Fast Food Industry Secrets You Should Know Before Your Next Trip To The Drive Thru

At one point or another in our lives, we’ve all had fast food. Were you a cheeseburger-loving kid or were you all about having an old-fashioned burger? Did you get regular or animal-style fries from In-N-Out?

Eating healthier is hard, especially when that juicy burger is calling your name. In fact, sugar isn’t in just desserts, sodas, and shakes, it’s also primarily in bread. For instance, Subway is considered a “healthy” version of fast food, but its bread contains a lot of sugar. Like, it’s literally a slice of cake.

Sanitation is one of the most important elements of keeping a clean environment and preventing customers and employees from getting sick. Even if you’re not a chemist, these basic cleaning procedures should be easy to figure out, specifically the core difference between cleaning products and beverages. 

Most of the time, when at a restaurant, your water comes with a slice of lemon on the edge of the glass. You might be tempted to squeeze some lemon into your water to add a little something extra to it, but you might want to think again before doing that.

It’s warm outside and you want something cold and sweet. Ah, an iced caramel frappuccino sounds perfect. Well…keep in mind just how much sugar you are sipping through your straw. Perhaps 1 pump of a sugary flavored add-on instead of 6 or 7 next time? Again, moderation, people! These sugary drinks can contain more sugar than most sodas.

Deals, deals, deals. We love a good deal. We also love coupons. They’re pretty much the same thing. “Couponing” is so popular that there’s even a show called Extreme Couponing where passionate people obsessively dedicate their lives to coupon-saving and money-saving. Often, it’s easy to forget that most places do offer both, so it doesn’t hurt to simply ask the business about them. 

Caffeine is a highly addictive drug, and a lot of people, just can’t handle it. That’s where decaf comes in. Decaffeinated “decaf” coffee beans have at least 97% caffeine extracted from them, and, for people who are highly caffeine sensitive, decaf is a fairly good option. But, in certain fast food restaurants, decaf isn’t really what it should be.

It should be considered a crime against humanity that some fast food chains stop serving breakfast after the morning. Breakfast is good at any time of the day and should be available and fresh for consumption even late at night. 

A dilemma for most customers is whether to buy a small fry, regular fry, or large fry. A large french fry is way better, but it’s also a little bit more expensive. In reality, a burger is always better with a side of french fries. That’s just a fact. We have a special tip that will give you extra bang for your buck, and a way to eat more yummy fries without the financial worry. 

These days, most drinks can be customizable and you can get that delicious beverage you’ve always dreamed about. Most of us get jealous when seeing our favorite influencer drinking something that looks like something straight out of the children’s board game, Candyland.

Fast food restaurants are required to put up a sign that says “employees must wash their hands.” Although we hope that employees would be doing that anyway, it’s not a direct order and can’t technically be enforced…even if it should be. Considering the timely nature of the fast food industry, sometimes washing hands can be neglected, especially if it’s at night and the employees are exhausted.

We apologize in advance for what you’re about to read. But, don’t blame us… It’s always a gamble at fast food chains since you never know what kind of situation you’ll encounter with your food. Convincing yourself that something is still good despite some odd crunches or chewing sensations, may not be the greatest idea. Here’s why.

It’s the weekend – time to unwind from all the stress of the past few days. You are ready for some R&R and margaritas. A margarita is a drink that only requires five simple ingredients and it’s a definite crowd-pleaser, even when having too many can drain your bank account.

At any restaurant you are eating – specifically, Asian-themed fast food joints  –  you want to make sure you’re getting the right sized portions based on what you are paying. If you find that you are being overcharged, then something most likely isn’t adding up. If you walk in and are craving shrimp, well…you’ll need to order more than you normally would.

It’s a well known fact that restaurants buy items and ingredients for cheap, and put them on their menus for way more. That’s called a mark-up, which businesses have to use in order to produce profit. Just how the cookie crumbles.

Health inspectors are crucial components of keeping a fast food restaurant in check, while making sure everything is clean and up to safety and health standards. However, what a health inspector doesn’t know about is what happens after they leave.

It’s not uncommon for teenagers to work at fast food restaurants to make some extra money over the summer. Sometimes their youthful, free-spirited attitudes can cause questionable decisions in the workplace. We have one word for that: YOLO…although we are not condoning that behavior whatsoever, of course.

Going vegetarian or vegan has become very popular these days, whether it’s for health reasons, ethical reasons, religious, or all of the above. People are wanting to become healthier, fitter, and feel more confident about themselves, while also saving the planet in the process. That being said, those looking for veggie options at fast food restaurants, it’s best to stray away from them depending on how strict your beliefs are.

C’est la vie! Having a fresh croissant with your coffee in the morning is the definition of true happiness. No matter how much of an important daily ritual this is for you, it does come at a cost. While businesses such as Starbucks are the most convenient for your croissant fix, you’re probably better off just getting a box of croissants or another sweet breakfast pastry from a bakery or grocery store.

Fast food workers work hard enough that they don’t need any extra nonsense in their day. Customers aren’t always easy to deal with, and most of the time they just make the workers’ job more complicated. This “hack” is pointless and we don’t understand why anybody would do this.

Fast food tastes so yummy because it’s most likely fried, buttered, and oiled up immensely. From saturated fats to just plain unhealthy, unnatural ingredients, we urge you to never go to this particular fast food restaurant.

You’re really hungry and don’t want to indulge in your average fast food fare. Why not try Outback Steakhouse to spice things up? Well, that’s nice and all, but we advise you to try and avoid their meat if you want a very well-done steak or something of that variety. Listen up – we’re about to share a secret with you.

When you’re at a restaurant and the cashier recommends something to you, you may want to think twice before you end up shelling out for that item. The reason they will suggest a certain menu item is because it’s about to expire or has just expired. If you’re unsure about going with their suggestion, maybe just trust your gut and buy something else.

Advertising companies make food look mouthwateringly appealing on television, but that’s rarely, if ever, what you get in real life. Being tempted by the fresh roast beef sandwich you just saw advertised means you’re seriously getting your hopes up.

It’s likely that most fast food that is advertised as authentic is really not! Obviously, the menu won’t be full of classic recipes passed down from generation to generation, but that shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody.

Corn has remained a main source of sustenance for humans all the way back to the discovery of the New World. From popcorn to corn on the cob, corn is a versatile vegetable, but it isn’t always a pleasant thing to eat, especially if there’s something wrong about its appearance.

This particular descriptor for food would make us never want to eat at that particular establishment ever again. So, the fact that Taco Bell uses their plastic-bagged meat that’s labeled as “suitable for human consumption” makes us wonder why anybody would be okay with using it? Guess that’s just the good ol’ fast food industry for ya.

The ice machines at fast food chains can be a pain to maintain and clean. It’s understandable that their maintenance often slips through the cracks, but that doesn’t mean their sanitization isn’t as important as other machines.

Recycling and reusing things is one essential way to protect our planet. Doing that with food may seem gross, but it is more cost-effective for the fast food restaurants and good for the environment.

Fast food additives are what make fast food so dang good. There’s also tons of science behind it, too. We recommend to bypass asking for an ingredient list though because you will regret it! If you’ve never heard of some of the ingredients in a meal, there’s probably a good reason…but probably not.

Bread twists are out. Parmesan bread bites are in. Heck, both sound delicious, but one of these is not like the other. Yes, one is three dollars cheaper. While you wanted to eat out and not have to cook again for the fifth time in a row, here’s a special secret.