We love fast food. It is what drives the country and is why I can't sit in a middle seat on an airplane without getting major claustrophobia. The story of McDonald’s hamburgers, which was started by the McDonald brothers in CA in the 40's and then taken worldwide by Ray Kroc in the 50's, is as American as Apple Pie.
From the Foodmapping Blog: 'American story of starting from nothing and triumphing over the odds to achieve great success. The iconic styling of the restaurants, as well as McDonald’s symbiosis with the automobile, capture a particular moment in the American psyche, when all things were possible and bigger was better, in both tail fins and franchises.'
Today, there are over 13,000 McDonald’s franchises, far outnumbering Burger King (7,000+) and Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s (about 6,000 each). This lovely map by Ian Spiro at fastfoodmaps.com maps fast food outlets in the U.S., and the numbers are truly staggering. (read more at foodmapping blog)
According to The Consumerist -
You're Never More Than 115 Miles From McDonald's
Thanks to a McDonald's in northeastern California going out of business, Americans are now never more than 115 miles from their nearest Golden Arches. The new "McFarthest" spot is a scrubby patch in northwest Nevada, ousting the previous McFarthest spot in South Dakota by 8 miles — move over,
45.45955,-101.91356, here's 41.94389,-119.54010! Sweet, running those extra miles means I can probably Supersize my vanilla milkshake.
