With the rise of foodie culture, the landscape of America’s fast food menu has gradually changed. In a recent article for Business Insider, titled, “Watch Out, Shake Shack — the future of fast food isn’t about burgers”, Hollis Johnson discusses the ways in which casual fast food has shifted in America.
Johnson begins by talking about hamburgers, which he dubs “the quintessential American food”. And that may very well be true, considering the average American eats more than one burger per week, or 4.3 per month.
But as casual dining falls prey to the nuances of foodie culture, it seems that the burger might not be so relevant after all.“Americans increasingly are looking for real flavors,” Kara Nielsen, culinary director of brand-building firm Sterling Rice Group, told QSR magazine.
It’s becoming more and more common to see the words “fresh”, “natural”, and “organic” on the menus not just of fine dining establishments but of fast food restaurants, too.
In D.C., the local favorite Sweetgreens, a fast food joint dedicated to craft salads, is more popular than ever.
And while this may seem like good news for the American people (and their waistlines), the marked nuances in casual dining may not translate as positively for the working class.
In a recent article for The Washington Post titled, “Inequality in everything: The rich get better breakfast sandwiches, too”, Roberto A. Ferdman points out that elevated casual food culture excludes the working class.
Despite their modest origins, the simple, $3 egg and cheese on a roll has become a gourmet food item, often with price tags as high as $12.
Ferdman writes, “The awkward juxtaposition is particularly acute in a city like New York, where bodegas can be found almost on any block. At these convenience stores, people linger just outside, unwrapping freshly bought $3 egg sandwiches”.
He continues, “Meanwhile, next door, others now wipe away stray breakfast sandwich yolk with cloth napkins”.
And this isn’t just happening in New York. Washington D.C.’s Sweetgreens, for example, is considered a casual fast food restaurant, yet the typical salad runs from anywhere between $9 and $13.
So while foodie culture may be permeating the casual dining sphere, it’s clear that this trend is not for everyone, including the 18% of individuals in D.C. who are living below the poverty line.
