45 years of fast food chains in Ireland

JupiterKid · 11-02-2017 12:18am #1

In 1972, Ireland's first international fast food outlet, a (then called) Kentucky Fried Chicken, opened in Phibsboro.

In 1977, McDonalds followed and then in 1981 Burger King came. The rest is history. Do you think it was inevitable or a big mistake? There are now about 80 McDs in Ireland. Do you think this is too many?

Do you think the future of fast food here is assured?

The_Valeyard · 11-02-2017 12:19am

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Omackeral · 11-02-2017 12:23am

The 's' in fast food is actually silent.

JuliusCaesar · 11-02-2017 12:26am

JupiterKid wrote: »

In 1972, Ireland's first international fast food outlet, a (then called) Kentucky Fried Chicken, opened in Phibsboro.

In 1977, McDonalds followed and then in 1981 Burger King came. The rest is history. Do you think it was inevitable or a big mistake? There are now about 80 McDs in Ireland. Do you think this is too many?

Do you think the future of fast food here is assured?

Don't you remember Wimpy bars???

RobertKK · 11-02-2017 12:31am

My parents never bought us fast food, it was always homemade.

First time I went to McDonalds/got any type of fast food I was 11 when my Uncle took us. I think my parents had the right approach to an extent - wholesome homemade, but getting fast food now and again is fine, but some people live on it.

prinzeugen · 11-02-2017 12:39am

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

Don't you remember Wimpy bars???

My next door neighbour opened the first Wimpy in Galway in the either the late 60's or early 70's

Miss Demeanour · 11-02-2017 12:40am

Mandy's was where it was at.

kfallon · 11-02-2017 12:43am

Burgerland/garden was the place to go in Waterford when I was a kid!

Oscar Bravo · 11-02-2017 12:45am

there was a Wimpy in westport and castlebar to. where the Irish House pub in Castlebar is was where the wimpy was. jeez thats a long time ago...

Super-Rush · 11-02-2017 12:52am

20 minutes waiting for a burger is not my idea of fast.

Grandeeod · 11-02-2017 12:54am

Back in the 70s I remember them all. Wimpy in Inchicore, Dublin. Burgerland in both Dublin and Waterford, when they gave out the Walt Disney glasses. Wendy's just off O'Connell street (Mary Street with its wooden seats) My first experience of Burger King was the one beside the Savoy Cinema on O'Connell Street in 1985. McDonalds was actually the last place I got to back then.

Does anyone remember New York New York on Baggot Street, Dublin??

Delacent · 11-02-2017 12:57am

Grandeeod wrote: »

Does anyone remember New York New York on Baggot Street, Dublin??

I worked above it in sunshine radio. It was burgerland and after they closed it became new York new york. I don't remember it lasting long.

whiskeyman · 11-02-2017 1:00am

Forget the name of the chipper in Longford... Something like 'BurgerMaster'

Underneath sign, had
'New York - Paris - London - Longford'

Twas before the interwebz, so probably not many people from Longford could verify the other supposed outlets! :pac:

Delacent · 11-02-2017 1:01am

Others

King Burger - ilac and O'Connell st I think

Wonderburger in northside sc

allthedoyles · 11-02-2017 1:01am

JupiterKid wrote: »

In 1972, Ireland's first international fast food outlet, a (then called) Kentucky Fried Chicken, opened in Phibsboro.

In 1977, McDonalds followed and then in 1981 Burger King came. The rest is history. Do you think it was inevitable or a big mistake? There are now about 80 McDs in Ireland. Do you think this is too many?

Do you think the future of fast food here is assured?

The future is surely assured ..................The 18-30's would'nt know how to cook spuds is a microwave ,let alone a sausepan .

They eats spuds all right ,but the fat greasy types cooked as chips in fast-food outlets .

Grandeeod · 11-02-2017 1:02am

Delacent wrote: »

I worked above it in sunshine radio. It was burgerland and after they closed it became new York new york. I don't remember it lasting long.

Oh yeah sunshine were up over head alright. Mark Cagney must of been there at the time surely? Never remember it as a burgerland as only got up that way by 86 or so. I may be wrong but New York New York may have had another branch around town?

JupiterKid · 11-02-2017 1:43am

Was Wimpy here before KFC? Captain Americas opened in 1971 but it was a restaurant opposed to a fast food joint.

I had a Wimpy in Belfast about 25 years ago - rank!!

Steve · 11-02-2017 1:46am

Are there any Wimpy's left?

Remember it as a kid in the '70's

Nothing can quite replace the taste of newsprint on the chips.

Grandeeod · 11-02-2017 1:50am

Steve wrote: »

Are there any Wimpy's left?

Remember it as a kid in the '70's

Nothing can quite replace the taste of newsprint on the chips.

Toasted buns!

JupiterKid · 11-02-2017 1:57am

sugarman wrote: »

2 interesting facts about McDonalds I just read

I well remember when that drive through opened - I went to it when it was brand new as a 10 year old and it made my week!:pac:

The McCafe is a good addition to McDs. Their coffee is miles ahead of Starbucks.

Graces7 · 11-02-2017 6:41am

Apart from very rare chips, years ago now, never used any fast food place...

11-02-2017 7:04am

Had a card for free club burgers in Burgerland in 1996.

It was like the Wonka Golden Ticket.

JupiterKid · 11-02-2017 7:09am

Never liked Burgerland. Found their burgers pretty rank.

In my opinion the Whopper is superior to the Big Mac. But I hear that Bunsen is THE place for a really good burger.

Peregrinus · 11-02-2017 7:44am

JupiterKid wrote: »

The McCafe is a good addition to McDs. Their coffee is miles ahead of Starbucks.

In fairness, you're setting the bar pretty low there.

D0NNELLY · 11-02-2017 8:00am

Graces7 wrote: »

Apart from very rare chips, years ago now, never used any fast food place...

Yeah eating rare chips is enough to put anyone off

D0NNELLY · 11-02-2017 8:02am

4 Lights is the only fast food worth checking out.. McD's etc can feck off..

Badly Drunk Boy · 11-02-2017 8:28am

JupiterKid wrote: »

In 1977, McDonalds followed and then in 1981 Burger King came. The rest is history. Do you think it was inevitable or a big mistake? There are now about 80 McDs in Ireland. Do you think this is too many?

In May 1980 (at the age of 7), I had my first Holy Communion. As a treat, I got fish'n'chips (brought from Kildare to MacDonald's in O'Connell Street in Dublin!)

The fish had mayonnaise slathered upon it so I did the only rational thing: I crept under the table and cried. My parents probably thought I was a bit weird. They probably still do...

OU812 · 11-02-2017 10:01am

I can remember the first McDonald's opening in Dublin and being brought for a birthday treat.

There was no "seating". Instead it was a plastic (easy wipe clean) bench around the outside at a 45° angle and the tables in the middle had similar short benches as they didn't want people hanging round.

For kids birthdays you could book a Ronald appearance and they had a McDonalds ice cream cake. Only got to one of those parties as a kid as they were very expensive.

Parchment · 11-02-2017 10:02am

Does anyone remember the Hi-Burger that was in the Crescent in Limerick.

The bins said "Feed Me" on the lid. My little bogger mind was blown.

Capt'n Midnight · 12-02-2017 2:42am

45 years ?

The Italians have been doing fish and chips since the 1880's too

And MacMurrough was selling out in 1169

learn_more · 12-02-2017 2:59am

Oscar Bravo wrote: »

there was a Wimpy in westport and castlebar to. where the Irish House pub in Castlebar is was where the wimpy was. jeez thats a long time ago...

Had my first ever Burger in the Wimpy in Westport. No burger was ever as good as wot I got there. Although I do recall my uncle buying me a burger as a young lad in Phibsborough once and it was almost as good. Can't get them anymore. Fried onions , lettuce and ketchup was all that was on them. None of this gerkin nonsense.

OldMrBrennan83 · 12-02-2017 3:07am

This post has been deleted.

Lucy8080 · 12-02-2017 3:25am

I was one of the first to welcome the invasion of fast food here..I was a champion of it.

Until that awful day when I knew we had under-estimated the monster we had let loose on ourselves.

Soup in a basket, feckin' scalded the lap of me so it did!

Riddle101 · 12-02-2017 3:51am

Do you think it was inevitable or a big mistake?

Well I reckon it was inevitable given how cheap fast food is/was. Cheap affordable good is always welcome.

worded · 12-02-2017 4:08am

PizzaLand

12-02-2017 5:11am

From experience, I'd say delis and the chicken rolls etc. are worse for the general health of the country because so many get them so often. Although, maybe they're not as popular anymore?

Outlaw Pete · 12-02-2017 6:40am

I loved Metro Burger, at the side of the old Screen cinema. The sign is still there.

Turtyturd · 12-02-2017 8:53am

Delacent wrote: »

Others

King Burger - ilac and O'Connell st I think

Wonderburger in northside sc

Wonderburger is a blast from the past. They used to operate from a little hatch out the back hours after the shopping centre had closed.

mr_edge_to_you · 12-02-2017 9:27am

George Hook was involved in catering back in day. According to his autobiography he was offered the exclusive rights to bring McDonalds to Ireland. He turned it down because he thought it would never take off.

ToddyDoody · 12-02-2017 12:31pm

It must be said, McDonald's really put Longford on the map when they moved in.

Duff · 12-02-2017 12:34pm

The Four Lanterns in Dundalk was the place to be when I was a kid. Best drumsticks ever.

marklazarcovic · 12-02-2017 1:44pm

buck rogers, prospect hill galway ,nuff said.

Sam Kade · 12-02-2017 1:50pm

Super-Rush wrote: »

20 minutes waiting for a burger is not my idea of fast.

Wash it down with a curry chip and see how fast it will be.

Red Kev · 12-02-2017 2:19pm

D0NNELLY wrote: »

4 Lights is the only fast food worth checking out.. McD's etc can feck off..

Yeah, but they got rightly shafted back in the day when Hayley's opened on O'Connell St. 4 Lights had no seating, but they did do pizza which was a novelty then.

Badly Drunk Boy wrote: »

In May 1980 (at the age of 7), I had my first Holy Communion. As a treat, I got fish'n'chips (brought from Kildare to MacDonald's in O'Connell Street in Dublin!)

The fish had mayonnaise slathered upon it so I did the only rational thing: I crept under the table and cried. My parents probably thought I was a bit weird. They probably still do...

Are you Ray D'Arcy by any chance?

sugarman wrote: »

Burgerland next to KFC, now Supermacs on O'Connell St.

This is from 1971, I used to love Caffola's.

Losty Dublin · 12-02-2017 10:04pm

Herself is from the US. To her, Supermac food is superior to the likes of Five Guys or Chick Fil-A.

cerastes · 12-02-2017 10:13pm

Grandeeod wrote: »

Back in the 70s I remember them all. Wimpy in Inchicore, Dublin. Burgerland in both Dublin and Waterford, when they gave out the Walt Disney glasses. Wendy's just off O'Connell street (Mary Street with its wooden seats) My first experience of Burger King was the one beside the Savoy Cinema on O'Connell Street in 1985. McDonalds was actually the last place I got to back then.

Does anyone remember New York New York on Baggot Street, Dublin??

I remember Ney York, New York, Henry street

Grandeeod wrote: »

Oh yeah sunshine were up over head alright. Mark Cagney must of been there at the time surely? Never remember it as a burgerland as only got up that way by 86 or so. I may be wrong but New York New York may have had another branch around town?

Never knew there was another branch anywhere other than Henry street.

Mint Sauce · 12-02-2017 10:13pm

Duff wrote: »

The Four Lanterns in Dundalk was the place to be when I was a kid. Best drumsticks ever.

Always wondered was the Four Lanterns in Dundalk, anything to do with the Four Lanterns in Sligo/Donegal Town/Letterkenny/Buncrana.

Grandeeod · 13-02-2017 12:08am

Red Kev wrote: »

Yeah, but they got rightly shafted back in the day when Hayley's opened on O'Connell St. 4 Lights had no seating, but they did do pizza which was a novelty then.

Are you Ray D'Arcy by any chance?

This is from 1971, I used to love Caffola's.

Cafolla's demolished and rebuilt as another Irish legend - BURGERLAND! My parents often talked about Cafolla's each and everytime we visted Burgerland in O'Connell Street. Cafolla's literally closed and got rebuilt a mere few years befor I was old enough to munch on a burger.

Grandeeod · 13-02-2017 12:14am

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

I loved Metro Burger, at the side of the old Screen cinema. The sign is still there.

I remember when it opened! The Screen was then called the Metropole, hence the name "Metro" burger. The cinema was struggling and sold off part of the premises. Sadly the cinema closed for good not so long ago.

The bus to Rathfarnham and beyond started there at one point.

JupiterKid · 17-02-2022 6:12am

And so, bumping this thread as this week marks the 50th anniversary of the first KFC opening in Ireland, at the then new Phibsboro shopping Centre.

McDonalds opened their first Irish restaurant on Grafton Street almost 45 years ago on 2nd May 1977. Burger King on upper Grafton Street marked 40 years in operation last October.

Who would have imagined back in the early 1970s that fast food would explode in popularity here in the following decades?

Ireland’s first Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet, Phibsboro, 1972

Hamburger chain Wendys will be opening in Dublin later in 2022, marking the second time it has come to Ireland. The first Wendy’s on Bachelors Walk in Dublin 1 opened way back in 1982 but only lasted about 18 months.

Greyfox · 17-02-2022 10:07am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2057704753/45-years-of-fast-food-chains-in-ireland

Of course it is, people who don't eat fast food are weird. McDonald's are only ok but the big mac is much nicer than the whopper

45 years of fast food chains in Ireland

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