Fast food is the term given to many foods that can be prepared and served quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, such as TV dinners, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store which is rapidly prepared and served to the customer in a packaged form for take out/take away.Outlets may be stands or kiosks, which may provide no shelter or seating, or fast food restaurants (also known as quick service restaurants). Franchise operations which are part of restaurant chains have standardized foodstuffs shipped to each restaurant from central locations.The capital requirements to start a fast-food restaurant are relatively small, particularly in areas with non-existent or poorly enforced health codes. Small, individually-owned fast-food restaurants have become common throughout the world. Fast food restaurants with higher sit-in ratios, where customers can sit and have their orders brought to them, are known as fast casual restaurants.

McDonald's employees trained in skills needed to run outlets for the fast-food chain can get credit toward high school diplomas, the British government announced Monday. Why not just get rid of high schools all together and just have McDonalds educate the youth of the world. Is this a sign of the coming apocalypse?

The big food chain’s domination hasn’t reached the Congo yet. No need for a MacDonald or a Quick joint when one feels a little hungry but doesn’t want to cook. You will find fast-food made in Congo practically all over the place. Goat meat, grilled fish, kebabs, chicken, you have a wide choice and it’s not expensive.

New York orders fast-food chains to list calorie counts on menu items

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp (NasdaqGS:SBUX - News) is testing $1 coffee and free refills in its Seattle outlets as the global gourmet coffee chain grapples with slower consumer spending and rising competition from fast-food rivals...

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O: Quote, Profile, Research) is testing $1 coffee and free refills in its Seattle outlets as the global gourmet coffee chain grapples with slower consumer spending and rising competition from fast-food...