PastImperfect: drive-in car foodWe've become used to the American idea of fast food and drive-in restaurants. Such eating places are synonymous with the McDonald's chain and the story of how they created a whole new way of eating for America, and then for the world, is interesting.
In 1937, a paper-cup salesman called Ray Albert Kroc saw a device called the Prince Castle Multi-mixer, a six-station milkshake blender and was sufficiently impressed to quit his job and become the exclusive agent for the machine. It wasn't until 17 years later that an order for eight Multi-mixers caught his eye. Intrigued that a hamburger joint should need to mix 48 milk shakes at the same time, Kroc visited San Bernadino where the McDonald brothers had their stand.
The brothers, Maurice and Richard, had moved to California from New Hampshire. In 1937 they built a tiny octagonal orange-juice and snack stand near Monrovia airport, which they called the Airdrome. I1940 they opened an enlarged version of the Airdrome at San Bernadino. They introduced 'carhops' - attractive young girls in drum majorette uniforms who served the customers in their cars. This was a huge success and at weekends there could be up to 100 cars there at a time.
So far, however, McDonalds was just like any other drive-in restaurant in America. But they realised that fast service was the key to profits, and that depended on the number of cars served. The brothers decided to take a gamble and in autumn 1948 shut down their operation to allow it to be completely remodelled.
They took three bold steps. First they fired the girls; second they pared down their menu until basically you could have anything you wanted as long as it was a hamburger while at the same time eliminating all the cutlery, china, condiments, in fact anything that had to be washed or replaced. Finally, customers had to walk from their cars and queue at a window where they ordered their food. Soon they were busier than ever and their gamble started to pay off.
When Kroc met them they had already licensed several restaurants in the western states, all based on what they called their "Golden Arches McDonald's" model. Kroc was impressed enough to buy out the brothers in what became a rather acrimonious purchase. After completing the purchase, Kroc discovered that they had kept their San Bernadino outlet, renamed 'Mac's Place'. Kroc built a new McDonalds across the road from it and was quoted as saying "This is rat eat rat, dog eat dog. I'm going to kill them before they kill me. You're talking about the American way."
The McDonald brothers had done enough to start a revolution which would affect car drivers across the world, and which continues to do so today, having long since passed into the history of car culture.