How did fast-food chains that sell unhealthy and processed products become so popular in the US?
Fast-food restaurants are relatively cheap but, most importantly, QUICK. Given that, hard-working Americans do not have plenty of free time, they do not usually cook at home.
They prefer to order their food or simply swing their car into a drive-through and order a cheap meal for the entire family in just a couple of minutes. Coming home from an eight-hour shift and spending an hour or two cooking for their family is nearly impossible for most of us.
Diets high in saturated fats, create an addictive scenario for our bodies. Even so, we should take care of what kind of food we choose to eat if we want to keep ourselves healthy. Below you can find a list of the 8 fast-food chains with the worst reputation in our country based on the customers’ reviews.
1 ) Little Caesars
Little Caesars has a bad reputation among fast-food chains. A problem that they are dealing with is poor food quality. Most of the customers are disappointed with the pizza. They say the dough is usually soggy, the cheese is unevenly spread, and the ketchup tastes bad.
Also, the restaurant promotes “Hot-N-Ready” pizzas, which should be shortly available, but many customers complain that the pizzas are often not ready immediately as the company promises.
Another problem the customers were facing was cleanliness. The lack of hygiene is a huge problem at a lot of Litter Caesars locations around the country. The customers reported sticky tables and dirty restrooms.
In 2018, in Indianapolis, a Little Caesars restaurant was closed after were found rat droppings baked into the pizza crust. The following year, there were four other health code violations related to rodents.
2 ) Carl’s Jr. (Hardee’s)
They are known for their demeaning advertising campaigns, where they admitted they needed hot models for their commercials because the ugly ones can’t sell burgers.
Carl’s Jr. is one of the worst-rated fast-food restaurants in America, not just for their advertising campaigns, but also for their unhealthy food and dirty locations. The customers have complained repeatedly about finding hair in their food.
3 ) Wendy’s
Wendy’s is an international fast-food restaurant chain, founded in America. The most popular menu consists of hamburgers, sandwiches, and French fries. According to online reviews, the food at Wendy’s is served cold, the waiting time is too long, and the employees are uninterested. Another issue is the lack of cleanliness in most of their locations.
4 ) Jack in the Box
Jack in the Box is one of the most popular fast-food chains in America. Their food items include chicken tenders, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and French fries.
It is well known for a notorious scandal that took place in 1993 when a restaurant was responsible for an E. coli outbreak that left 4 people dead and more than 700 others sick.
Customers have also complained about their lack of cleanliness, poor service, and unhealthy products.
5 ) Sonic Drive-in
This American fast-food chain specializes in burgers, hotdogs, and milkshakes. It is also compared to Burger King or McDonald’s, and customers are avoiding it because of its highly-priced menus.
The customers were also complaining about the Sonic being dirty. In 2016, a family caught on video a moment when a mouse was exploring the soda machine and then, posted it on the internet. The video went viral immediately and damaged Sonic’s reputation.
Another situation that affected the restaurant’s reputation took place in 2018 when a drug pill was found inside a child’s hamburger. Nobody was harmed, but the situation cost the restaurant a lot of money.
6 ) Burger King
Burger King is one of the largest fast-food chains in the world, but it also faces significant criticism. The chain was involved in several scandals, including a case when a customer found horse meat in their UK burgers. Another case that led to a huge scandal, was when a customer found needles in their burger. Obviously, Burger King’s reputation was seriously affected.
Another minus for the chain is its high-calorie foods.
7 ) Taco Bell
The restaurant serves a lot of Mexican-inspired foods, such as tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and nachos for an accessible price.
Taco Bell admitted the use of pink slime in their beef meat, which is keeping away a lot of customers.
Another issue that the fast-food chain has faced is the multiple E. coli outbreaks, which have caused severe illnesses. These incidents have significantly damaged the company’s reputation.
8 ) McDonald’s
Everybody knows McDonald’s! It is a global fast-food chain, adored by children from all around the world, but it also faces a bad reputation for several reasons. Some of them are represented by the reports of moldy McFlurry machines, food that has expired being served, and even a customer finding a rat in their salad.
Also, the customers frequently complain about their slow service, dirty restrooms, and unhealthy food.
Considering the popularity of this fast-food chain in the world, the company is often blamed for contributing to the obesity epidemic due to its high-calorie products.
You can find a list below with the 5 most common reasons why a restaurant might be considered bad in America
Poor service
The service is one of the most important things in a restaurant. If the staff is great, your mood improves instantly. If the staff is rude, not attentive, or slow, it can leave you a bad impression on the entire restaurant.
High prices
Fast-food chains shouldn’t charge high prices and deliver poor-quality food or mediocre service. Customers will feel disappointed if they will need to pay a lot of dollars for a tasteless meal.
Bad food quality
The served items are usually made with highly processed ingredients that can damage our bodies.
Bad conditions
A lot of restaurants that sell fast food are poorly maintained. Problems like dirty tables or restrooms should be avoided if the business wants to keep its customers.
Unhealthy ingredients
Most American fast-food restaurants have products high in calories, fat, and sugar. Consuming food low in essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals can lead to diseases such as obesity.
We recommend you avoid fast-food chains, even though they are spending more on their advertising campaigns trying to convince us that they are getting better and better…and even healthier. Considering the number of customers they are serving daily, it is nearly impossible to be as effective as we want them to be, and strictly respect all the hygiene rules.
Furthermore, we suggest you check out a best-seller on Amazon. It is an Air Fryer Cookbook with 600 easy recipes for any taste written by Jenson William. It cost just 11 dollars and it is perfect for the lazy ones of us. Having a cookbook can help us improve our eating system.
Abstaining from eating processed food is one step closer to staying healthy. Eating home-cooked meals as often as possible contributes to our overall mood and productivity. There are some efforts you should make if you want to stay as healthy as you can: exercise regularly, limit calorie intake, drink more water, and find a friend who can join the challenge with you. It will feel easier to stick to it together!
As we’re speaking about food, have you ever heard about the 9 most popular American food museums you can visit? Let us know in the comments what is your favorite dish and also, let us know about your least favorite experience at a fast-food.
