Fast food, as we’ve known it, is a dinosaur.
I was working at the office late, decided to get something for dinner, so I pulled up Google maps, looked at what was close by. There was a Coney Island joint 1/4 mile away, click. Oh, I can order online...click, click. I check out, payment made with browser stored info, just have to enter the CC security code, click. I get to my car, drive to the place, and once inside it took 1 MINUTE before I was walking out....with a wonderful (real!) chicken breast sandwich, with cheese and bacon - for $8.
Ok, so it didn’t come with a sugary drink I shouldn’t have, or fries I don’t need - which weren’t needed anyway, the sandwich was big! Water is a better option too. But a complete meal at BK is over $8 as well.
...along with all the other online options; Thai, Mexican, pizza, etc.. Why oh why would I go to BK, sit in a drive thru line for 15 minutes, only to get an unhealthy burger ‘meal’ that is almost $10? The burgers also seem to be smaller too. It’s as though you’re paying for nothing. They look nothing like the pictures....and that with hoping they get the order correct!!
The time from the last ‘click’ to being back at my desk with food was about 15min. Calling BK ‘fast food’ is only the case if I’m already on the road driving and realize I have to squeeze in lunch, seeing a place in view. Otherwise, what is my motivation?
One of the trends I've seen is food bars in grocery stores. They can get fairly sophisticated in wealthy areas. I was house sitting in Oakland county Michigan(auto wealth) some years ago and one could get a pre-cooked filet mignon meal at half the cost of a restaurant meal at one of the high end grocery stores. None of the stores in my metro area serve filet mignon, but you can get a decent meal for $10 or so.
Yeah the “fast casual” (what they’re calling the new bread of stuff that is still faster and more portable than short order but not FAST FAST FAST like the McD model) is a major revolution. They’ve found a real sweat spot with food better than the fast places, and not actually that much slower. Especially with online ordering. And that new model of “you can still eat quickly, and not feel shame” is really destroying the fast food joints.