US Fast Food Research Articles

Can Fast Food Eating Patterns Be Healthy? An Optimization-Based Analysis of Popular US Fast-Food Chains

Can Fast Food Eating Patterns Be Healthy? An Optimization-Based Analysis of Popular US Fast-Food Chains

Availability and Nutrient Composition of Vegetarian Items at US Fast-Food Restaurants

Consumer demand for vegetarian options is growing. Fast-food restaurants have responded by adding high-profile vegetarian offerings, but little is known about the overall availability or nutrient profile of vegetarian options at these establishments, or how these items compare with nonvegetarian items. The purpose of this study was to quantify trends in the availability and nutrient profile of vegetarian items in US fast-food restaurants from 2012 to2018. This study was a longitudinal analysis of secondary data. We used nutrient data from the MenuStat database for menu offerings at 36 large US fast-food chain restaurants (2012 to 2018). Vegetarian items were identified through automated key word searches and item description hand-coding. Annual counts and proportions of vegetarian and nonvegetarian items by category, and annual trends and differences in predicted mean calories; saturated, unsaturated, and trans fats; sugar; nonsugar carbohydrates; protein; sodium between and within vegetarian and nonvegetarian items. We report counts and proportions of vegetarian items by menu category, then use Tobit regression models to examine annual trends and differences in predicted mean nutrients between and within vegetarian and nonvegetarian items. Sensitivity analyses were calorie-adjusted. The annual proportion of vegetarian items remained consistent (approximately 20%), and counts increased (2012, n= 601; 2018, n= 713). Vegetarian items had significantly fewer calories (2018: -95 kcal) and, even after adjustment for calories, lower saturated fat (-1.6 g), unsaturated fat (-1.8 g), protein (-3.8 g), and sodium (-62 mg) annually (P < .05) compared with nonvegetarian items. Vegetarian items were significantly higher in sugar (2018:+2.0 g; P < .01) and nonsugar carbohydrates (2018:+9.7 g; P < .01), after calorie adjustment, compared with nonvegetarian items. Vegetarian items were generally lower in several overconsumed nutrients of public health concern (eg, sodium and saturated fat) than nonvegetarian items, but nutrient changes suggest surveillance remains important as vegetarian options increase in popularity.

Salvaging adulthood at youth work: Dignity, social disrespect, and the micro-politics of recognition in a polarized world

Grounded in an ethnographic study of a US fast food chain, this paper explores how the rising employment polarization under neoliberalism may pose a threat to dignity via the predicament of adults doing youth work. We draw on Axel Honneth’s theory of recognition to develop a tripartite framework of the micro-politics of recognition, aimed as a middle-range construct for guiding empirical studies of work through the lens of dignity. We argue that a study of dignity at work, with the everyday human struggle for recognition as the focal point, may help to illuminate the realities of contemporary work and enable a humanistic critique of contemporary capitalism. We also highlight adulthood as the underarticulated yet morally laden identity signifier in organizational inquiry, which may gain added importance as more adults enter occupations where few institutional supports of adulthood exist.

Merger of Burger King and Tim Hortons: analysis of marketing strategies in the quick service restaurants

Restaurant Brands International Inc. is a Canadian quick service restaurant company. It was created by the merger of Canadian coffee shop restaurant chain Tim Hortons and the US fast food restaurant chain Burger King in 2014 and expanded by the purchase of Popeyes in 2017. The company is the fifth-largest operator of fast food restaurants in the world with more than 25,000 restaurants operating in over 100 countries under its distinct brands. The merger's primary focus is to expand the international reach of the 'iconic' Tim Hortons brand, and provide financial efficiencies for both companies. In this case analysis, we looked at the past and present situation and addressed business issues facing both Burger King and Tim Hortons. We conducted a systematic case analysis, and used Michael's Five Forces to assess industry attractiveness. We identified problems and issues facing both companies, and we developed a set of strategic alternatives for the new company. We also evaluated and recommended sustainable alternatives marketing strategies to achieve superior results.

The impact of interventions to promote healthier ready-to-eat meals (to eat in, to take away or to be delivered) sold by specific food outlets open to the general public: a systematic review.

SummaryIntroductionReady‐to‐eat meals sold by food outlets that are accessible to the general public are an important target for public health intervention. We conducted a systematic review to assess the impact of such interventions.MethodsStudies of any design and duration that included any consumer‐level or food‐outlet‐level before‐and‐after data were included.ResultsThirty studies describing 34 interventions were categorized by type and coded against the Nuffield intervention ladder: restrict choice = trans fat law (n = 1), changing pre‐packed children's meal content (n = 1) and food outlet award schemes (n = 2); guide choice = price increases for unhealthier choices (n = 1), incentive (contingent reward) (n = 1) and price decreases for healthier choices (n = 2); enable choice = signposting (highlighting healthier/unhealthier options) (n = 10) and telemarketing (offering support for the provision of healthier options to businesses via telephone) (n = 2); and provide information = calorie labelling law (n = 12), voluntary nutrient labelling (n = 1) and personalized receipts (n = 1). Most interventions were aimed at adults in US fast food chains and assessed customer‐level outcomes. More ‘intrusive’ interventions that restricted or guided choice generally showed a positive impact on food‐outlet‐level and customer‐level outcomes. However, interventions that simply provided information or enabled choice had a negligible impact.ConclusionInterventions to promote healthier ready‐to‐eat meals sold by food outlets should restrict choice or guide choice through incentives/disincentives. Public health policies and practice that simply involve providing information are unlikely to be effective.

I’m loving it but hating US

Purpose – The studies which connect international marketing emotions with perceived service quality are scarce. The purpose of this paper is to fill this knowledge gap and take into account the consumers’ perceived animosity, religiosity, and ethnocentrism to connect these with perceived service quality and purchase intentions of US-based fast food brand chains currently operating in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach – The authors collected data by means of a self-administered questionnaire, distributed among 500 consumers, randomly selected, patronized the four US fast food brands, namely, McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Subway in the city of Lahore in Pakistan. The data are analyzed by employing Structural equation modeling (SEM) based on AMOS 21.0 software. Findings – Results of this study reveal that religiosity and ethnocentrism among Pakistani fast food consumers are low and do not influence the decision to purchase fast food brands. However, consumer emotions influence service quality perceptions – ultimately leading to purchase intentions. Originality/value – The study generally adds to marketing and specifically to international food service marketing knowledge by eliciting the role of religiosity, animosity, and ethnocentrism to delineate service quality and purchase intentions. Furthermore, the external validity of PAKSERV scale and the context of Pakistan – a collectivist Muslim country are also the unique products of this study.

Glocalization of Subway in India: How a US Giant Has Adapted in the Asian Subcontinent

This paper examines how Subway, the US fast food restaurant franchise, has adapted to Indian culture. Glocalization theory will be the guiding framework used in this analysis. Glocalization rests on the premise that a universal concept must change to fit and function in a local culture. Blending the local and the global, it provides a passage to empowerment where modifications to a particular commodity can make it prosper in various traditions. Four important themes of glocalization emerged from this analysis: (1) adjustment of restaurant ambience; (2) adoption of Jain values; (3) adjustment of advertising practices; and (4) adjustment of the use of social media. An important conclusion is that, although India is embracing modernity, Subway has honoured many religious and cultural views in that nation.

To purchase or not to purchase US products: role of religiosity, animosity, and ethno-centrism among Malaysian consumers

Purpose – The main purpose of this research is to empirically test how animosity, religiosity, and ethnocentrism interact to affect judgment about US products and purchase action of consumers in a progressive Islamic country like Malaysia. There are many studies that have been conducted in conservative Islamic countries such as Iran, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Design/methodology/approach – The product chosen for this research is US fast food restaurants. A questionnaire was constructed and responses were obtained from 410 Malaysian consumers from different ethnic backgrounds. The authors tested the framework using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings – Based on the test results, the authors conclude the following significant relationships: animosity on purchase action of consumers, ethnocentric tendencies on animosity of consumers, religiosity on ethnocentric tendencies of consumers, religiosity on animosity of consumers, ethnocentric tendencies of consumers on judgment of foreign product, foreign product judgment of consumers on purchase action, and animosity and ethnocentrism play mediating roles. Originality/value – The current study adds significantly to the body of knowledge on consumer behavior, especially the roles of animosity, religiosity, and ethnocentrism. The findings can help marketing managers to formulate appropriate strategies when consumers decide to boycott US products.

Franchising in China: Legal Reform and Commercial Reality

China’s massive law reform program was originally driven by its “open door” policies and has been sustained by WTO accession and internationalisation. These reforms, in combination with franchise specific laws, have both legitimised and facilitated the development of a franchise sector in China which is today, in terms of system numbers, one of the world’s largest. Commercial realities in this sector, as in other business sectors, nevertheless frustrate the full aspirations of the legal reforms. This paper reviews the development of China’s franchise sector- from the introduction of the concept by US fast food franchisors in the 1990s to a sector with over 1700 franchising systems today. It examines not only the legal reforms -- the modernisation of the underlying commercial laws and the introduction of franchise specific regulation -- which have driven sector development but also the commercial issues which impact on the efficacy of these laws and have prevented franchising from achieving its full potential. The paper concludes that despite the introduction of a comprehensive regulatory regime to support franchising in China, sector development is constrained by a range of commercial, cultural and legal factors the most fundamental of which is a lack of understanding of franchising , and of the intricacies of the franchisor/franchisee relationship, by business, legal and government communities.

Slipping as outcome: implications for epidemiologic research on fall-related injuries

One major challenge to the study of occupational injuries in active work environments is the rarity of the outcome. Slipping, tripping and falling are responsible for a substantial injury burden...

Determinants of US fast food consumption 1994‐1998

PurposeFast food (FF) consumption increased dramatically through the 1990s in the USA, accounting for nearly 35.5 percent of total away‐from‐home expenditures in 1999. Given dramatic changes in food consumption, and heightened public concern about health and obesity, there is a considerable need for research to understand better the factors affecting US FF consumption. This paper aims to fill this gap.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, logistic regression is applied to analyze the socioeconomic and demographic factors influencing the likelihood of consuming FF using United States Department of Agriculture data from the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals from 1994 to 1996 and the Supplemental Children's Survey of 1998.FindingsIn general, the expected likelihood of FF consumption increases until around 20‐30 years of age and then decreases; increases as household income grows until about $50,000‐60,000 and then decreases; and decreases as household size grows. Further, males from the Midwest and South regions that live outside central cities in Metropolitan Statistical Areas have the highest likelihood of consuming FF.Originality/valueWhile much literature has addressed key questions about expenditure on food away from home, this study complements previous work by focusing on food items consumed from FF facilities in the 1990s. In addition, the results find highly significant and important (statistically and economically) interactions between the likelihood of FF consumption and age, income, and household size.

Overestimation and Venture Survival: An Empirical Analysis of Development Commitments in International Master Franchising Ventures

Many international master franchising contracts include “development commitments,” clauses specifying a number of units that master franchisees must develop in exchange for exclusive rights to an assigned market, typically their entire home nation. I analyze 142 contracts with development commitments signed by US fast food franchisors and their master franchisees. Several empirical regularities emerge from the analysis: First, the development commitments are large and rarely completely fulfilled. Second, a robust negative relationship exists between survival and development commitment size. Further, ventures with larger commitments exhibit a lower level of investment still productive at the end of the development period. Various explanations for these regularities are considered.

World commerce, world politics, world English

In 1995, Ballantine Books published in New York a book by Benjamin R. Barber. Its title was Jihad vs. McWorld, a phrase that would not have made much (any?) sense in 1895, or been easily unpacked even in 1975. It is often in word capsules like these that we see how much a language can change in a century, so as to put Arabic jihad alongside Latin versus while attaching Gaelic Mc (courtesy US fast food) to world, the only bit of original Anglo-Saxon. Barber also provided the subtitle ‘How globalism and tribalism are reshaping the world’, and it is the use of globalism that particularly interests me here. 1995 was a key year for globalization as a label for the worldwide spread of Western and especially US notions and practices relating to trade and technology. On page 23 of his book, Barber says: [bull ] ‘Welcome to McWorld. There is no activity more intrinsically globalizing than trade, no ideology less interested in nations than capitalism, no challenge to frontiers more audacious than the market.’

US Fastfood Operations in Beijing

ABSTRACT During a recent visit to Beijing an effort was made to interview the executives of the three US foodservice companies now operating in China: KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonalds. The goal was to ascertain some details about operations and the challenges ahead for these pioneer foodservice companies. Answering the question in the sub-title of this article it can be said that as far as the companies' accomplishments are concerned, “All is well at the Great Wall.”

Using Supervisory‐based Job Analysis to Integrate and Support Human Resource Programmes

The supervisor job analysis process was initially developed in a large US fast food chain for establishing selection criteria. As supervisors started using this tool, their interest and enthusiasm led the firm to expand it beyond its original purpose to include the other components of performance. The process is discussed and its use by line management in developing job evaluation dimensions, selection criteria, performance appraisal and identifying training needs is described. Finally, the implementation process and effectiveness of the programme is assessed.