s. It was renamed Domino’s Pizza in 1965, shortly after franchised pizza restaurants began to open. Thanks largely to its delivery service, Domino’s was the fastest-growing pizza restaurant in the United States by 1985. Today, Domino’s has 100,000 pizza delivery drivers that drive 10 million miles a week to deliver 400 million pizzas a year! See how Domino’s ranked in our pizza taste test.