Fast Food Industry Analysis

The research paper discusses the business practice of three main players in the fast food industry. The research paper attempts to outline their expansion, factors influencing their business management among others and makes summary of the findings. FAST FOOD INDUSTRIES AND MARLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS In this paper will focus on the fast food industry where three world major corporate brands are engaged in the business. They include McDonald, Burger King Corporation and Wendy International. These companies sale fast food items mainly hamburgers, soft drinks and sandwiches of different types.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs outlines categories of human needs to be fulfilled which are biological n, safety , social , esteem and self actualization. These business organization serve as an example of how the organization try to meet the needs of their customers, clients and employees. The companies serve millions of customers in the world per day, they employ thousands of workers and partner with other entities in fulfilling their business interest. Both were formerly owned by private owners but due to expansion transformed into public company and trade in the stock exchange (Business ball, 2008).

CUSTOMERS SEGMENTATION These fast food chain companies have primary target to sale food to all its customers in different segments of the economic status, age, professional and regional level. For instance Burger King started as a single store in 1954 and by 1959 it had nine stores in Miami. it rapidly expanded to 5 regional states in the same year. In 1963 it opened first international store in Puerto Rico setting pace for other international restaurants in Oceania, Europe, Asia and South America and by 2006 it had 11200 stores world wide.

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On the other hand McDonald the world's largest fast food restaurant opened its first store in in 1940 by two brothers Dick and Mac McDonald in California. It opened its regional restaurant in Illinois in 1955 and has tremendously expanded globally to over 120 countries. In 2006 it had 31,000 restaurant stores in the world (McDonald, 2008) Burger King and McDonald have over time targeted consumers that do have little time and need to get food fast as well as meet other consumers.

Their products have focused in different groups of the population such children , youth aged between 18 and 34 that require high quality products and adult clientele. The products are designed depending on the regions, cultural beliefs and religious beliefs. McDonald is largely credited in devising products that have regional tastes and adapt to local culture. Burger King have also done but with little success because of controversial disputes it has had with animal rights environmental groups and governments . McDonald and Burger king have also developed product that consider health issues.

The two major fast food chains have ensured their clients are met wherever they are. Children have been the main target of companies. Burger king has a close link to children where they have known to cultivate close relationship with them in order to build a broad customer base. Similar to it McDonald have also run several linkages with children , young adults and adults as well with greater strategies. McDonald has been synonymous with globalization or McDonaldization in which most people in the world see it as way of promoting American culture.

Economists use 'Big Mac Index' to refer to purchasing parities of different currencies. The fast food corporations have changed the nature of operation of the business industry by introducing new standards of operation and service. For instance McDonald have Drive-through service, Auto-Mac service, pay and drive, Mc-drive service and walk-through service. These has shaped the way in which its customers, clients and other parties have conducted their business. In international locations they have affected levels of cleanliness and service delivery (McDonald, 2008).

Fast food restaurants have continued to model their business to capture markets that are essentially not reached by other food service industry for instance McDonald have McStop service which targets travelers and long distant drivers hence the truck shop. These fast food industry market players are known to promote unhealthy eating behavior which has caused the disappearance of traditional healthy food and increased consumption of high level fat, sugar and salt content food. This has brought increased obesity and other health related disease.

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