DAILY DIRT: Despite the downside, Americans still love their fast food

Daily Dirt for Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025

McDonald’s, Subway have the most franchises worldwide … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,167 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Fast food has long been an important part of our lives.

First of all, it’s food. Secondly, well … it’s fast.

Here are some facts and trends connected to fast food that I think are worth your perusal:

• Most U.S. fast-food franchises have up to 20 percent fewer employees than pre-Covid levels. This is absolutely no surprise, considering either: A. The limited hours many fast-food sites are now open and, B. An obvious lack of employees at many of those same restaurants, which continue to frustrate customers.
• More than 30 percent of U.S. adults eat fast food a MINIMUM of 1-3 times each week. Roughly 15 percent of those same adults eat as many as six meals a week at their favorite fast-food eateries.
• Lunch is the most common meal that Americans (45 percent) flock to fast food for, although dinner/supper (42 percent) is a close second.
• Men and women both flock to fast food. About 38 percent of men and 35 percent of women enjoy regular trips to the Golden Arches or one of their rivals.
• Speaking of the Golden Arches, about 80 percent of all fast food eaten by children comes via McDonald’s.
• The average American spends a MINIMUM of $1,200 a year on fast food.
• Most fast-food patrons choose those burgers and fries because they are convenient (71 percent), while about half of that percentage say it is because of the taste.
• Those sizable numbers continue despite the fact most people (76 percent) believe fast food is bad for their health. More than 60 percent of fast-food customers want healthier menu options.
• The average fast-food meal with an entrée, side and drink totals 836 calories.
• Living near a fast-food restaurant increases the risk of obesity by a reported 5.2 percent, and eating fast food twice a week doubles a person’s risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
• Burgers account for more than 40 percent of all fast-food orders.
• On the average, fast-food meals contain 50 percent more salt than 30 years ago.
• Mexican fast-food food consumption has increased more than 30 percent since Covid.
• McDonald’s now has 40,000 locations worldwide. Subway has 37,000.
• The fast-food industry is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to generating revenue, and is an integral cog of global economy. Allied Research shows fast food will rake in close to $950 billion by 2027, which is more than 10 times the revenue Facebook will produce. More than 14 million people work in fast food.

2. Did you know (Part 240)

• That studies show 28 percent of delivery drivers have taken food from a customer’s order.
• That blood makes a loop around your body 1,500 times a day.
• That the Japanese eat the most fish in the world, including about 50 percent of the global tuna catch.
• That titanium dioxide, found in Skittles, is also used to make sunscreen.
• That a report recently showed about 65 percent of Americans shower daily, and about 35 percent may only shower a “few times” a week.

3. Here’s the best of this week’s “Found on Facebook”:

• “With the current extreme temperatures, all Walmart customers are urged to wear two pairs of pajamas.”
• “Finding old music you used to love is like getting back in touch with an old friend.”
• “The toilet paper wrapping says ‘100 percent recycled’. Let’s all take a moment and think about this.”
• “The moment you have your pill bottle in front of you, but you can’t remember if you already took it or not.”
• “Mickey Rivers, upon being informed Reggie Jackson claimed to have an IQ of 165: ‘Out of what? A thousand'”

Steve Thought O’ The Day — It was on this day in 1935 that Elvis Presley was born. Long live The King!

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Thank you. Thank you very much.