Business Builders in Fast Food

Children's Literature

A piece of chalk, tennis courts and imaginative employees provided Maurice and Richard McDonald the tools they needed to plan a revolution. Once their plan was drawn out and the people were in place, the McDonald brothers began their restaurant dynasty. In this latest of the "Business Builders" series, Nathan Aaseng describes the culture and history involved in creating the fast food phenomenon we enjoy today. With a knack for telling a story, the author provides the reader with colorful biographies of the founders of the fast food industry. From Fred Harvey and his "Harvey Girls" to John Schnatter and his "better ingredients, better pizza," Aaseng discusses how fast food became not only a convenience but a tradition. He describes the thinking that went into these successful ventures as well as the technological advances that made it all possible. The book is easy to follow and is in chronological order. In addition to the successes of these industrious individuals, the failures are also presented, providing a complete picture of all that went into their businesses. Most students as well as adults will enjoy reading this book. 2001, The Oliver Press, $19.95. Ages 10 up. Reviewer: John D. Orsborn

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Aaseng takes an intriguing look back to the beginnings of these restaurants, tracing the development of this phenomenon by profiling 10 entrepreneurs who shaped the industry. Fred Harvey of the Harvey House restaurants was the first to establish a chain, following the tracks of the railroad across the country in the late 1800s and hiring Harvey Girls to wait on his customers. Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson made five-cent, square hamburgers popular with their White Castle chain. J. F. McCullough and Harry Axene's Dairy Queens featured soft-serve ice cream and other frozen treats. McDonald's was the brainchild of Mac and Dick McDonald, who popularized the Golden Arches and then sold the company to Ray Kroc, who went on to serve billions. Harland Sanders's secret recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken is legendary, and Tom Monaghan delivered Domino's Pizza to millions of American teenagers. Aaseng not only creates a personal picture of each man, but also highlights his unique contribution to the development of the industry as we know it today. Numerous sidebars highlight other franchises and businessmen whose impact has been significant. Well written and illustrated with black-and-white photographs, this title works both as biography and history. The addition of Nancy Peacock's Dave Thomas (Chelsea, 2001; o.p.) would complete the fast-food menu for most libraries.-Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

From The Critics

Nathan Aaseng's Business Builders in Fast Food provides a set of biographical sketches of nine selected businessmen who influenced the creation and fostering of the fast food industry, from 1800s pioneer Fred Harvey who created the first chain restaurants to the McDonald brothers who first used an assembly line to prepare their menu quickly. An intriguing set of linked business biographies explores an entire industry's growth.