Fast Food National or Local - 1486 Words

Fast food restaurant chains are a popular and convenient choice for eating on the go in our modern society. There are certainly several positive aspects to fast food establishments, but are the potential health detriments and collective negative effects on society worth it? Or would it be better to support locally owned and operated restaurants? Here I will examine several facts pertaining to these restaurants, as well as explain why I personally believe we should not frequent these establishments, but rather support local restaurants. In the documentary film Supersize Me Morgan Spurlock eats every meal at a McDonalds for a month. He eats what an average person would eat and gets almost no physical activity – only†¦show more content†¦Due to fears about mad cow disease McDonalds also told them to keep dead cows out of the cattle feed. They also convinced egg suppliers to give chickens a little more space because they could not even stand up. The space still isnt very much, they can at least stand up now but they still cant move around. Unfortunately, none of the fast food chains that have required these tougher standards for animal treatment have bothered to call for regulations to protect the workers (Schlosser 243). There are other seemingly redeeming deeds in the fast food industry. For instance, Pizza Hut has a program for earning Personal Pan Pizzas called Book It! which is designed as a reading incentive for children in Kindergarten through Sixth grade (bookitprogram.com). Many McDonalds and Burger King locations have play structures for children. Mcdonalds has Happy Meals, and Burger King has Kids Meals both of which appeal to children with toys. While encouraging reading and offering places for children to play may seem good, these things are also intended to breed brand loyalty in children at an early age. Even the commercials are targeted at children, with original characters such as Ronald McDonald promoting McDonalds and a Burger King ad campaign involving the cartoon character Spongebob. As Ray Kroc once said: A child who loves our TV commercials and brings herShow MoreRelatedPanera Bread Case Study998 Words   |  4 PagesPanera Bread Company is a national bakery-cafe with 1,504 locations across the US and Canada. This case study provides information regarding the past performance, current analysis, stock valuation, market evaluation, and industry comparison. In this analysis and case study, we hope you, the reader, will gain usable insight on Panera Bread and its value. We will give a recommendation to our readers according to our given information. Panera Bread is a chain of bakery-cafe quick service restaurantsRead MoreCultural Globalization: The Emergence of the Americanized World 685 Words   |  3 Pagescultural globalization and its effects solely. Cultural globalization is the rapid movement of ideas, attitudes, values across national borders and the â€Å"the emergence of a specific set of values and beliefs that are largely shared around the planet† (Castells, 2009, p. 117). Circulation of ideas has allowed people to partake in extended social relations that cross national and regional borders, leading to the diffusion of cultures. Due to increasing interconnectedness, there is formation of sharedRead More The Sociat Costs and Benefits of a Fast Food Industry Essay687 Words   |  3 Pagesof a Fast Food Industry There are many social benefits to a fast food industry. Firstly, it’s the accessibility and convenience of having the fast food restaurants – they’re located practically everywhere. The service is also fast, hence â€Å"fast food† and therefore maximizing the convenience of them to consumers. Most of the time, the products of the fast food industry are cheap, tasty and therefore have good value for the product. The existence of so many fast foodRead MorePanera Bread Research Paper805 Words   |  4 PagesPanera Bread began in 1981 as Au Bon Pain Co., a fast-casual bakery and cafà © chain, founded by Louis Kane and Ron Shaich. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the chain grew along the east cost of the United States and internationally. It dominated in the bakery-cafà © category. In 1993, Au Bon Pain Co. purchased Saint Louis Bread Company, which was founded by Kenneth Rosenthal. At this time, the Saint Louis Bread Company was in the midst of renovating its 20 bakery-cafes in the Saint Louis area. The concept’sRead MorePersuasive Essay On Fast Food1338 Words   |  6 Pages that is not a good look. Food is an essential part of everyones lives and culture. It shows the diversity and unique aspects of different cultural beliefs. Areas are lack healthy grocers and fresh food, meanwhile there are plenty fast food restaurants. These places are called â€Å"food deserts†. The question is how do w e fix that? With programs,educations and local farms. The fast food industry has completely ruined our nation. This is causing them to eat out at fast food restaurants more than theyRead MoreCase Analysis for Yum! Brands Essay1313 Words   |  6 PagesPage 1 1. What are the primary driving forces in the U.S fast food industry in 2004 The primary driving forces in the U.S. fast food industry for 2004 are as follows: There is a major increase in globalization, no matter where you travel to in this time period you are guaranteed to either see a McDonalds or a Pizza Hut. The fast food industry has diversified it product line by offering semi healthy choices, such as chicken, salads, fajitas or pizza. To this end, consumers want choicesRead MoreFarm Subsidies997 Words   |  4 Pagesthat these are detrimental not only to the economy, but also by implication to the health of Americans. Subsidies are offered by the USDA to farmers of commodity crops such as corn, wheat, rice, and livestock such as cattle. This makes these types of food cheaper than other, potentially healthier choices such as organic products. Farm subsidies were initially implemented after the Great Depression to help farmers cope with the economic effects after the Depression years. In other words, they were toRead MoreEssay on Marketing Opportunity: Chipotle Mexican Grill1030 Words   |  5 Pagesrestaurant industry as fast casual, a combination of the quick serve and the casual dining segments. Fast casual restaurants have the following attributes: high quality foods, upscale a tmosphere, higher check averages between $7-$11, and pay at the counter (What exactly is fast casual?, 2008). 2.0 Market Opportunity Analysis 2.1 Market Trends The restaurant industry grew to $403.5 billion in 2010, a growth of 2.1% from 2009 (Consumers still thrift when dining out, 2011). The fast casual segmentRead MoreEric Schlossers Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal848 Words   |  4 Pages   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the book Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser writes about the fast food industry. However, his book is not merely an expose of the fast food industry but is even more a consideration of how the fast food industry has shaped and defined American society in America and for other nations as America exports its fast food culture to others. Schlosser describes a great deal of American culture to the fast food mentality, and he finds that globalization is taking the fast food culture around theRead MoreFood Inc: Eating Organically Essay1296 Words   |  6 PagesI will be writing in my book report on Food Inc about how the food industry is not really telling us what is in our food and how we don’t know much about the food we buy and eat. I was in shock because I try to avoid eating junk food or fast food, and after reading the book I realize I could still be eating junk food, if I don’t learn more about what I am buying. I will be writing about how the f ood industry can get away with murder and not have to pay for it. Also on how the government is not regulating