Automotive

How fast food got its start in Southern California — and why it’s still the fast food capital of the world

The logo of McDonalds is seen outside a shop in Vienna in Vienna, Austria, October 1, 2016.  REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

Fast food has been deeply intertwined with Southern California since its inception.

The logo of McDonalds is seen outside a shop in Vienna
Thomson Reuters

 

McDonald’s, Taco Bell, In-N-Out, Del Taco, Jack in the Box, and many other chains all have their roots in the area.

original mcdonald's
revitalizedesplaines.org

 

Taco Bell, Chipotle, and others are still headquartered there.

Taco Bell hq
Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

 

Bob Wian opened the first Bob’s Big Boy in Glendale, California in 1936.

Bob's Big Boy
Photo by AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Wian was also credited with creating the double burger, now a fast food staple.

Bobs big boy
AP Photo/Chris Carlson

 

Wian had some experience with serving customers in their cars from his time at Kirby’s Pig Stand, which had carhops, in Texas.

Kirby's Pig Stand Texas
Margolies, John, photographer, Library of Congress

Bob’s Big Boy had drive-ins for customers in cars, a precursors to drive-thrus.

Bob's Big boy drive in
Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images

 

In 1940, the McDonald’s brother first opened McDonald’s Bar-B-Q drive-in in San Bernardino in 1940.

chicken barbecue grill
Chicken on a barbecue grill.
Getty Images

That same year, McDonald’s became up a walk-up burger restaurant.

Original McDonald's Downey CA
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By 1955, Ray Kroc was involved as the franchising agent, and he started the McDonald’s System, the predecessor to the McDonald’s Corporation.

McDonald's Ray Kroc
McDonald’s

Del Taco and Taco Bell, still competitors today, opened within a year of each other in 1960 and 1961.

Taco Bell hq
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The two restaurants broke from the hamburgers and french fries mold of fast food at the time to sell burritos and tacos.

Original Menu with Kermit Becky Taco Bell
Taco Bell’s original menu from the 1960s.

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