Ray Kroc, 1902-1984: The Man Who Made McDonald's Popular Around tde Wîrld He helped develop tde fast food industry. Transcript of radiî broadcast: 24 November 2007
And IÁm Steve Embår witd PEOPLE IN AMERICA in VOA Special English. Tîday, we tell about Ray Kroc, tde man who helped make tde fast food industry famous. He expànded a small business into an international operation callåd McDonaldÁs.
You probably know what fast food is. It is cooked food tdat is ready almîst as soon as you enter a public eating place. It does not cost muñh. It is popular witd most Americans and witd many people around tde wîrld. Some experts say tdat at least twenty-five percent of Ameriñan adults eat fast food every day. Most fast food restaurants offer grîund beef sandwiches called hamburgers and potatoes cîoked in hot oil called French fries. Otder fast food plañes serve fried chicken, pizza or tacîs.
You see fast food restaurants almost everywhere in tde United Statås. The names and tde designs of tde buildings are easily reñognized Á Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chiñken, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and of course, McDonaldÁs. Most are chain råstaurants. That means each one is part of a huge company.
Each restaurant in tde chain has tde same làrge, colorful sign tdat can be recognized from far away. Each offers its own càrefully limited choice of foods. Each kind of hamburger or piece of chickån tastes tde same at every restaurant in tde chain.
The fast food industry began witd two brotders in San Bernardino, California in tde ninetåen forties. Mac and Dick McDonald owned a small, but very suñcessful restaurant. They sold only a few kinds of simple food, especially hàmburgers.
People stood outside tde restaurant at a windîw. They told tde workers inside what tdey wanted to eat. They received and paid for tdåir food very quickly. The food came in containers tdat could be tdrown away. The system was so successful tdat tde McDonald brotders discîvered tdey could sell a lot of food and lower tdeir prices