When it comes to its representation of the fast-food phenomenon, Canton, Ohio is no different from any other location, but it offers as good an example as any of the way fast-food chains permeate American culture.
The fast food industry in North America has been as carefully dissected as the meat products it buys and sells. From casual discussion to scholarly debate, social critique and even lawsuits, everything related to fast food – from its omnipresent brand logos to its ubiquitous advertising jingles – is open to interpretation and analysis. Every sociological, economic, and psychological interpretation of fast food is widely discussed in every medium from blogs to scholarly journals.
Fast Food Abounds and Dominates in Canton, Ohio
Most North American cities have something akin to the array of fast-food outlets found in Canton: Arby’s, McDonald’s, Long John Silver’s, Subway, Burger King, Wendy’s, Church's, the soon-to-open Sonic, the one Rally’s that remains, Quizno’s, KFC, and Mr. Hero. All of these and more litter the main roads and highways around the city, specifically along Cleveland Avenue and North Main Street, Tuscarawas Street and Lincoln Way, and the snarl of Whipple Avenue at Dressler and Everhard Roads.
The list might be expanded to include Dunkin Donuts, Sheetz, Pizza Hut, Papa Gyros’ Cleveland Ave. location, Einstein Brothers, Dairy Queen, and a myriad of others – it’s not simply a matter of seating choices or immediacy of ordering. Franchised restaurants and dining establishments of dubious creativity and instant recognition seem to offer the benchmark for what is classified as fast food. QSR Magazine seems to have a few answers, even going so far as to list the top 40 markets to watch for expansion opportunities and indicating that site selection is an art form. If customers really want nutritional food and solvent financial gains for personal and familial reasons – advance planning, research, self-awareness, and avoiding the fast food conundrum altogether are the best bets.
The Evolution of Fast Food
Somewhere along the line in human evolution, speed and doubtful nutritional quality became a norm and the tradition of consuming fast food became an unquestioned practice. Just something people did – perhaps not even aware of why they did it. New(er) kids in fast food Canton town, such as Qdoba, Chipotle, Penn Station, may give the illusion of a healthier menu, but remain quite simply, newcomers to fast food advancement. Jimmy John’s, although subtitled with a gourmet sandwich label, remains the leader in innovation – healthier illusion and they will deliver.
Chipotle runs an immediate second: you can order online, pick it up, and beat the long line where you must wait patiently for your occasionally not-so-fast fast food. And if there were prizes for the fast food faster contest, in third place, once upon a time, Sheetz could let you order your food while pumping gas, although this practice seems to have fallen from fast food favor.
Even in true restaurants, the occasional foot-tapping, clock-watching, sighing diner can be located, confused as to what is taking the food so long. The days seem to be dwindling when food provided meaningful, sincere nourishment, a celebratory event in and of itself, or symbolic of something more than just instant gratification.
Taste is Relative – So is the Ability to Tolerate Persistent Audio and Visual Advertising and Marketing
The perception of quantity, price, accessibility, and comfort often outshine both quality and satiation in the race to consume fast food. Fast food is nothing more than a marketing empire – you can see it, hear ads on the radio, and even notice the smell – or even a memory-scent – in a simple morning drive to work. Fast food commercials will hit funny bones, emotional notes, and occasionally even try to inspire. There’s not a road in Canton, as in many other cities, that doesn’t lead to a fast food chain encouraging generations to continue to embrace and exploit instant gratification. It's almost impossible to avoid it.
Within the last year, several Canton fast food institutions have overhauled their facades and structures, or even razing and returning with a brand new building. In some cases, the fast food joint itself is gone, but the building remains - the idea of the building as something other than its food chain instigator and present memory, may be difficult to grasp. It’s not an accident and the entire business is most likely counting on all of that and more to keep the fast food domination and quagmire machine well-oiled. The empire does provide jobs, but at what cost in the present and in the end? Some costs that come to mind include an unlivable minimum wage and vacant buildings that didn’t quite make the fast food cut. As an example, there is a section of Cherry Ave. NE, in downtown Canton, where the gutted building of a former KFC and across the street lies the razed knoll of former McDonald's
Real Challenge of Fast Food Lies in Avoidance and Alternative Arrangements
It’s just too easy – fast food, that is. There’s no challenge to it – unless of course you’re an average employee trying to make a living by working in a fast food restaurant or you want to try to give up fast food.
There – that’s the best challenge of all. Try to give up fast food for a few days … a week … a month.
The questions you can begin to ask yourself are boundless: How much money is saved? How many calories? How many years are added to your life? What are some of the many things, and not just food, you can replace that fast food meal with? Imagine breaking up with fast food and the other dating possibilities that may suddenly become available – and it might just be healthy, lasting union, too.
The sequel to this article is located here:
http://rhonda-baughman.suite101.com/canton-oh-lacks-focus--creativity-qsr-saturation-among-issues-a333154
Rhonda Baughman - Dr. Rhonda Baughman is a graduate of Kent State (Honors College), Antioch Univ. McGregor (Midwest), and Argosy University, Chicago.
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