in 1955, a man named raymond kroc entered a partnership with two brothers named mcdonald.
they opened a popular restaurant in califor-nia which sold food that was easy to prepare and serve quickly. hamburgers, french fries and cold drinks were the main food there.
kroc opened similar eating places under the same name,mcdonald's, and they were an instant success. he later took over the company, and today it is one of the most famous and successful "fast-food" restaurants in america and the world.
why was his idea so successful? probably the most important reason was that his timing was right. in the ]950s,most married women stayed home to keep house and take care of their children. in the 1960s, many women returned to the work place.
this meant that they had less time and energy for housework and preparation of meals, so they depended more on "tv dinners" and fast-food restaurants. single parents also have little time to spend in the kitchen. people living alone also depend on this type of food, since cooking for one is often more trouble than it is worth.
fast-food is not part of all americans lives. another trend of the 1960s, sometimes called the back-to-nature movement,influenced many people to avoid food that was packaged and processed. this preference for natural food continues to this day.
from the success of raymond kroc's fast-food business,we can say that social and economic trends influence where and what we eat.