Fast food isn’t just about burgers and fries. Behind those bright signs and catchy slogans are some unexpected stories that most customers never hear. From surprising origins and bizarre stunts, these tales prove there’s more to your favorite drive-thru than meets the eye. Get ready to dive into 10 stories about your favorite fast food chains that will blow your mind.
10. Taco Bell
Who knew that Tex-Mex restaurant Taco Bell started out as a hot dog stand? Taco Bell doesn’t even sell hot dogs! Well, the founder, Glen Bell, actually opened Bell’s Hamburgers and Hot Dogs in a Latino neighborhood in San Bernardino. He noticed a Mexican restaurant across the street that always attracts long lines. Intrigued, Bell made friends with the owners, who later showed him how their tacos were made. It marks the birth of Taco Bell.
9. Sonic
Did you know that the early roots of Sonic can be traced to a steakhouse? In 1953, founder Troy Smith sold his café to purchase a root be*r stand that had an adjacent log house. He turned this log house into a steakhouse as he thought that it would bring him more profits than his roo be*r stand. However, he was wrong as customers were parking anywhere to order from their root be*r stand with burgers and hot dogs, so he eventually shut the steakhouse down.
8. Burger King
In 2009, Burger King ran a campaign on Facebook called the Whopper Sacrifice Program. You will get a free Whopper coupon when you unfriend 10 people in your Facebook account. While there’s no notification that your friend got unfriended, Burger King will send them a message to inform them that your friendship was less important than a free Whopper.
7. Pizza Hut
You know Pizza Hut will do everything to deliver your pizza even if you’re miles away. It’s no surprise that in 2001, the brand paid the Russian space program a million dollars to take their pizza aboard the rocket to resupply the International Space Station that orbits the Earth. It’s actually difficult to send things in space with zero gravity, so they vacuum-sealed the salami pie that was heavily spiced.
6. Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s
Yup, everyone probably knew that they started out as two different restaurants. Still, people can’t differentiate the two because of their similar logo of a smiling star and menu items. Their parent company, CKE Restaurants, bought them from their owners when they found success as separate restaurants in the 90s. It was in the early 2000s when CKE Restaurants transformed Hardee’s menu and interior to match Carl’s Jr.
5. Panera
Speaking of the parent company, Panera’s success was actually tied to owner Ron Shaich, who sold the company for the brand. In 1993, Au Bon Pain, founded by Shaich, bought the St. Louis Bread Company. Panera became so successful that in 1999, Shaich came to the decision to sell Au Bon Pain.
4. Dairy Queen
We know Mark Cuban as one of the richest men in the world, but no matter how rich he is, Dairy Queen ought to teach him a lesson. In 2002, he lashed out at the NBA’s Head of Officiating, Ed Rush, claiming that he wouldn’t even hire Rush to manage a Dairy Queen. The brand took offense at the statement that they invited Cuban to manage a Dairy Queen for a day. Cuban accepted the invitation to manage a store in Coppell, Texas. However, he was having trouble mastering the swirl of a Dairy Queen soft cone. Looks like it isn’t easy after all!
3. McDonald’s
Then CEO of McDonald’s, Don Thompson, admitted that the chain attempted to make kids eat more vegetables by creating bubble gum-flavored broccoli. However, the idea wasn’t a success, and they were pulled out long before they even reached the shelves. It’s not hard to see why this idea didn’t make it to the market.
2. Domino’s
While other brands boosted their image to the public, Domino’s had their turnaround moment through honest advertising. In late 2009, confidential videos made their way to Domino’s official YouTube channel. Consumers have been leaving bad reviews about their pizzas, where the “cardboard pizza” one being the most common. They tapped corporate chefs for help until they came up with new and upgraded ingredients. In 2010, they relaunched their pizza, asking for a second chance with consumers. To say the least, it worked like a charm.
1. Dunkin’
It’s hard to forget an iconic donut chain like Dunkin’ dropping the ‘Donut’ name from their brand in 2019. Why? Dunkin’ is making an effort to modernize its stores, serving more than just donuts. It was officially dropped in January 2019 to embrace more menu options, such as breakfast sandwiches and many more.