Fast food restaurants didn’t always have instantly recognizable logos, enormous drive-thrus, and thousands of locations around the world. Many of today’s biggest chains started with a single restaurant, roadside stand, or surprisingly modest storefront.
Long before standardized interiors and international expansion, their earliest locations often looked nothing like the restaurants customers recognize today. These photos capture 18 famous fast food chains during their much humbler beginnings.
1. McDonald’s
The original McDonald’s opened in San Bernardino, California, in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald. Their streamlined “Speedee Service System” later helped establish the model that transformed fast food.
2. KFC
Colonel Harland Sanders began serving travelers at a service station in Corbin, Kentucky, years before Kentucky Fried Chicken became an international chain. The historic Sanders Café still reflects those early beginnings.
3. Burger King
Before the Whopper became internationally famous, the company that evolved into Burger King began in Florida during the 1950s. Early restaurants had a much simpler roadside appearance than today’s locations.
4. Taco Bell
Glen Bell opened the first Taco Bell in Downey, California, in 1962. The tiny building featured arches, stucco walls, and a walk-up ordering window.
5. Wendy’s
Dave Thomas opened the first Wendy’s in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969. The original restaurant featured the chain’s old-fashioned décor and distinctive early branding.
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6. Subway
The future sandwich giant started in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1965 under the name Pete’s Super Submarines. Its early storefront was a far cry from the standardized Subway locations that eventually appeared worldwide.
7. Pizza Hut
Brothers Dan and Frank Carney opened the first Pizza Hut in Wichita, Kansas, in 1958 after borrowing $600 from their mother. The business eventually became famous for its distinctive red-roof restaurants.
8. Domino’s
The company began when Tom and James Monaghan purchased a small Michigan pizza shop called DomiNick’s in 1960. Tom later renamed the growing business Domino’s.
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9. Dairy Queen
The first Dairy Queen store opened in Joliet, Illinois, in 1940. Early locations were simple roadside shops centered around the company’s then-novel soft-serve frozen dessert.
10. Dunkin’
Before Dunkin’ became a global coffee chain, founder William Rosenberg operated a restaurant called Open Kettle in Quincy, Massachusetts. It was renamed Dunkin’ Donuts in 1950.
11. Jack in the Box
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The first Jack in the Box opened in San Diego in 1951. Its giant clown mascot and early drive-thru intercom made the restaurant difficult for passing motorists to miss.
12. Sonic Drive-In
Founder Troy Smith originally operated a restaurant called Top Hat in Oklahoma. Customers parked outside while carhops delivered orders directly to their vehicles, a format that became central to Sonic’s identity.
13. Carl’s Jr.
Carl Karcher and his wife Margaret started with a hot dog cart in Los Angeles in 1941 after borrowing money to help purchase it. Their small operation eventually developed into the Carl’s Jr. restaurant chain.
14. Little Caesars
Mike and Marian Ilitch opened their first pizza restaurant in Garden City, Michigan, in 1959. Its original name was Little Caesar’s Pizza Treat, years before the chain’s “Pizza! Pizza!” advertising became famous.
15. Arby’s
Brothers Forrest and Leroy Raffel opened the first Arby’s in Boardman, Ohio, in 1964, positioning roast beef as an alternative to the hamburgers dominating fast food.
16. Popeyes
The first restaurant opened outside New Orleans in 1972 as Chicken on the Run. After the original concept struggled, founder Al Copeland changed the recipe and repositioned the restaurant around spicy New Orleans-style chicken.
17. Chick-fil-A
Long before standalone Chick-fil-A restaurants became widespread, founder Truett Cathy operated the Dwarf Grill, later called the Dwarf House, in Hapeville, Georgia. He developed the chicken sandwich that would become the foundation of Chick-fil-A there.
18. Whataburger
Harmon Dobson opened the first Whataburger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1950. The original operation was small and simple, with burgers designed to be so large customers would supposedly exclaim, “What a burger!”
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