We all love fast food. Its quick, convenient, and tasty. From McDonald’s to KFC, we have all eaten at a fast food joint at some point or another. But have you ever wondered where these restaurants get their famous names from? Read this article to find out the surprising origins of some of the most famous fast-food restaurants.
From Kentucky Fried Chicken to KFC
When Colonel Sanders started his small little Kentucky Fried chicken restaurant back in the early 1950s, no one could ever imagine that it would someday grow into what is arguably the world’s most famous chicken restaurant. But did you know that the brand is no longer called Kentucky Fried Chicken, but is officially known solely by the original initials, KFC? This change was made in 1991 when the Schechter Group brand consultancy agency pointed out that research showed almost 80 percent of customers already associated the restaurant with its initials. Later, Kyle Craig, president of KFC US, admitted that the change was also made in order to try and distance the brand from the unhealthy connotations of ‘fried’ food.
Dominick’s or Dominos?
The name Domino’s pizza was a brainchild of Jim Kennedy, a pizza delivery boy who worked for the company before it became the hit it is today. After Tom Monaghan and his brother, James, purchased a small pizza restaurant called DomiNick’s from Dominick DiVarti, in Ypsilanti, Michigan, they realized that they could really expand their horizons by starting a franchise. However, the original owner forbade him from using the DomiNick’s name on any new stores. One day, Jim came back from delivering a pizza and suggested the name Dominos. Tom Monaghan was so impressed with the idea that immediately renamed the business Domino’s Pizza, Inc.
Where did the name McDonald’s come from?
Mcdonald’s is world-famous for its fast food and is one of the largest fast food chains in the world. Ray Kroc is attributed to being the founder of McDonald’s. This begs the question, where does the name McDonald’s come from? In actual fact, Ray Krock bought the rights to the name McDonalds from two brothers, Richard and Maurice McDonald, who owned a small franchise of fast-food burger joints in San Bernardino, California. Maurice was affectionately known as ‘Mac’ which may have given rise to McDonald’s most popular meal, the “Big Mac”.
How are Starbucks and Moby Dick connected?
When you think of Starbucks, you don’t necessarily connect it with literary classics, least of all the 1800 novel Moby Dick. However, it may surprise you to know that the name Starbuck was actually the name of the first mate on the Pequod, Captain Ahab’s ship in Moby Dick. When deciding on a name Terry Heckler, the brand consultant who designed the chain’s logo, suggested that words starting with “st” were power words, words that made the brand seem strong and important. As inspiration, he brought out an old 1800s map of Mt. Rainier and the Cascades. “Starbos”, an old mining town, immediately caught the attention of Gordon Boweker, the co-founder of the famous coffee franchise. Being a big literary fan, he instantly associated the name with Starbuck, and together they all decided to add an ‘s’ at the end to make it sound more conversational.
