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

Fast food has been deeply attached to Southern California since its inception.

McDonalds logo is seen outside a store in Vienna
Thomson Reuters

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

original mcdonalds — revivedesplaines.org

Taco Bell, Chipotle and others are still based there.

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

Source: Orange County Registration

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

Wian has had some experience serving customers in their cars since working at Kirby’s Pig Stand, where the auto shops are located, in Texas.

Kirby Texas Pig Stall — Margolies, John, photographer, Library of Congress

Source: Historic Houston retail store

Bob’s Big Boy has a drive-through service for customers, the forerunner of the drive-through service.

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

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

roast chicken — Chicken on the grill.
beautiful pictures

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

Genuine MacDonald Downey CA — Mary Meisenzahl/Insiders

By 1955, Ray Kroc joined as a franchisee and he founded the McDonald’s System, the forerunner of the McDonald’s Corporation.

Del Taco and Taco Bell, still competitors today, opened a year apart in 1960 and 1961.

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

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

At the same time these restaurants are growing and expanding, the United States is building its massive highway system.

Source: Federal Highway Administration

According to author and journalist Adam Chandler, American life is redesigned around car culture, and Americans want convenient dining stops to fit that lifestyle.

Source: Smithsonian Magazine

Southern California, in particular, grew on the automobile, which created the conditions for suburban housing, malls, and fast food restaurants to appear.

California suburbs from a drone's perspective. — adamkaz / Getty images

Southern California is booming financially as the nation’s leader in aircraft and automobile manufacturing and other defense spending.

Construction of the SoCal b-1 . bomber — Photo by Roger Ressmeyer/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

Source: California Capital Museum

A car-centric culture, spending money on entertainment and the growing demand for fast and efficient food created the perfect storm for fast food to start, propelling the industry forward. throughout the rest of the world.