They can bring back the original menu’s, the uniforms, the colorful buildings and even cheaper prices, but none of it matters without the one thing that made it so enjoyable. The one thing that may never return. Customer Service.
@@coolbuffdad Yeah, the minimum wage is a joke. It hasn't AT ALL kept up with inflation. Those people work for slave wages. The whole world is eliminating the Middle Class.
You're confusing the promotional images of smiling employees in these videos with real life. Good customer service at fast food restaurants has always been rare.
@@darrenh85It's been a very long time since customer service was good. I was hungry recently and decided to go to McDonald's. I went through the drive thru and the kid said to wait out in the lot and someone will bring the food to you. After 20 minutes, I went inside and they forgot my order, so I waited another 10 minutes before it was finally ready. They screwed up my order and I just left w/o causing a scene.
In High School, when we went to funerals, parades, or to perform at Sporting events, the Marines always paid for lunch for your JROTC unit. When I was a freshman and sophomore we would stop at a King's Table or similar buffet, but later we went to McDonalds where our $2 meal allowance would get you a Big Mack, Fries, drink and apple pie. Those were the days...
I remember going after Little League games as a kid. Sitting outside with single hamburger, fries and a chocolate shake was so fun. It was hard to believe later on that you could go “inside” a McDonalds and sit down and eat.
@@canamrider07 Sweet comments. I used to love to take my dog to McDonald's. I'd only let her have the hamburger patty so she could fill up on french fries. She loved McDonald's french fries.💓🍔🐕🍟💓
Besides no longer being affordable, what really makes me sad about fast food restaurants now is the vibe. It used to have a fun, youthful energy. They had way more employees, mostly teenager or very young adults working part time. There were just a few shift managers that were there for a career that might have been over 30. They used to have 2, 3 or even 4 cash registers open during peak hours, the place was bustling. Now the only place that is kind of like that is In N Out and Chick Fil A.
For four little double cheeseburgers and a shake at a drive-thru McDonald's, it cost me $18.00 including tax. Those little burgers are for little kids, hence why I bought four, but can 9:06 you believe it? $18.00? That's ridiculous!
I remember the first time I tried a Big Mac (1972) it came in a red square cardboard box and the burger itself had a cardboard ring around it to hold it together.
I worked for Mcdonald's in the 90's and in the early 90's we had the cardboard ring but I think we started to use the styrofoam box or was it the paper I can't remember lol I do know that in the early 80's the guater pounders used a styrofoam box.
I remember the cardboard ring back when Big Macs were indeed, big. Have you seen the puny, down-sized excuse for a Big Mac lately? Pathetic. Mr. Delligatti is surely turning over in his grave about that one.
@@Tomatohater64 I hadn't been to a McDonald's in several years so a couple of years ago I went to McDonald's and ordered a Big Mac a Quarter Pounder a Regular Hamburger and Fries I didn't finish any of it, have not been back.
@@aartmark I just miss, the REAL times, when boys, were REALLY boys, and girls were REALLY girls, and there was no confusion, or mental illness, when it came to using public bathroom.
@@GardenerEarthGuy I just miss, the REAL times, when boys, were REALLY boys, and girls were REALLY girls, and there was no confusion, or mental illness, when it came to using public bathroom.
Wendy's chili was a brilliant idea. Rather than throwing burgers away, after sitting under the heat lamp a bit too long to serve on a bun, they decided to crumble them up and add it to their chili. It's a great way to cut food waste. There was a Tic Tok video, recently, where an employee "exposed" this dark secret of theirs and people were outraged. It wasn't much of a secret, as we all knew about this in the 70s, and no one complained or was shocked. Different generations, different reactions.
I remember me and several of my friends having birthday parties at McDonalds. Everyone got a meal, and then there was a birthday sheet cake with McDonalds characters decorations on it and best of all ... an appearance by Ronald McDonald! (I found out later Ronald was actually my aunt who worked there as a teenager!)
I remember when Burger King actually offered decent fast food and made a genuine effort to compete with McDonald's. Back in the 80s, I actually used to prefer BK to McDonald's. Nowadays, at least where I live in California, Burger Kings tend to be dirty, often with a funny smell, with terribly slow service. And the quality of the food has gone downhill was well, especially after they got rid of those broilers in the back, where you could actually see the flames broiling the burgers.
It all goes back to Customer service. If the place is filthy that mean the employess don't care enough about their customers to keep the place clean and orderly. Slow service also...they don't realize that my time is important. It's called "FAST FOOD" for a reason. Good customer service is important.
@@denisewinant6366 Yeah. I was in a McDonald's recently. It took 20 minutes to serve me two Egg McMuffins (I actually timed it; I was in no rush, since my car was across the street being serviced while I waited). And the last time I was in a Burger King, last year I think, a Quarter Pound King meal took approximately 15 minutes. In neither case, was the restaurant unusually crowded. Although in the case of McDonald's, there was a man from Uber Eats in front of me waiting for a large order he had to deliver to a business.
@@valfletcher9285 I just miss, the REAL times, when boys, were REALLY boys, and girls were REALLY girls, and there was no confusion, or mental illness, when it came to using public bathroom.
I remember these too...I really liked Ponderosa and Bonanza which was kind of a spin off or similar place. The buffets were good back then. I think I only ate at Sizzler once but I remember it for sure.
We loved going to the city and shopping at the mall, walmart, target, sears, kmart all day on a saturday or sunday in 80s. We eat lunch at mcdonalds then supper afterwards at bonanza. we were poor so that was our once a month vacation. bonanza and ponderosa were owned by same company
It is interesting how much times change and you almost don't realize it. Growing up, it was commonplace to have a full sit-down pizza place (or parlor as some called it), especially Pizza Hut. Today, they are much less common and people usually just order it for pick up or delivery. Even the once ubiquitous Pizza Hut restaurants are rare, most just being take out/delivery only.
The Pizza Hut in my town got rid of the salad bar, got rid of the buffet, and altered the menu. That place used to be absolutely bustling during meal times. Now it's a shell of its former self. Last time I went there for lunch there wasn't more than 3 tables in use and only one waitress on duty. Sad to see.
So many Pizza Huts in my area have sadly closed. They all had a dining area. My Dad loves Pizza Hut and every Father's Day I would take him there. More often than not, he and I would be the only ones in the dining room.They just built a new one a few months ago. It's just take out and delivery. I haven't tried it yet, the reviews have been brutal.
I've been eating a lot of pan cooked ground beef with plain white rice mixed in and it cost me about 4 dollars a meal and I like it everytime. If I go to Wendy's it cost me about 11, 12 dollars and I get home ,eat it and think ... that wasn't too good.And because I still workout at 63 I need my protein everyday and I'm getting 3 or 4 times more beef than I would with one hamburger from Wendy's.
This is the trade off of a bigger menu. I wasn’t around in the ‘60s, but from what I gather the menu had hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries, milkshakes and other beverages. I based this on the Ray Kroc movie, so who knows if it’s a good source. The McDonald’s brothers invited this assembly line system that was innovative at the time but was designed to work with a small menu. McDonald’s started off as more of a traditional restaurant with more options and they got rid of several menu options when they noted the hamburgers were making up the majority of their sales. Something similar happened with the first Dominoes. I was watching the Food That Built America pizza episode. Dominos used to offer pizza and subs. Then they got so busy, they were possibly the first, at least one of the first, to offer pizza delivery. But delivering pizza and different subs was too much to manage and they switched to just pizza.
@@AngelaMastrodonato I just miss, the REAL times, when boys, were REALLY boys, and girls were REALLY girls, and there was no confusion, or mental illness, when it came to using public bathroom.
Where I live they only did all day Breakfast during the Plandemic. But it is a small city. They have never had all day Breakfasts around here. And now that the Covid is pretty much gone they're back to breakfast till 10:30 and no breakfast after that and no lunch menu until then. Dang! LOL
@@denisewinant6366 I just miss, the REAL times, when boys, were REALLY boys, and girls were REALLY girls, and there was no confusion, or mental illness, when it came to using public bathroom.
So blessed, born in 1965. Seems we were living in a bubble that lasted 40 years. Today ? Things are slipping fast. I can’t even wrap my mind around having a IPhone at 10 years old 😢 the damage, look around . .
@@peacefuldaizy5717 Sorry ,but life over all was better in 65 . Families actually ate dinner together and watched TV together and did things together. You have no clue about what you're talking about.
McDonald's was my first real job in high school. Worked there from 1980-1981. We had the blue polyester uniforms, and a menu that was about 1/2 of what it is today. We also had to use the original cash registers from when our restaurant opened in 1965 which meant you had to know the prices of each item by memory and then we had a chart to tell us how much sales tax we had to enter before ringing up the total. I loved calling bin on Saturday lunch rush. Closing was one of my least favorite activities. And when I had a break, we had a stipend to eat any food, so I made my quarter pounder my way and added 2x the amount of chocolate syrup to the shake.
McDonald's was where we'd get off the Interstate coming home from OKC from drs appointments and getting out of the hospital going home. We'd only go through the drive thru everytime and that was back in the 70's and 80's. Really enjoyed your video!
I worked at a corporate McD sometime around 1987. I was a cook, so I volunteered to take out the trash and mastered eating a discarded (corporate, they toss everything after a certain time) Big Mac in 3 bites.
I remember, as a customer, back in 1981 or 82, McDonald's briefly offered fried shrimp in Maryland. Huge crowds came in for the popcorn shrimp and famous McD fries.
Heaven in the 70s was pigging out on McDonald's, while watching Donny & Marie on a Friday night knowing its the weekend , meaning no school and homework!
@@ko7577 Even though we all are absolutely sickened by what happened to them, I don't think this is the right place to force that memory. Try the police from that area.
A lot of people remember the old woman crying out 'Where's the Beef'', but for me the funniest part of that ad was the other two old bags looking at the huge bun and the first one says, 'My that is a big bun', while the other remarked, 'It's a very fluffy bun'. I could not stop laughing.
Hahaha! Who'd ever think a bun would look fluffy?! Maybe "spongy", lol! I used to tease my mom when she'd call them hotdog & hamburger "buns." No mom, they're ROLLS! Hahaha!
I remember when McDonald's employees were sought after. If we saw McDonald's on the application we would move them to the top of the list. Now its just sad.
@@joeyank2451 yea we had one in the mall in Fairview heights IL, where I grew up. When they took it out and replaced it with the "food court" I stopped going .
A fried chicken place like KFC used to get whole chickens. They would actually mix the ingredients for the coating and cover and cook the chickens. Then the ingredients were changed to a pre-mix already ready to go. Then the chickens showed up in pieces ready to go. Then the chickens showed up already coated and ready to cook. Then the chickens showed up frozen ready to deep fry. Then the chickens showed up scrawny with way more coating. Now it no longer resembles what it once was.
The old Taco Bell menu was really good and the quality was definitely better. The burrito supreme used to be bigger and tastier it's not quite the same, sadly.
@@mikeblaz 1975 here. One street downtown city with two arcades: Flynn`s and Zappers (not to mention the awesome marquee theatres Capitol and Lyric and all the wonderful Ma`n`Pa shops, corner stores, old school barber shops, burger joints, and comic book shops!!) I always loved heading to the arcades just to watch people play. I had no money, but watching was free. But Flynn`s holds a special place in my heart because there was this beautiful, teenage, feather-haired, tight jean wearing angel with a quarter dispenser around her waist, who took time to talk to me and knew the poor little scamp that I was and she slipped me a few quarters here and there so I could enjoy the arcade too. Bless her!! Then we got donut shops with table top games in local malls that had a small theatre with $2 Tuesdays, and bowling alleys with kids playing pinball and Black Tiger, with cigarette dispensers - where you pull the clear plastic knob handle - just feet away. All the while league adults getting drunk and throwing spares, not even thinking about us. I`m 47 and going through a mid-life crisis. I don`t want a fast car or a hot chick or re-live my club or university days. I just want to go back to that time for 2 years...but I would settle for a week!!
@@ninjacrumbs Had a $2 small theater near me as well but it was all the time. However they received movies 6months+ after they hit the big theaters. Still cool for only $2. I had a paper route between the age of 11-15 yrs old and I swear 80% of what I made was pumped into arcade games/mall stuff/slices of pizza/pretzels/$2 movies etc..
@@mikeblaz Paperboy here too, brother!! Along with arcades mine went to Ruffles Bacon`n`Cheddar chips, Tim Hortons donuts, and Rambo action figures with mechanically moving arms. Scored a nice, overly heavy, Firefly skateboard for a subscription promotion. But I have a confession that I need to get off my chest. Now, don`t tell anyone...but I had, at times, dumped the flyers that I was supposed to insert. And something awesome just hit me while typing that, something I haven`t thought in decades, is that there was this one old guy on my route that taught me how to whistle. Of course, I couldn`t do it at first, but I practiced on my routes, and I got it...and it was JOYOUS!! We whistled together every time we met thereafter. I delivered to the city`s waterslide/mini golf course/ bumper boats/ go kart baron ie. the only one in our city, who lived amongst the modest, but well enough middle class that was robust during the time and were always apt to take a few minutes to chat with you. And now....we have this society. But on a serious note: do you remember when that poverty inducing, money munching monster known as Dragon`s Lair came out? One dollar for like 2-3 minutes of "I can`t do shit". I got the trilogy on Switch and I still can`t do shit!! What chance did kids have?!?
I've been saying for years that fast food doesn't even taste the same as it used to. I remember how McDonald's hamburgers used to taste and how much I loved them, but they just don't have the same flavor anymore and the texture has become rubbery and nasty. And the french fries are not the same ones they used to have. I would have been happy to eat those hamburgers and fries every single day, but now I only go to McDonald's if I absolutely have to for some reason. Like if I'm on the verge of starvation or something.
I agree with you 100%!!!! The food 🥘 has poor quality ingredients! It doesn’t use the same quality beef, 🐓 chicken, potatoes 🥔 etc. Yet, we’re paying an arm and leg 🦵 for this unhealthy food 🥘.
Quick story about McDonald's burger/ my gf had a little Yorkie and she got him a plain hamburger, just the pattie. He sniffed it turned his head and walked away!
@@Metalwheel I just miss, the REAL times, when boys, were REALLY boys, and girls were REALLY girls, and there was no confusion, or mental illness, when it came to using public bathroom.
I'm 77 so most of these were after my time. A burger joint in my home town of Monroe, Louisiana was a guy behind a counter flipping burgers and making chili dogs at the local Coney Island. Later in the 80's when the chains came to town I liked Pizza Huts salad bar and a slice of pizza, or a Wendy's baked potato with their chili or a Taco Bell Grande. Today, I prefer the guy flipping burgers and making chili dogs....he doesn't have a play ground in the restaurant with a bunch of loud kids wearing crowns running hither and yon high on sugar while their parents pay no attention to anything but their cell phones!
I’m pushing 76 in a couple months and yes, the fast food places were few and far between then. Mickey D’s was just about in downtown Phoenix and we were fsr away in the “suburbs” at that time so didn’t get to go much. I went there in the early 70s when I was old enough to drive and own a car!
I had my 5th Birthday at the McDonalds on 56th Street & Sligh Ave in Tampa in 1976, it's still there and I have a photo of me wearing the same hat in my Baby Book! This video brings back some good memories and when the burgers actually tasted good.
I remember us in the old family station wagon (a family of six ), getting dinner at McDonald's for seven dollars. My dad would order bags of burgers, fries and apple pies. Dad would be so happy because us kids were happy. Mom was always the disciplinarian. We, including my parents, loved McDonald's. I still do.
That is so cool. In the 70s-80s, we used to get fast food once a week as a family. On regular rotation was McDonald's, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC. I remember when the pies at McDonald's were fried. I would get cherry and my brother apple.
@@parkcaro Haha, love these comments. My sister & I always wanted my parents to buy a station wagon. (it would have saved us having to draw an imaginary line down the center of back seat to prevent us from clawing each other's eyes out). I love the regular rotation, hahaha! My dad would pile us in the car and we'd drive 40 miles to a delicious (flame-broiled) hamburger-joint (fast-food w/a college education) situated, adjacent to Toronto's Pearson Airport and watch the planes land over our burgers & fries. It was so popular, you could barely find a picnic table to sit at! (My dad wouldn't eat at McDonald's. He called it the Last Chance Saloon...my sister & I loved it...what kid wouldn't)!🍟💓🍔
Glad you referred to 'original pan pizza' in the Pizza Hut segment. They were great. Today's version isn't even a shadow of the original. Today's pre-made, then-frozen crust is not in the same quality and taste universe with the fresh-made daily, yeast-raised dough used in the pan pizza's early years. Now, hardly any different than a hand-tossed crust.
I just went there last week for the first time since the 80's. I have to agree w/ you, it was much better years ago. It was so bad that I ate very little of it and threw the rest out.
Agreed! Loved their original pan pizza supremem. The last one I bought I ended up throwing it out, never went back. We usually ate there every other Friday and got the salad bar, too. We were always given quarters for the jukebox, too. I also remember when Wendy's hamburgers were actually juicy...soo good! I also liked the Encherito from Taco Bell and their burrito..nowhere near the same now.
@@skylilly1 Agree on all counts. When I first started going to Taco Bell in the early '80s, I considered it a treat. A bit more expensive than other fast food, but very good. Now . . . lower tier for me. Wendy's used to be my go-to burger fast food; can't remember when the meat was freshly cooked and last 2 times I went, meat was actually cold.
We used to go to McDonald's in the early 1960s. I don't think they had indoor dining at the time since we ate in the car. We would get those skinny, long french fries and my brother and I would wiggle them and scream, "Worms! Worms!" to which Mom always said, "Stop it! Stop playing with your food!" haha. As we sat in the car eating, we would look at the big golden arches sign that had another sign attached saying how many customers had been served- like 10,000, 20,000, etc. Dad would ask us, "How big will that get? What is the largest number you can think of?" We had many guesses, of course, but learned from Dad (the electrical engineer) that the largest number was "googolplex" and we would yell that on our future vists when he asked.
I remember the old happy meal toys we used to get at McDonald's when I was a kid. The little food items that turned into robots were some of my favorites. I also remember getting the the happy meal in the trick or treat bucket that we ended up not using for trick or treating because it was too small. I also miss McD's eggnog milkshakes that came out for Christmas. They quit making those years ago. I also remember doing Book it at Pizza Hut, Pizza Hut's Land Before Time puppets, and also going there for pizza late at night on my 9th birthday because I had a slumber party that year.
There's something you missed. Before we got to "politically correct" KFC was know as Kentucky Fried Chicken. It had a striped red and white roof with an electronic bucket of chicken spinning around with the Colonel Sander's profile on that spinning bucket. And your chicken was served to you in a big bucket. Or if you got a smaller order, it was served in a red and white box.
The blonde guy on the right in the Wendy's Super Bar pic looks like a serial killer. In the '70s my sister worked at Wendy's and I worked at A&W and Carl's Jr. Fun times because we worked with other teens we went to school with and very often knew our customers.
Another place I used to love was *Jack in the Box.* Their small cheeseburgers with "special sauce," fries, and their tacos always hit the spot. *A&W* was another favorite, a root beer float was and still is an absolute must when we go.
@@jennifer7330, were the tacos any good? We went a few years ago to get some and they were greasy and not the same, it might just be our location. I know someone that got food poisoning from that Jack in the Box.
I still love Jack In The Box but have to go down to Charlotte, NC to find one. I’ve been eating at TB since about 1963 and still eat those 2 for $$ tacos - no they aren’t for everyone, but I still love them - last time I bought them I laid $1.79 for the same 2! Still cheap though!
Sadly makes the point: nothing lasts forever. But we (born in 1960) were there at the good and the right times. Where fun was allowed and eating out was not a calories count at every turn. As for customer service, those who didn't experiene it don't miss it. Nowadays a good CS is being able to order on a Phone and not having to interact with a human being.
Having been born in Los Angeles in 1960, I was a fast food king.. I remember all this and more. Even now, I'm still a early 1970s Jack In The Box collector. I love the characters that advertised the restaurant. Onion ring thing, Secret sauce agent, ect. Yes, im into collecting all the promo items, and hopefully some day I'll have my very own Jack In The Box where you would drive up and order your food. That would be the holy grail to my collection.
@@toneddef I just miss, the REAL times, when boys, were REALLY boys, and girls were REALLY girls, and there was no confusion, or mental illness, when it came to using public bathroom.
@@YesYou-zy7kp Well, I'm more into the vintage Jack In The Box items. What your referring to I believe was from the 90s. Long after they blew up the classic fun jack who hadn't gone corporate yet.
I can remember further back than this video showed, but I will say Taco Bell should bring back a special Bell Beefer for a limited time or something, that thing was pretty good. 😂
@@ko7577 LOL, Tv and the media are the downfall of mankind and you fit right into that spectrum with your lame ass comment, TOOL, go troll someone who cares LIB beetch
Met my ex-wife at Wendy's 20 years ago she was a cashier, and she told me never to eat the chili because they would keep the old leftover chili and just mix it with the next day's chili. lol
Not as old, but the monopoly game for McDonnalds was a great way to get me in the door as a kid! Also, the sliding puzzles they had and the kids meal toy display cases. One of the biggest changes, the warming station were the cooks would place the ready made sandwiches so that the cashier just had to grab and already made sandwich for quicker service.
I remember seeing a documentary about the monopoly game being rigged by not releasing certain pieces and it disappeared shortly after (don't believe it ever came back, but my memory sucks). Point of my comment is, if the info in said documentary was true- was it always 'rigged' or was that something the corporation did later on in the contest?
I loved the monopoly game, and the pre-made food under the warming lights. It was every bit as good as the "made to order" have to wait version. The difference is imperceptible.
The monopoly game was purposely rigged so you could NEVER get all the pieces. There was a security guy in charge of handling the winning piece & going to the store himself & distribute it. Instead, he gave it to friend of friend of a relative of a co-worker. At first, he got away with it for several years. He did it in different states. Eventually, FBI caught on & he was arrested.
It was better when McD used styrofoam containers; they kept the food warm longer. They also used to do a promotion whereby kids who got at least one A on their report cards would get a free food item. Pizza Hut has almost disappeared from my area; nearly all were owned by a franchise holder that went Chapter 7. I used to really like Wendy's Superbar and was sorry to see it go. Their burgers are still better than most. I was an "early adopter" of Subway, but the shops in my area have rather poor service, now. I usually go to Jersey Mike's or Sheetz for sandwiches, these days.
We took our grandchildren to the same McD's we took their mothers, our daughters, to when they were kids. Used to have a fun, very vibrant look with playground. Still have the playground, but the interior was remodeled, and I swear it looks like a mausoleum. Even the play place is monochromatic. Depressing. Now even my wife wants to take the grandkids to Burger King. A lot brighter and a playplace!
But at the same time giving them the space and freedom to have adventures on their own (out all day on the weekends, come home when the street lights come on!). Sure they would make mistakes, get hurt, get banged up, but it was all a learning experience.
I feel like the major draw to fast food is not only the convenience but also the monetary cheapness. I've only been in America since 2017 but I remember when I first came here you could buy a full meal for maybe five dollars. Now it's at the very least twice as much and more often three times as much, and the serving sizes seem to have shrunken, too.
💔 king and Burger King, sadly hasn't been good since the early 90s all around the area Burger King's have been closing in Ohio. I found one yesterday,in a whim ate 2 whopper jrs. They were probably the two best Burger King burgers I've had in a long time. They never stick with something that sold well which was that burger
When my family emigrated to Dallas, Texas in the 1970s, we often visited Sambo's Restaurant for breakfast. That was where I had my first-ever pancakes with maple syrup. My father who had been to the United States earlier than us showed me how to butter each pancake and pour syrup over it. That was what associated me with the "Americana". Another one that we loved going was Kip's Big Boy restaurants, especially one at Northpark Shopping Center (next to Titiche's Department Store.
Yes! The Big Boy restaurants had several different first names depending on location % mine in Phoenix was Bob’s - loved that place! Their milkshakes came with a spoon because they were so thick you couldn’t use a straw!
Back in the day,I remember eating at the Fast Food Restaurant Chains. The food was very good and inexpensive prices. The Fast Food Restaurant Buildings had Class. Compared to the Fast Food Restaurant Chains. The Fast Food Restaurants would remodel the restaurant buildings into a shape of a Shoebox building. And the food is expensive and the food is not very good. And the cashier that,took your order and what you ordered has been messed up with the wrong food items. And no wonder why Fast Food Restaurants are closing restaurants permanently. The employees can be very rude and the prices are HIGHWAY ROBBERY. And the buildings look like shoeboxes.
I'm pretty sad that they gave Ronald McDonald the heave-ho, and also Hamburglar. When has Ronald ever been creepy? For gosh sakes, he runs a children's hospital.... The main problem with fast food joints is that most of the cost has gone right through the roof.
They made the conscious decision to go ghetto, aiming at low income, poorly educated demographics who would visit 3-5 times a week rather than two or three times a month as was seen in the suburbs by the mid 1990s.
The cost is ridiculous. The last time I went to Taco Bell, they wanted $15 for two Chalupas. I think the unnatural pandemic boom when every American got $4,000 extra dollars because of the pandemic gave them brain damage. They're not serving steak. I'm not paying $15 for two tacos lol I wouldn't pay $6 for two tacos
They don't have all day breakfast at the McDonald's in my county, and I live in the Central Valley of CA. According to the internet, in 2020 McDonald's suspended all day breakfast at all its restaurants because of supply issues as a result of Covid. However, apparently a McDonald's in Lost Angeles now has a limited menu all day breakfast menu.
My first job was at McDonald’s from 1974-77. We had the polyester uniform in the rust/brown color. We thought they were so cool! I trained at a restaurant with the old, big cash register with all the little buttons. The restaurant I worked at was brand new. We had new registers. You filled out the order in a number two pencil. You stuck it in the register and it rang up and the ticket came back out. I was so grateful for that job!
I went to a McDonald's this year for the first time in a long time and it was an oddly impersonal experience. I ordered and paid on a kiosk and took a number after which I sat down and someone brought the food to my table. Not a word was spoken. It was the opposite of the noisy and fun place it was when I was growing up.
To be honest, I like the kiosks. McDonalds (and most other fast food chains) treat their employees like garbage, so anything that reduces their workload, and possibly even eliminated human-staffed positions, I am all for. Maybe someday they'll all be fully automated. A spaced-out 17 year old cant get your order wrong if he's not there to begin with.
Fl. just raised minimum wage to 12$ an hour. Watch the prices now,on everything. Publix baggers, Circle K employees, etc. Get a TIGHTER grip on your wallet, folks!!!
My absolute favorite fast food restaurant back in the day was Roy Roger’s. Amazing fried chicken, great burgers, and the absolute BEST roast beef sandwiches ever! I really miss them.
Yup, Roy Rogers was great. I always bought the roast beef sandwich from there when I had coupons. Luckily, that was almost every week! I still remember always buying the large roast beef sandwich. That sandwich came on a kaiser bun which was so good. The small roast beef came on a seeded hamburger style bun. Their bacon cheeseburger was great too. Sometime in the mid-90s they shut down Roy and it was turned into a Wendy's. Bad Days!!!
It's pretty sad. These restaurants used serve good food. I wouldn't eat their food now. Some of their meats are not 100% meat. The food tastes horrible and is very expensive and the servings are a lot smaller than it used to be. When I was younger, it was a treat. Not any more!
Arby's had a similar building design as Wendy's with the glass enclosure, I also remember the huge Arby's hat sign with incandescent lightbulbs surrounding the sign, anybody remember the 5 for 5 deal back in the day?
The first job was at McDonals. ‘72 or’73. My greatest memory is watching a tape (it had a particular name, those kind of tapes) which was titled “Quality comes Frozen.” This was when McD’s was switching from fresh ground beef/potatoes etc. to frozen products. You could get a Big Mac, small fries and small drink for under a dollar… those were the days.
Fast good restaurant are no good nowadays. I miss the hood ol’ days of the 80’s and 90’s. Nostalgia. I’m so glad I’m a gen-Xer. The last of the best generations, the last of the 20th century!!!!!!
Just a suggestion but how about an episode on how us kids in the day used to make money to buy all this glorious fast food? One of my first jobs was as a paperboy. I also collected pop bottles and turned them at the grocery store for the deposit. I also was a bagger at same grocery store.
Hardee’s back I. The 89s was horrible but when they merged with Carl’s Jr. (from the west coast) they became a million times better. Carl’s Jr. Is still out West and Hardee’s is still in the East but the menu is the same. Western Back. cheeseburger is my favorite!
What a great video and remembrance. Growing up in the 70s and the early 80s. It was a great place to hit fast food. Now when I take my kids it is dirty the quality is horrible. Staff is rude and obnoxious. What a shame. The Corporate monkeys should be ashamed on how these franchises are run these days
I still have two different styles of McDonald's "Coca-Cola" glasses, from about 20 years ago. But I generally only use them when I want to drink milk. I don't like drinking milk in plastic glasses. I remember the McDonald's glasses that had their characters, as well as the Muppets. But my ex wives took all of them with them whenever the divorces took place.😂
What about Jack-in-the-Box??? The Jack Clown was the giant mascot that towered at every restaurant location. In addition, with every kid's meal giant balloons were included. I also remember Pup 'N Taco, which sold hot dogs and tacos at a ridiculously low price. There used to be specials like 5 hot dogs or more for only $1 and tacos for 18 cents !! 😆😆😆 I guess it's no wonder they went out of business!🤣😅😅
In 1982 I went on a weekend class trip to South Lake Tahoe. We were allowed to bring $10 to cover our meals for the whole weekend, and every meal was at McDonald's. That amount was actually plenty to feed us. I remember how cold it was at 40 degrees, and being thrilled that I could buy a couple of extra steaming hot hash browns for 50 cents each that did as good as a hot adult cup of coffee helping me warm up. The only downside was I did get sick of the food and when my parents picked me up Sunday afternoon, they said we would be getting takeout and gave me a choice where to go...I said, of course, anywhere else except McDonalds😂😂😂.
You didn't show an even older Taco Bell logo at 4:33 that was used on the signage outside all those mission-style Taco Bell restaurants back in the day. Those were just as prominent as the fire rings. I imagine it was dropped for being too culturally insensitive.
I remember the old Wendy's tables that looked like old-time catalog pages.
And at Subway the 1904 NY subway line maps as wallpaper.
Yes. Wendy's even had it in Frankfurt Germany in the late 70s and 80's. 😊
They still have them at one near me.
I was going to mention the tables at Wendy's as well.
Same! They had ashtrays too.
They can bring back the original menu’s, the uniforms, the colorful buildings and even cheaper prices, but none of it matters without the one thing that made it so enjoyable. The one thing that may never return. Customer Service.
To me the quality of food will never be the same.
Very sad how people expect to make a livable wage AND be docile and subservient to rude customers. MAGA
@@coolbuffdad Yeah, the minimum wage is a joke. It hasn't AT ALL kept up with inflation. Those people work for slave wages. The whole world is eliminating the Middle Class.
You're confusing the promotional images of smiling employees in these videos with real life. Good customer service at fast food restaurants has always been rare.
@@darrenh85It's been a very long time since customer service was good. I was hungry recently and decided to go to McDonald's. I went through the drive thru and the kid said to wait out in the lot and someone will bring the food to you. After 20 minutes, I went inside and they forgot my order, so I waited another 10 minutes before it was finally ready. They screwed up my order and I just left w/o causing a scene.
I loved McDonalds original FRIED apple pies! The pastry was always so crunchy and the apple inside was like lava if you didn’t let it cool enough.
Still have them in Hawaii
Yes it was fryed. They still have them in Hawaii
Biting into one too quick before it cooled. You only made that mistake once. lol
@@afitz34 you got that right!!!
Fried apple pies are why I like Popeyes. They have them.
What I remember most about Wendy's was the tables with the old time newspaper prints on them. I miss them!
McDonalds was exciting to go to as a kid. A rare thing for me.
I only got McD when I went with my friend and his family. Maybe a couple of times a year.
In High School, when we went to funerals, parades, or to perform at Sporting events, the Marines always paid for lunch for your JROTC unit. When I was a freshman and sophomore we would stop at a King's Table or similar buffet, but later we went to McDonalds where our $2 meal allowance would get you a Big Mack, Fries, drink and apple pie. Those were the days...
I remember going after Little League games as a kid. Sitting outside with single hamburger, fries and a chocolate shake was so fun. It was hard to believe later on that you could go “inside” a McDonalds and sit down and eat.
😅😅😅😅@@rogerwilcojr
@@canamrider07 Sweet comments. I used to love to take my dog to McDonald's. I'd only let her have the hamburger patty so she could fill up on french fries. She loved McDonald's french fries.💓🍔🐕🍟💓
Besides no longer being affordable, what really makes me sad about fast food restaurants now is the vibe. It used to have a fun, youthful energy. They had way more employees, mostly teenager or very young adults working part time. There were just a few shift managers that were there for a career that might have been over 30. They used to have 2, 3 or even 4 cash registers open during peak hours, the place was bustling. Now the only place that is kind of like that is In N Out and Chick Fil A.
For four little double cheeseburgers and a shake at a drive-thru McDonald's, it cost me $18.00 including tax. Those little burgers are for little kids, hence why I bought four, but can 9:06 you believe it? $18.00? That's ridiculous!
@@bobsebring2819 devils PAY! ONLY JESUS CHRIST SAVES!
Too much for me.
@@bobsebring2819I bought 2 egg McMuffins and it was 9.67. Not cheap anymore. Although, it tasted great.
Worked at a McDonald's in summer 1969. The various vibes, tastes and smells of many different stores are in memory from the late 50's to the present.
I remember the first time I tried a Big Mac (1972) it came in a red square cardboard box and the burger itself had a cardboard ring around it to hold it together.
I worked for Mcdonald's in the 90's and in the early 90's we had the cardboard ring but I think we started to use the styrofoam box or was it the paper I can't remember lol I do know that in the early 80's the guater pounders used a styrofoam box.
Over 6 Billion served on the marquee out front.
I remember the cardboard ring back when Big Macs were indeed, big. Have you seen the puny, down-sized excuse for a Big Mac lately? Pathetic. Mr. Delligatti is surely turning over in his grave about that one.
@@Tomatohater64 I hadn't been to a McDonald's in several years so a couple of years ago I went to McDonald's and ordered a Big Mac a Quarter Pounder a Regular Hamburger and Fries I didn't finish any of it, have not been back.
@@besttimes3248 I can't blame you. Fast food in general really sucks now as the quality of the food is an afterthought. 😒🙄
I remember when it really did "take two hands to handle a whopper!" But I'm old.
They were really big & really good !
I was thinking 🤔 the same thing 😅!!!!
They were freaking fabulous back in the day. I'd get mine with TRIPLE MUSTARD!!! 😋🥲😛
I wonder if people's hands were smaller back then.
Me Too Buddy They We Big Back Then And Tastier
@@aartmark I just miss, the REAL times, when boys, were REALLY boys, and girls were REALLY girls, and there was no confusion, or mental illness, when it came to using public bathroom.
Anyone remember when you could win a free Coca-Cola by having a right bottle cap?🙂
Or a million dollars by spelling Coke The Real Thing? Never found Real
@@GardenerEarthGuy lol no I can’t even say I did either!
Yup.
@@GardenerEarthGuy I just miss, the REAL times, when boys, were REALLY boys, and girls were REALLY girls, and there was no confusion, or mental illness, when it came to using public bathroom.
I remember dr pepper doing some promotion with their caps too.
Wendy's chili was a brilliant idea. Rather than throwing burgers away, after sitting under the heat lamp a bit too long to serve on a bun, they decided to crumble them up and add it to their chili. It's a great way to cut food waste. There was a Tic Tok video, recently, where an employee "exposed" this dark secret of theirs and people were outraged. It wasn't much of a secret, as we all knew about this in the 70s, and no one complained or was shocked. Different generations, different reactions.
That was one of my jobs back on 1982 when I worked at Wendy's,besides making sandwiches. It wasn't a secret then and no one thought much of it.
Ha. So true!!!
I remember when a rumor was started in the late 70's with the beef patties having worms ground into them, there was not an ounce of truth to it.
All U had to do was look. I never had a problem with it.
The 70's-80's were the golden age of fast food. They really had a nice balance of being fast, but still had a sit n stay a while feel to them.
I remember me and several of my friends having birthday parties at McDonalds. Everyone got a meal, and then there was a birthday sheet cake with McDonalds characters decorations on it and best of all ... an appearance by Ronald McDonald! (I found out later Ronald was actually my aunt who worked there as a teenager!)
The birthday cakes from McDonald’s were the best! Especially the chocolate ones.
There more Ronald McDonald anymore either, he retired in 2016.
I remember when Burger King actually offered decent fast food and made a genuine effort to compete with McDonald's. Back in the 80s, I actually used to prefer BK to McDonald's. Nowadays, at least where I live in California, Burger Kings tend to be dirty, often with a funny smell, with terribly slow service. And the quality of the food has gone downhill was well, especially after they got rid of those broilers in the back, where you could actually see the flames broiling the burgers.
It all goes back to Customer service. If the place is filthy that mean the employess don't care enough about their customers to keep the place clean and orderly. Slow service also...they don't realize that my time is important. It's called "FAST FOOD" for a reason. Good customer service is important.
They closed our and it got remodeled into another starbucks.
@@denisewinant6366 Yeah. I was in a McDonald's recently. It took 20 minutes to serve me two Egg McMuffins (I actually timed it; I was in no rush, since my car was across the street being serviced while I waited). And the last time I was in a Burger King, last year I think, a Quarter Pound King meal took approximately 15 minutes. In neither case, was the restaurant unusually crowded. Although in the case of McDonald's, there was a man from Uber Eats in front of me waiting for a large order he had to deliver to a business.
somethings wrong at BK.
@@valfletcher9285 I just miss, the REAL times, when boys, were REALLY boys, and girls were REALLY girls, and there was no confusion, or mental illness, when it came to using public bathroom.
Not necessarily fast food but I remember Ponderosa and Sizzlers
I remember these too...I really liked Ponderosa and Bonanza which was kind of a spin off or similar place. The buffets were good back then. I think I only ate at Sizzler once but I remember it for sure.
Sizzlers were very popular here in Northern CA. They only closed here during the pandemic. I always enjoyed it.
Yes! I remember both - the local Sizzler where we used to live was where our son learned how to eat fried shrimp! Great salad bar!
We loved going to the city and shopping at the mall, walmart, target, sears, kmart all day on a saturday or sunday in 80s. We eat lunch at mcdonalds then supper afterwards at bonanza. we were poor so that was our once a month vacation. bonanza and ponderosa were owned by same company
Don't forget Steak and Ale and a,steak house that had SaltGrass in the name.
Man, going to Pizza Hut was a real treat back then. Remember those tabletop arcade games? That's about the only place in town that had one : )
Idk about that, but the Back to the Future sunglasses and Land Before Time puppets? Classic!
I played my very first video game at Pizza Hut while waiting the 45 minutes or so for my take-out pizza! Thst video game was Pong😅😅😅😅
@@sandybruce9092 A little before my time! 😜 But I definitely played a lot of Spy Hunter and Bad Dudes there!
Yes and you were able to eat inside then too. Nice atmosphere back then.
Chuckee cheese!
It is interesting how much times change and you almost don't realize it. Growing up, it was commonplace to have a full sit-down pizza place (or parlor as some called it), especially Pizza Hut. Today, they are much less common and people usually just order it for pick up or delivery. Even the once ubiquitous Pizza Hut restaurants are rare, most just being take out/delivery only.
The Pizza Hut in my town got rid of the salad bar, got rid of the buffet, and altered the menu. That place used to be absolutely bustling during meal times. Now it's a shell of its former self. Last time I went there for lunch there wasn't more than 3 tables in use and only one waitress on duty. Sad to see.
So many Pizza Huts in my area have sadly closed. They all had a dining area. My Dad loves Pizza Hut and every Father's Day I would take him there. More often than not, he and I would be the only ones in the dining room.They just built a new one a few months ago. It's just take out and delivery. I haven't tried it yet, the reviews have been brutal.
It was fast, cheap, and good. No longer true.
Now their menu might kill you
Sadly 😢
And don't forget bigger too.
I've been eating a lot of pan cooked ground beef with plain white rice mixed in and it cost me about 4 dollars a meal and I like it everytime. If I go to Wendy's it cost me about 11, 12 dollars and I get home ,eat it and think ... that wasn't too good.And because I still workout at 63 I need my protein everyday and I'm getting 3 or 4 times more beef than I would with one hamburger from Wendy's.
@@freedomrings1420 shit yea,I literally just cooked deer and ground meat burgers min ago.
Remember when Subway used to cut a ‘V’ in the bread 7:58 unlike just cutting it in half like they do today?
I'm 70 and what I remember about fast food in the 60's and 70's is that it was in fact FAST. Today waiting 10 minutes is normal.
So true!
This is the trade off of a bigger menu. I wasn’t around in the ‘60s, but from what I gather the menu had hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries, milkshakes and other beverages. I based this on the Ray Kroc movie, so who knows if it’s a good source. The McDonald’s brothers invited this assembly line system that was innovative at the time but was designed to work with a small menu. McDonald’s started off as more of a traditional restaurant with more options and they got rid of several menu options when they noted the hamburgers were making up the majority of their sales.
Something similar happened with the first Dominoes. I was watching the Food That Built America pizza episode. Dominos used to offer pizza and subs. Then they got so busy, they were possibly the first, at least one of the first, to offer pizza delivery. But delivering pizza and different subs was too much to manage and they switched to just pizza.
@@AngelaMastrodonato I just miss, the REAL times, when boys, were REALLY boys, and girls were REALLY girls, and there was no confusion, or mental illness, when it came to using public bathroom.
After the pandemic, even longer than 10 minutes for most places….
@@AngelaMastrodonatoours had pizza, hot or mild wings and salads.
I still remember the old McDonald's french fries. OMG, how good they were. Today's just can't compare 😱
lard vs vegetable oil. it makes a difference
So true!
They used to fry them in beef fat. That’s what made them so good.
@@martdod Right on!
They used to fried in beef fat. Then the Muslims launched a campaign to change it because of their dietary restrictions. I think in 1980's or 1990's.
Most McDonald’s now don’t do all day breakfast due to the plandemic. Great video as always! My wife and I enjoy them😊
Where I live they only did all day Breakfast during the Plandemic. But it is a small city. They have never had all day Breakfasts around here. And now that the Covid is pretty much gone they're back to breakfast till 10:30 and no breakfast after that and no lunch menu until then. Dang! LOL
@@denisewinant6366sounds like your town needs a Waffle House!
@@denisewinant6366 I just miss, the REAL times, when boys, were REALLY boys, and girls were REALLY girls, and there was no confusion, or mental illness, when it came to using public bathroom.
You misspelled 'pandemic'.
@@petepeter1857 You spelled "pandemic" wrong, it is spelled "Scamdemic", get with the program, you Woke Burnout
So blessed, born in 1965. Seems we were living in a bubble that lasted 40 years. Today ? Things are slipping fast. I can’t even wrap my mind around having a IPhone at 10 years old 😢 the damage, look around . .
My guess is that in 1965, the adults were feeling the way that we are feeling now. We all long to return to what seems familiar to us.
1960...can't agree more. The cellphone generations. No memories for them when they get old except looking at their cellphones all day.
@@peacefuldaizy5717 Sorry ,but life over all was better in 65 . Families actually ate dinner together and watched TV together and did things together. You have no clue about what you're talking about.
@@freedomrings1420 : I was born in 1967. I know what I'm talking about.
@@peacefuldaizy5717 nope things are different these days, Gen Z and their kids are screwed
McDonald's was my first real job in high school. Worked there from 1980-1981. We had the blue polyester uniforms, and a menu that was about 1/2 of what it is today. We also had to use the original cash registers from when our restaurant opened in 1965 which meant you had to know the prices of each item by memory and then we had a chart to tell us how much sales tax we had to enter before ringing up the total. I loved calling bin on Saturday lunch rush. Closing was one of my least favorite activities. And when I had a break, we had a stipend to eat any food, so I made my quarter pounder my way and added 2x the amount of chocolate syrup to the shake.
McDonald's was where we'd get off the Interstate coming home from OKC from drs appointments and getting out of the hospital going home. We'd only go through the drive thru everytime and that was back in the 70's and 80's. Really enjoyed your video!
I worked at a corporate McD sometime around 1987. I was a cook, so I volunteered to take out the trash and mastered eating a discarded (corporate, they toss everything after a certain time) Big Mac in 3 bites.
I remember, as a customer, back in 1981 or 82, McDonald's briefly offered fried shrimp in Maryland. Huge crowds came in for the popcorn shrimp and famous McD fries.
@@MattGrossChannel old beef lard they used instead of the vegetable oils now. Really miss the old fries.
@Matt , they also had a crabcake sandwich that wasn't too bad but expensive. I believe it was $8.99. Chincoteague McDonald's.
Everything gets ruined with time. Find something you like, enjoy it while you can. It won't last long
I totally agree with you!!!
How True
Internet and cell phones have made people less social. People rather text back and forth than actually go out and have fun.
@@mikeblaz yep, everybody being "connected" has made people less social and connected lol
Heaven in the 70s was pigging out on McDonald's, while watching Donny & Marie on a Friday night knowing its the weekend , meaning no school and homework!
Dukes of Hazzard instead
For the 23 people who died in the 1984 McDonald's Massacre, certainly!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Ysidro_McDonald%27s_massacre
@@ko7577 Even though we all are absolutely sickened by what happened to them, I don't think this is the right place to force that memory. Try the police from that area.
Those coffee stir sticks had small spoons at the end that cocaine addicts used!
A lot of people remember the old woman crying out 'Where's the Beef'', but for me the funniest part of that ad was the other two old bags looking at the huge bun and the first one says, 'My that is a big bun', while the other remarked, 'It's a very fluffy bun'. I could not stop laughing.
Hahaha! Who'd ever think a bun would look fluffy?! Maybe "spongy", lol! I used to tease my mom when she'd call them hotdog & hamburger "buns." No mom, they're ROLLS! Hahaha!
I remember when McDonald's employees were sought after. If we saw McDonald's on the application we would move them to the top of the list. Now its just sad.
You missed burger chef and their burger bar where you dressed up your burger.
I remember Burger Chef...I liked that place!
I loved Burger Chef Best Ever With Their Burger Bar Man What Memories
@@joeyank2451 yea we had one in the mall in Fairview heights IL, where I grew up. When they took it out and replaced it with the "food court" I stopped going .
Burger chef was awesome ! Even better than Burger King back when it was still very good.
I loved Burger Chef and Jeff.
A fried chicken place like KFC used to get whole chickens. They would actually mix the ingredients for the coating and cover and cook the chickens.
Then the ingredients were changed to a pre-mix already ready to go.
Then the chickens showed up in pieces ready to go.
Then the chickens showed up already coated and ready to cook.
Then the chickens showed up frozen ready to deep fry.
Then the chickens showed up scrawny with way more coating.
Now it no longer resembles what it once was.
I feel the same way as you do!!!! The quality of food 🥘 has gone downhill!!!! 😢
Remember in the 70s when they had buckets of super yummy barbequed chicken? That was incredible.
That Is So True Can’t Stand Them Anymore Lees Is Better Where I Live
And they were slaughtered correctly, too. No bloody meat and bones. 🍗🐓 Also, the gravy was good, not the goop they put on fake, dry potatoes 🥔 today.
I remember when a bucket of chicken from KFC was actually a bucket of chicken pieces. Now it seems to be a mix of chicken and chicken based snacks.
Subway really lost something after they stopped cutting the "V" shaped channel into their bread.
The old Taco Bell menu was really good and the quality was definitely better. The burrito supreme used to be bigger and tastier it's not quite the same, sadly.
And if you remember, they had two hard shell taco sizes: the smaller regular and the larger supreme taco shell size 🌮
Yep, and when Taco Bell got rid of the Meximelt several years ago, I stopped going.
@@anthonychihuahua, I had forgotten that!
@@dms79, I don't recall that item but I always order the same thing, I'm sort of boring that way. 😂
@@dms79 Meximelt was the BEST .. MISS IT!!!
I consider myself very lucky to have grown up in the 70's and 80's. Kids these days don't seem to have any of these things anymore.
Darn toot`in!!
Yep, born in 1969 so I remember the good times of the 70s and 80s. Not only fast food places but arcades were huge...
@@mikeblaz 1975 here. One street downtown city with two arcades: Flynn`s and Zappers (not to mention the awesome marquee theatres Capitol and Lyric and all the wonderful Ma`n`Pa shops, corner stores, old school barber shops, burger joints, and comic book shops!!) I always loved heading to the arcades just to watch people play. I had no money, but watching was free. But Flynn`s holds a special place in my heart because there was this beautiful, teenage, feather-haired, tight jean wearing angel with a quarter dispenser around her waist, who took time to talk to me and knew the poor little scamp that I was and she slipped me a few quarters here and there so I could enjoy the arcade too. Bless her!! Then we got donut shops with table top games in local malls that had a small theatre with $2 Tuesdays, and bowling alleys with kids playing pinball and Black Tiger, with cigarette dispensers - where you pull the clear plastic knob handle - just feet away. All the while league adults getting drunk and throwing spares, not even thinking about us. I`m 47 and going through a mid-life crisis. I don`t want a fast car or a hot chick or re-live my club or university days. I just want to go back to that time for 2 years...but I would settle for a week!!
@@ninjacrumbs Had a $2 small theater near me as well but it was all the time. However they received movies 6months+ after they hit the big theaters. Still cool for only $2. I had a paper route between the age of 11-15 yrs old and I swear 80% of what I made was pumped into arcade games/mall stuff/slices of pizza/pretzels/$2 movies etc..
@@mikeblaz Paperboy here too, brother!! Along with arcades mine went to Ruffles Bacon`n`Cheddar chips, Tim Hortons donuts, and Rambo action figures with mechanically moving arms. Scored a nice, overly heavy, Firefly skateboard for a subscription promotion. But I have a confession that I need to get off my chest. Now, don`t tell anyone...but I had, at times, dumped the flyers that I was supposed to insert. And something awesome just hit me while typing that, something I haven`t thought in decades, is that there was this one old guy on my route that taught me how to whistle. Of course, I couldn`t do it at first, but I practiced on my routes, and I got it...and it was JOYOUS!! We whistled together every time we met thereafter. I delivered to the city`s waterslide/mini golf course/ bumper boats/ go kart baron ie. the only one in our city, who lived amongst the modest, but well enough middle class that was robust during the time and were always apt to take a few minutes to chat with you. And now....we have this society. But on a serious note: do you remember when that poverty inducing, money munching monster known as Dragon`s Lair came out? One dollar for like 2-3 minutes of "I can`t do shit". I got the trilogy on Switch and I still can`t do shit!! What chance did kids have?!?
I've been saying for years that fast food doesn't even taste the same as it used to. I remember how McDonald's hamburgers used to taste and how much I loved them, but they just don't have the same flavor anymore and the texture has become rubbery and nasty. And the french fries are not the same ones they used to have. I would have been happy to eat those hamburgers and fries every single day, but now I only go to McDonald's if I absolutely have to for some reason. Like if I'm on the verge of starvation or something.
I agree with you 100%!!!! The food 🥘 has poor quality ingredients! It doesn’t use the same quality beef, 🐓 chicken, potatoes 🥔 etc. Yet, we’re paying an arm and leg 🦵 for this unhealthy food 🥘.
Quick story about McDonald's burger/ my gf had a little Yorkie and she got him a plain hamburger, just the pattie. He sniffed it turned his head and walked away!
@@Metalwheel I just miss, the REAL times, when boys, were REALLY boys, and girls were REALLY girls, and there was no confusion, or mental illness, when it came to using public bathroom.
@@earleneslay7977Use a couple more emojis next time..... 🙄
@@musicnerd72 🙏🏾😇👍👁️😂
I remember when "Twoallbeefpattiesspecialsaucelettucecheesepicklesonionsonasesameseedbun," recited in 16 seconds or less could win you a free Big Mac.
Written by Barry Manilow!
I love that ad, would sing ads to myself walking to and from school. The 80's were musical..lol
I'm 77 so most of these were after my time. A burger joint in my home town of Monroe, Louisiana was a guy behind a counter flipping burgers and making chili dogs at the local Coney Island.
Later in the 80's when the chains came to town I liked Pizza Huts salad bar and a slice of pizza, or a Wendy's baked potato with their chili or a Taco Bell Grande. Today, I prefer the guy flipping burgers and making chili dogs....he doesn't have a play ground in the restaurant with a bunch of loud kids wearing crowns running hither and yon high on sugar while their parents pay no attention to anything but their cell phones!
I’m pushing 76 in a couple months and yes, the fast food places were few and far between then. Mickey D’s was just about in downtown Phoenix and we were fsr away in the “suburbs” at that time so didn’t get to go much. I went there in the early 70s when I was old enough to drive and own a car!
I had my 5th Birthday at the McDonalds on 56th Street & Sligh Ave in Tampa in 1976, it's still there and I have a photo of me wearing the same hat in my Baby Book!
This video brings back some good memories and when the burgers actually tasted good.
I remember us in the old family station wagon (a family of six ), getting dinner at McDonald's for seven dollars. My dad would order bags of burgers, fries and apple pies. Dad would be so happy because us kids were happy. Mom was always the disciplinarian. We, including my parents, loved McDonald's. I still do.
That is so cool. In the 70s-80s, we used to get fast food once a week as a family. On regular rotation was McDonald's, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC. I remember when the pies at McDonald's were fried. I would get cherry and my brother apple.
@@parkcaro Haha, love these comments. My sister & I always wanted my parents to buy a station wagon. (it would have saved us having to draw an imaginary line down the center of back seat to prevent us from clawing each other's eyes out). I love the regular rotation, hahaha!
My dad would pile us in the car and we'd drive 40 miles to a delicious (flame-broiled) hamburger-joint (fast-food w/a college education) situated, adjacent to Toronto's Pearson Airport and watch the planes land over our burgers & fries.
It was so popular, you could barely find a picnic table to sit at! (My dad wouldn't eat at McDonald's. He called it the Last Chance Saloon...my sister & I loved it...what kid wouldn't)!🍟💓🍔
Glad you referred to 'original pan pizza' in the Pizza Hut segment. They were great. Today's version isn't even a shadow of the original. Today's pre-made, then-frozen crust is not in the same quality and taste universe with the fresh-made daily, yeast-raised dough used in the pan pizza's early years. Now, hardly any different than a hand-tossed crust.
You said it. I loved Pizza Hut back 25 years ago but today's version is so cheaply made, they have become worse than Dominos.
I just went there last week for the first time since the 80's. I have to agree w/ you, it was much better years ago. It was so bad that I ate very little of it and threw the rest out.
Many years ago, I use to get the Priazzo - a delicious deep dish version of their pizzas.
Agreed! Loved their original pan pizza supremem. The last one I bought I ended up throwing it out, never went back. We usually ate there every other Friday and got the salad bar, too. We were always given quarters for the jukebox, too. I also remember when Wendy's hamburgers were actually juicy...soo good! I also liked the Encherito from Taco Bell and their burrito..nowhere near the same now.
@@skylilly1 Agree on all counts. When I first started going to Taco Bell in the early '80s, I considered it a treat. A bit more expensive than other fast food, but very good. Now . . . lower tier for me. Wendy's used to be my go-to burger fast food; can't remember when the meat was freshly cooked and last 2 times I went, meat was actually cold.
One of the best throwbacks yet all these locations instantly brought back childhood memories, definitely keep up the great work u do
We used to go to McDonald's in the early 1960s. I don't think they had indoor dining at the time since we ate in the car. We would get those skinny, long french fries and my brother and I would wiggle them and scream, "Worms! Worms!" to which Mom always said, "Stop it! Stop playing with your food!" haha. As we sat in the car eating, we would look at the big golden arches sign that had another sign attached saying how many customers had been served- like 10,000, 20,000, etc. Dad would ask us, "How big will that get? What is the largest number you can think of?" We had many guesses, of course, but learned from Dad (the electrical engineer) that the largest number was "googolplex" and we would yell that on our future vists when he asked.
I remember the old happy meal toys we used to get at McDonald's when I was a kid. The little food items that turned into robots were some of my favorites. I also remember getting the the happy meal in the trick or treat bucket that we ended up not using for trick or treating because it was too small. I also miss McD's eggnog milkshakes that came out for Christmas. They quit making those years ago. I also remember doing Book it at Pizza Hut, Pizza Hut's Land Before Time puppets, and also going there for pizza late at night on my 9th birthday because I had a slumber party that year.
You left out Roy Rogers fast food!
my favorite restaurant, as a kid in the 70s, was shakeys
I remember the Shakeys near me in Colorado, was snowy one night and we went in and they had the fireplace lit and was really cozy Great memory.
O, I remember Shakey’s - I’d forgotten about them! Good pizza if I remember!
Mojos!
So happy to hear someone else remembers Shakey's Puts all other pizza places to shame.
I'm not sure if it was the atmosphere, the pizza, or both, but Shakeys was 10 times better than Pizza Hut.
There's something you missed. Before we got to "politically correct" KFC was know as Kentucky Fried Chicken. It had a striped red and white roof with an electronic bucket of chicken spinning around with the Colonel Sander's profile on that spinning bucket. And your chicken was served to you in a big bucket. Or if you got a smaller order, it was served in a red and white box.
As a child and teen of the 70s and 80s, I wholeheartedly agree with this video. One hell of a time to be alive. Great memories.
The blonde guy on the right in the Wendy's Super Bar pic looks like a serial killer.
In the '70s my sister worked at Wendy's and I worked at A&W and Carl's Jr. Fun times because we worked with other teens we went to school with and very often knew our customers.
You for got Roy Rogers! Which is very nostalgic, from the menu to the rocking horse! And, they introduced the salad fixing bar long before Wendy’s.
And The Red Barn. That may have only been in Northeast. Or Big Boy.
KFC as well...
I remember that brown tile floor at McDonalds. It was my first job, and i had to mop it. It was always slippery with grease behind the counter.
Another place I used to love was *Jack in the Box.* Their small cheeseburgers with "special sauce," fries, and their tacos always hit the spot. *A&W* was another favorite, a root beer float was and still is an absolute must when we go.
@@jennifer7330, were the tacos any good? We went a few years ago to get some and they were greasy and not the same, it might just be our location. I know someone that got food poisoning from that Jack in the Box.
I still love Jack In The Box but have to go down to Charlotte, NC to find one. I’ve been eating at TB since about 1963 and still eat those 2 for $$ tacos - no they aren’t for everyone, but I still love them - last time I bought them I laid $1.79 for the same 2! Still cheap though!
@@sandybruce9092, that is super cheap!
Ah yes…the 70s…fast food, great music, and UGLY clothes.
I miss the old Taco Bell. Food tasted better, and you could eat 'til you were sick for $3 bucks.
yep. it also wasn't drenched in liquid "cheese" either.
Sadly makes the point: nothing lasts forever. But we (born in 1960) were there at the good and the right times. Where fun was allowed and eating out was not a calories count at every turn. As for customer service, those who didn't experiene it don't miss it. Nowadays a good CS is being able to order on a Phone and not having to interact with a human being.
Having been born in Los Angeles in 1960, I was a fast food king.. I remember all this and more. Even now, I'm still a early 1970s Jack In The Box collector. I love the characters that advertised the restaurant. Onion ring thing, Secret sauce agent, ect. Yes, im into collecting all the promo items, and hopefully some day I'll have my very own Jack In The Box where you would drive up and order your food. That would be the holy grail to my collection.
Do you have a Jack styrofoam head for your car antenna?
"Tell us how you like it."
"I can't. My mouf is..." 😂
@@toneddef I just miss, the REAL times, when boys, were REALLY boys, and girls were REALLY girls, and there was no confusion, or mental illness, when it came to using public bathroom.
@@YesYou-zy7kp
Well, I'm more into the vintage Jack In The Box items. What your referring to I believe was from the 90s. Long after they blew up the classic fun jack who hadn't gone corporate yet.
@@toneddef
Ah yes, you know what I'm talking about. I see you've gone and made life a little easier, too.
I can remember further back than this video showed, but I will say Taco Bell should bring back a special Bell Beefer for a limited time or something, that thing was pretty good. 😂
How most of us long for the good 'ol days, thanks for posting this video
Clearly someone who never watched TV enough to know about the violence of the 80s or the McDonald's massacre in 1984.
@@ko7577 LOL, Tv and the media are the downfall of mankind and you fit right into that spectrum with your lame ass comment, TOOL, go troll someone who cares LIB beetch
58 here and yes I do Long for them
Met my ex-wife at Wendy's 20 years ago she was a cashier, and she told me never to eat the chili because they would keep the old leftover chili and just mix it with the next day's chili. lol
I worked there for about a year from 2020 to 2021, and they still did it that way actually! It was definitely an unpleasant surprise.
I remember the McDonald coffee stirring spoons….sniff, sniff!
@shnibby69 • And when MickeyD's realized that reason for the popularity, they filled in the bowl so it became just a spoon-shaped stirring stick.
Not as old, but the monopoly game for McDonnalds was a great way to get me in the door as a kid! Also, the sliding puzzles they had and the kids meal toy display cases. One of the biggest changes, the warming station were the cooks would place the ready made sandwiches so that the cashier just had to grab and already made sandwich for quicker service.
I remember giving out those monopoly card tokens. Some customers would ask for extra.
I remember seeing a documentary about the monopoly game being rigged by not releasing certain pieces and it disappeared shortly after (don't believe it ever came back, but my memory sucks). Point of my comment is, if the info in said documentary was true- was it always 'rigged' or was that something the corporation did later on in the contest?
I loved the monopoly game, and the pre-made food under the warming lights. It was every bit as good as the "made to order" have to wait version. The difference is imperceptible.
The monopoly game was purposely rigged so you could NEVER get all the pieces. There was a security guy in charge of handling the winning piece & going to the store himself & distribute it. Instead, he gave it to friend of friend of a relative of a co-worker. At first, he got away with it for several years. He did it in different states. Eventually, FBI caught on & he was arrested.
Yes!! Those burger slots!! I totally forgot about those.
With Taco Bell, you should have added the old mission style before there was indoor seating, all seating was outside and a walk-up window.
Ate there in the 70's. Mom and I could eat well for under $5!!! Miss the steam cabinets the tortillas were kept in. So sick of microwaves today!!!
It was better when McD used styrofoam containers; they kept the food warm longer. They also used to do a promotion whereby kids who got at least one A on their report cards would get a free food item.
Pizza Hut has almost disappeared from my area; nearly all were owned by a franchise holder that went Chapter 7.
I used to really like Wendy's Superbar and was sorry to see it go. Their burgers are still better than most.
I was an "early adopter" of Subway, but the shops in my area have rather poor service, now. I usually go to Jersey Mike's or Sheetz for sandwiches, these days.
I remember when McDonalds had little gold-colored metal ashtrays on each table (disposable).
The better days when they actually had competent employees and higher quality food. Prices were in order with wages too
MickeyD's: Hamburger, fries, and a Coke, & change for your dollar. Your early 1960s dollar...
We took our grandchildren to the same McD's we took their mothers, our daughters, to when they were kids. Used to have a fun, very vibrant look with playground. Still have the playground, but the interior was remodeled, and I swear it looks like a mausoleum. Even the play place is monochromatic. Depressing. Now even my wife wants to take the grandkids to Burger King. A lot brighter and a playplace!
Back when boys were boys and girls were girls and you wanted to keep them young and innocent as long as possible. How far we’ve progressed.
But at the same time giving them the space and freedom to have adventures on their own (out all day on the weekends, come home when the street lights come on!). Sure they would make mistakes, get hurt, get banged up, but it was all a learning experience.
I feel like the major draw to fast food is not only the convenience but also the monetary cheapness. I've only been in America since 2017 but I remember when I first came here you could buy a full meal for maybe five dollars. Now it's at the very least twice as much and more often three times as much, and the serving sizes seem to have shrunken, too.
You are correct 👍!
💔 king and Burger King, sadly hasn't been good since the early 90s all around the area Burger King's have been closing in Ohio. I found one yesterday,in a whim ate 2 whopper jrs. They were probably the two best Burger King burgers I've had in a long time. They never stick with something that sold well which was that burger
A while back and Burger King closed 26 restaurants permanently in the Detroit and Southeastern Michigan area.
@davidsquires154 yeah new they file bankruptcy and it would be a matter of time.
there isn't any all day breakfast around me. hasn't been since 2020
Supper old school Taco Bell used to have a fire pit outside and the building looked like a Mission.
When my family emigrated to Dallas, Texas in the 1970s, we often visited Sambo's Restaurant for breakfast. That was where I had my first-ever pancakes with maple syrup. My father who had been to the United States earlier than us showed me how to butter each pancake and pour syrup over it. That was what associated me with the "Americana". Another one that we loved going was Kip's Big Boy restaurants, especially one at Northpark Shopping Center (next to Titiche's Department Store.
Yes! The Big Boy restaurants had several different first names depending on location % mine in Phoenix was Bob’s - loved that place! Their milkshakes came with a spoon because they were so thick you couldn’t use a straw!
Miss the please and thank you said back then.
Back in the day,I remember eating at the Fast Food Restaurant Chains. The food was very good and inexpensive prices. The Fast Food Restaurant Buildings had Class. Compared to the Fast Food Restaurant Chains.
The Fast Food Restaurants would remodel the restaurant buildings into a shape of a Shoebox building. And the food is expensive and the food is not very good. And the cashier that,took your order and what you ordered has been messed up with the wrong food items. And no wonder why Fast Food Restaurants are closing restaurants permanently. The employees can be very rude and the prices are HIGHWAY ROBBERY. And the buildings look like shoeboxes.
I'm pretty sad that they gave Ronald McDonald the heave-ho, and also Hamburglar. When has Ronald ever been creepy? For gosh sakes, he runs a children's hospital....
The main problem with fast food joints is that most of the cost has gone right through the roof.
They made the conscious decision to go ghetto, aiming at low income, poorly educated demographics who would visit 3-5 times a week rather than two or three times a month as was seen in the suburbs by the mid 1990s.
The cost is ridiculous. The last time I went to Taco Bell, they wanted $15 for two Chalupas. I think the unnatural pandemic boom when every American got $4,000 extra dollars because of the pandemic gave them brain damage. They're not serving steak. I'm not paying $15 for two tacos lol I wouldn't pay $6 for two tacos
I’m not sure anyone said Ronald was creepy - but the Burger King “king” is very creepy!
McDonalds was my kind of place. No longer in that space.
I remember old Kmart store inside they had old kcafe cafe or restaurant inside
I don’t think McDonald’s offers breakfast all day anymore. It stopped in the D.C. area a couple of years ago.
Exactly. It's gone here in NY / Tri-state area too.
They don't have all day breakfast at the McDonald's in my county, and I live in the Central Valley of CA. According to the internet, in 2020 McDonald's suspended all day breakfast at all its restaurants because of supply issues as a result of Covid. However, apparently a McDonald's in Lost Angeles now has a limited menu all day breakfast menu.
Not here either in northeastern Wisconsin.
My first job was at McDonald’s from 1974-77. We had the polyester uniform in the rust/brown color. We thought they were so cool! I trained at a restaurant with the old, big cash register with all the little buttons. The restaurant I worked at was brand new. We had new registers. You filled out the order in a number two pencil. You stuck it in the register and it rang up and the ticket came back out. I was so grateful for that job!
Franchisees hated it. And the pandemic killed it because of labor shortages.
Way back in the day, Jack-In-The-Box would put several balloons in your bag along with your order. 🍔🍟🎈🎈🎈
I went to a McDonald's this year for the first time in a long time and it was an oddly impersonal experience. I ordered and paid on a kiosk and took a number after which I sat down and someone brought the food to my table. Not a word was spoken. It was the opposite of the noisy and fun place it was when I was growing up.
I actually prefer the kiosk ordering when I (rarely) go! Mostly workers aren’t that smart or even interested. I just hope I can get what I ordered!!!
And it’s super expensive now too.
To be honest, I like the kiosks. McDonalds (and most other fast food chains) treat their employees like garbage, so anything that reduces their workload, and possibly even eliminated human-staffed positions, I am all for. Maybe someday they'll all be fully automated. A spaced-out 17 year old cant get your order wrong if he's not there to begin with.
Fl. just raised minimum wage to 12$ an hour. Watch the prices now,on everything. Publix baggers, Circle K employees, etc. Get a TIGHTER grip on your wallet, folks!!!
Right? It's just not the same....sad.
My absolute favorite fast food restaurant back in the day was Roy Roger’s. Amazing fried chicken, great burgers, and the absolute BEST roast beef sandwiches ever! I really miss them.
Yup, Roy Rogers was great. I always bought the roast beef sandwich from there when I had coupons. Luckily, that was almost every week! I still remember always buying the large roast beef sandwich. That sandwich came on a kaiser bun which was so good. The small roast beef came on a seeded hamburger style bun. Their bacon cheeseburger was great too. Sometime in the mid-90s they shut down Roy and it was turned into a Wendy's. Bad Days!!!
Yes Roy Rogers Was Fantastic God I Miss Them
Found one near me but the quality is not good
It's pretty sad. These restaurants used serve good food. I wouldn't eat their food now. Some of their meats are not 100% meat. The food tastes horrible and is very expensive and the servings are a lot smaller than it used to be. When I was younger, it was a treat. Not any more!
I like the way subway today's cuts their bread , the meats and veggies stay on better
Arby's had a similar building design as Wendy's with the glass enclosure, I also remember the huge Arby's hat sign with incandescent lightbulbs surrounding the sign, anybody remember the 5 for 5 deal back in the day?
The first job was at McDonals. ‘72 or’73. My greatest memory is watching a tape (it had a particular name, those kind of tapes) which was titled “Quality comes Frozen.” This was when McD’s was switching from fresh ground beef/potatoes etc. to frozen products. You could get a Big Mac, small fries and small drink for under a dollar… those were the days.
I am nostalgic. Everything was so much better. We live in a dark time.
Fast good restaurant are no good nowadays. I miss the hood ol’ days of the 80’s and 90’s. Nostalgia. I’m so glad I’m a gen-Xer. The last of the best generations, the last of the 20th century!!!!!!
Everything hits home 🥰🙏🏽except for Subway….. not a fan of that franchise
Subway is horrible... tasteless and bland food. Haven't been to one in a very long time and will likely never go again.
For a GOOD sub, try Lenny's!
Just a suggestion but how about an episode on how us kids in the day used to make money to buy all this glorious fast food? One of my first jobs was as a paperboy. I also collected pop bottles and turned them at the grocery store for the deposit. I also was a bagger at same grocery store.
The Book It program is still going strong at Pizza Hut.
Yes, my daughter benefited from that program almost 10 years ago when she was in elementary school
I still remember whenever our elementary school sold chocolate bars as a fundraiser, there would be a coupon for a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut.
I also remember Big Boy and Hardees. Before school on Friday we would got to Hardee’s and get the hash rounds and an orange juice.
Hardee’s back I. The 89s was horrible but when they merged with Carl’s Jr. (from the west coast) they became a million times better. Carl’s Jr. Is still out West and Hardee’s is still in the East but the menu is the same. Western Back. cheeseburger is my favorite!
What a great video and remembrance. Growing up in the 70s and the early 80s. It was a great place to hit fast food. Now when I take my kids it is dirty the quality is horrible. Staff is rude and obnoxious. What a shame. The Corporate monkeys should be ashamed on how these franchises are run these days
Wow! I totally forgot about the Subway stamps until I saw this!!!
I'm in California our McDonald's breakfast stops at 10am.
I wish they'd have the rest of the menu too all during their opening hours. The breakfast sandwiches are too dry for my liking.
I still have two different styles of McDonald's "Coca-Cola" glasses, from about 20 years ago.
But I generally only use them when I want to drink milk. I don't like drinking milk in plastic glasses.
I remember the McDonald's glasses that had their characters, as well as the Muppets.
But my ex wives took all of them with them whenever the divorces took place.😂
When I was little, A & W was the place.
What about Carl's Jr, Jack-in-the-Box, Orange Julius and Hardee's?? In the 1970's we used to go speak to the clown at Jack-in-the-Box.
What about Jack-in-the-Box???
The Jack Clown was the giant mascot that towered at every restaurant location.
In addition, with every kid's meal giant balloons were included.
I also remember Pup 'N Taco, which sold hot dogs and tacos at a ridiculously low price. There used to be specials like 5 hot dogs or more for only $1 and tacos for 18 cents !! 😆😆😆
I guess it's no wonder they went out of business!🤣😅😅
In 1982 I went on a weekend class trip to South Lake Tahoe. We were allowed to bring $10 to cover our meals for the whole weekend, and every meal was at McDonald's. That amount was actually plenty to feed us. I remember how cold it was at 40 degrees, and being thrilled that I could buy a couple of extra steaming hot hash browns for 50 cents each that did as good as a hot adult cup of coffee helping me warm up. The only downside was I did get sick of the food and when my parents picked me up Sunday afternoon, they said we would be getting takeout and gave me a choice where to go...I said, of course, anywhere else except McDonalds😂😂😂.
You didn't show an even older Taco Bell logo at 4:33 that was used on the signage outside all those mission-style Taco Bell restaurants back in the day. Those were just as prominent as the fire rings. I imagine it was dropped for being too culturally insensitive.
I still remember the McDonald's menu song.😊
Let’s hear it!😃
Lol🤣 I seriously do still have it memorized!! 😆