National Fast Food Day, Nov. 16, is truly one of the most American holidays this country celebrates.
But unfortunately, it is overshadowed by November’s most popular holiday, Thanksgiving, our country’s preferred celebration of gluttony.
America is known for its affinity for fast food. The main powerhouse, McDonald’s, sells 75 hamburgers every second.
Ask most students on campus if they have a favorite fast food place, and they’ll have an answer for you pretty quickly. Regardless of whether people celebrate the holiday, almost everyone has a favorite spot to go to, whether it’s Wendy’s or Arby’s.
However, Marquette students, who only have a handful of fast food options within walking distance, don’t feel like they have the variety other colleges offer.
“I feel like we don’t really have a lot of options,” Alyssa Doruelo, a sophomore in the College of Nursing, said.
Despite the limited options, the majority of students said their favorite spots for fast food on campus were either Jimmy John’s or Qdoba. A few students said they prefer other places, such as Burger King or The Dogg Haus, which begs the question: What makes a restaurant a fast food restaurant?
The obvious answer is in the name itself. It’s fast food, so the food has to come out fast. “Order your food, and get it in 10 minutes,” Lauren Gilbert, a student in the Graduate Education program, said about what defines a fast food restaurant.
But speed isn’t the only requirement.
“It’s kind of greasy, cheaper food that’s kind of less healthy for you.” Niko Catalano, a student in the College of Business Administration, said.
National Fast Food Day is seemingly just a day to promote eating fast food. According to the national day calendar, it has no known origin. Although it has unexplored origins, people still celebrate it, which ultimately is what makes a holiday.
Many fast food places have benefited from the tradition by being able to promote it and offer special deals. Arby’s used the day to get people to sign up for their email list in exchange for a free sandwich. Wendy’s encouraged people to use their Snapchat filter and tweet at them, merely promising to “hit you up with that hook up.”
The holiday has taken off, and as long as it continues to make money, National Fast Food Day will continue to (not) be celebrated.
Michael Saylor • Dec 1, 2017 at 10:46 am
On National Fast Food Day, we have lots of fun with friends. National Fast Food Day This day was really fun to me.