Fast food is popular because it is a quick way for people to dine and it’s more convenient. Going to sit down restaurants takes about 30-40 minutes to eat and it may be packed. People prefer to order ahead and pick up food like McDonalds or The Habit, sometimes even get it delivered to their house. Fast food has grown into some people’s day to day routines. When you’re on a long road trip, would you prefer to take a long stop and wait for your food in a diner, or order ahead, and get some good taco bell? Yes, I know I would and this is why certain food chains have grown to be more popular for different reasons.
In an interview I asked Benicia High School’s Medical Career teacher Ms. Anouk Casanova, “what fast food place was her favorite and why,” she explained, “I like to eat at The Habit because they are more versatile with their food. I like to eat healthier when I go out to eat and The Habit takes in all the customizations I want on my burger and makes it best for me.” This shows that some places make meals best fit for certain customers. The Habit isn’t the only place that does this, In N out was another fan favorite. Digital Media teacher Mr. Kim said, “ I like In N Out because we know they restock fresh produce, we can see inside their kitchen and see the preparation of the burgers and they are affordable.” Mr. Kim has always been an In N Out enthusiast because he knows what he’s consuming and really takes the time to look into this restaurant and he sees all the positives in the company so he therefore puts his money into In N Out.
People prefer places like this because of taste. Sure, every meal you could consume would be delicious but fast food takes time to create variations of food items and mix different flavors and textures of food to combine them and put it on a menu. Like In N Out has animal style fries, who would think to put spread, onions and sauce on fries? They do! Food choices like this create a variety on a menu for people to keep coming back. Take Jack In the Box for example, everyone loves a late night snack. They took it further than just staying open past midnight, they created a munchies meal box. This meal box comes with a burger and a choice of two sides. It’s great for whenever you want something quick but filling late at night. If you live on Rose Drive in Benicia, 5 minutes away, you can go and get yourself a munchies meal right by the gas station. When places do this this improves their customer inquiry because they deliver to people’s needs and wants. But what if you’re hungry at 3 am? Physical Education teacher and coach Mr. Swartz says, “I love Mcdonalds because whenever I am hungry I can order through the app and get points to redeem them and eventually get a free meal. They are affordable and very convenient for any time of the day.”
Overnight restaurants are also very trending in Benicia because people who play late games want access to food late at night as well. Some sports that this might affect are football and soccer for varsity teams. Benicia High School Varsity Football player Sosefo Kafoa grade 11 explained, “I like Little Caesars because they are really affordable and have really good pizza. People my age would tend to eat at places like this.” Kafoa’s teammate Patrick O’Halloren, also in 11th grade said, “I like Arby’s after my games because the quality of the meat is great. I love how much meat comes in their sandwiches.” We can see a difference in reasons on why staff and students enjoy eating at fast food restaurants because staff members are leaning more towards healthier options while students pick what’s closer or focus on just taste and not preparation. Benicia High School Basketball player Caiden Olivera who’s in 10th grade explained, “I like McDonald’s because of how close it is to me and it’s been with me through my ups and downs.”
Could another reason for liking certain places be based on emotional attachment? When Olivera explained this to it made sense. When you like a place so much you always want to go there because it gets easier to navigate through the menu and you can rely on your food always being made properly to how you like it. This is definitely another factor that plays into people’s preferences.
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