{
  "dataset": "Fast-food historical milestone distinctions",
  "edition": 3,
  "cutoff": "2026-09-11",
  "record_count": 34,
  "scope": "Selected documented company, restaurant, service, and menu milestones. Not exhaustive and not a ranking of oldest continuously operating chains.",
  "method": "Source-linked editorial compilation. Prior 31 record ids preserved. Source numbers refer to fastfood_history_sources_v3.json. Not a ranking of oldest chains; original, chain, franchise, and rollout dates are not interchangeable.",
  "records": [
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-yoshinoya-1899-shop",
      "entity": "Yoshinoya",
      "date": "1899",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "first_shop",
      "geography": "Nihonbashi fish market, Tokyo, Japan",
      "claim": "Family-run shop opens.",
      "source_ids": [
        38
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://www.yoshinoya-holdings.com/english/company/history/"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate chronology",
      "qualification": "Not a claim that a chain already existed in 1899.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-yoshinoya-1968-second-store",
      "entity": "Yoshinoya",
      "date": "1968",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "chain_development",
      "geography": "Shimbashi, Tokyo, Japan",
      "claim": "Second restaurant opens for chain development.",
      "source_ids": [
        38
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://www.yoshinoya-holdings.com/english/company/history/"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate chronology",
      "qualification": "Corporate history describes this as the second store.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-yoshinoya-1975-us",
      "entity": "Yoshinoya",
      "date": "1975-02",
      "date_precision": "month",
      "event_type": "first_market_entry_restaurant",
      "geography": "Denver, United States",
      "claim": "First U.S. restaurant opens.",
      "source_ids": [
        39
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://www.yoshinoya-holdings.com/english/company/oversea/"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate chronology",
      "qualification": "Separate from the 1973 procurement subsidiary and later Los Angeles locations.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-automat-1902-philadelphia",
      "entity": "Horn & Hardart Automat",
      "date": "1902",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "city_debut",
      "geography": "Philadelphia, United States",
      "claim": "Automat opens in Philadelphia.",
      "source_ids": [
        6
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/meet-me-at-the-automat-47804151/"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Museum magazine; historical synthesis",
      "qualification": "Adapts a German concept; not the global invention of automated dining.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-automat-1912-new-york",
      "entity": "Horn & Hardart Automat",
      "date": "1912",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "city_debut",
      "geography": "New York, United States",
      "claim": "Automat opens in New York.",
      "source_ids": [
        6
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/meet-me-at-the-automat-47804151/"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Museum magazine; historical synthesis",
      "qualification": "Different city and milestone from 1902 Philadelphia.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-aw-1919-stand",
      "entity": "A&W",
      "date": "1919",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "precursor_stand",
      "geography": "Lodi, California, United States",
      "claim": "Roy Allen opens a root-beer stand.",
      "source_ids": [
        37
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://awrestaurants.com/about/"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate history",
      "qualification": "Does not establish a hamburger franchise at that date.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-aw-1926-franchising",
      "entity": "A&W",
      "date": "1926",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "franchising_start_company_account",
      "geography": "United States",
      "claim": "Consulted company history dates the start of franchising to 1926.",
      "source_ids": [
        37
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://awrestaurants.com/about/"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate history",
      "qualification": "Earlier syrup-franchising dates appear in secondary summaries. Definition and archival reconciliation remain open; retain attribution.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-white-castle-1921",
      "entity": "White Castle",
      "date": "1921",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "business_origin",
      "geography": "Wichita, Kansas, United States",
      "claim": "White Castle begins.",
      "source_ids": [
        7
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://ohiomemory.ohiohistory.org/archives/2350"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Ohio History Connection / Ohio Memory",
      "qualification": "Pioneering hamburger-chain history, not invention of every quick meal.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-white-castle-1924",
      "entity": "White Castle",
      "date": "1924",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "incorporation",
      "geography": "United States",
      "claim": "Business incorporates.",
      "source_ids": [
        7
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://ohiomemory.ohiohistory.org/archives/2350"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Ohio History Connection / Ohio Memory",
      "qualification": "Legal milestone distinct from the first restaurant.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-mcdonalds-1940",
      "entity": "McDonald’s",
      "date": "1940",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "first_restaurant",
      "geography": "San Bernardino, California, United States",
      "claim": "The brothers open their drive-in.",
      "source_ids": [
        10
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-company/who-we-are/our-history.html"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate history",
      "qualification": "Not the 1948 service redesign or Kroc’s later restaurant.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-mcdonalds-1948",
      "entity": "McDonald’s",
      "date": "1948-12",
      "date_precision": "month",
      "event_type": "service_redesign",
      "geography": "San Bernardino, California, United States",
      "claim": "Speedee Service System introduced.",
      "source_ids": [
        10
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-company/who-we-are/our-history.html"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate history",
      "qualification": "Redesign milestone, not original founding date.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-mcdonalds-1955",
      "entity": "McDonald’s",
      "date": "1955",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "kroc_restaurant_opening",
      "geography": "Des Plaines, Illinois, United States",
      "claim": "Kroc opens his restaurant.",
      "source_ids": [
        10
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-company/who-we-are/our-history.html"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate history",
      "qualification": "The brothers’ restaurant and franchising activity predate this event.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-mcdonalds-1965-filet",
      "entity": "McDonald’s: Filet-O-Fish",
      "date": "1965",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "national_menu_rollout",
      "geography": "United States",
      "claim": "Filet-O-Fish reaches the national menu.",
      "source_ids": [
        10
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-company/who-we-are/our-history.html"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate history",
      "qualification": "Not the date of all local development or testing; company credits Lou Groen.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-mcdonalds-1968-big-mac",
      "entity": "McDonald’s: Big Mac",
      "date": "1968",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "national_menu_rollout",
      "geography": "United States",
      "claim": "Big Mac reaches the national menu.",
      "source_ids": [
        10
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-company/who-we-are/our-history.html"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate history",
      "qualification": "Not the date of every earlier local sale; company credits Jim Delligatti.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-mcdonalds-1975-mcmuffin",
      "entity": "McDonald’s: Egg McMuffin",
      "date": "1975",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "national_menu_rollout",
      "geography": "United States",
      "claim": "Egg McMuffin reaches the national menu.",
      "source_ids": [
        10
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-company/who-we-are/our-history.html"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate history",
      "qualification": "Not a claim about invention of fast-food breakfast; company credits Herb Peterson.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-mcdonalds-1983-mcnuggets",
      "entity": "McDonald’s: Chicken McNuggets",
      "date": "1983",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "all_us_restaurants_rollout",
      "geography": "United States",
      "claim": "Chicken McNuggets available at all U.S. restaurants in the corporate chronology.",
      "source_ids": [
        10
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-company/who-we-are/our-history.html"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate history",
      "qualification": "Not a claim about the first chicken nugget.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-mitla-1937",
      "entity": "Mitla Café",
      "date": "1937",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "restaurant_origin",
      "geography": "San Bernardino, California, United States",
      "claim": "Mitla Café begins its documented restaurant history.",
      "source_ids": [
        40
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://savingplaces.org/stories/the-mitla-cafe"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Preservation organization; reported local history",
      "qualification": "Earlier food and community institution; not a Taco Bell outlet.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-taco-bell-1962",
      "entity": "Taco Bell",
      "date": "1962",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "brand_restaurant_origin",
      "geography": "Downey, California, United States",
      "claim": "First Taco Bell restaurant opens.",
      "source_ids": [
        15
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://www.yum.com/wps/portal/yumbrands/Yumbrands/company/our-brands/taco-bell"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate brand profile",
      "qualification": "Does not date invention of tacos or all of Glen Bell’s prior businesses.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-kfc-1930",
      "entity": "KFC / Sanders business",
      "date": "1930",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "precursor_food_business",
      "geography": "Corbin, Kentucky, United States",
      "claim": "Sanders’ chicken-business origin in the corporate account.",
      "source_ids": [
        14
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://global.kfc.com/our-history"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate history",
      "qualification": "Distinct from franchising and from the broader history of fried chicken.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-kfc-1952",
      "entity": "KFC",
      "date": "1952",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "first_franchise",
      "geography": "Near Salt Lake City, Utah, United States",
      "claim": "First franchise in the company chronology.",
      "source_ids": [
        14
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://global.kfc.com/our-history"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate history",
      "qualification": "Not the original Corbin business.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-kfc-china-1987",
      "entity": "KFC, mainland China",
      "date": "1987",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "first_market_entry_restaurant",
      "geography": "Beijing, China",
      "claim": "KFC opens its first mainland Chinese restaurant.",
      "source_ids": [
        42
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://ir.yumchina.com/our-brands"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate investor-relations description",
      "qualification": "Geography-specific market entry.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-pizza-hut-1958",
      "entity": "Pizza Hut",
      "date": "1958",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "first_restaurant",
      "geography": "Wichita, Kansas, United States",
      "claim": "Dan and Frank Carney open their restaurant.",
      "source_ids": [
        36
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://www.pizzahut.mu/pizza-hut-story/"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Regional official brand history",
      "qualification": "Regional official brand history; early dine-in format.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-pizza-hut-china-1990",
      "entity": "Pizza Hut, China",
      "date": "1990",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "first_market_entry_restaurant",
      "geography": "Beijing, China",
      "claim": "Pizza Hut opens in Beijing.",
      "source_ids": [
        42
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://ir.yumchina.com/our-brands"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate investor-relations description",
      "qualification": "Market-entry date, not global brand founding.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-burger-king-1954",
      "entity": "Burger King / Miami partnership",
      "date": "1954",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "partnership",
      "geography": "Miami, Florida, United States",
      "claim": "James McLamore and David Edgerton partnership in the founder-family timeline.",
      "source_ids": [
        13
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://www.thebkbook.com/timeline"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Founder-family historical account",
      "qualification": "Not a resolution of all predecessor-business founding claims.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-burger-king-1957",
      "entity": "Burger King: Whopper",
      "date": "1957",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "product_introduction",
      "geography": "United States",
      "claim": "Whopper milestone in the founder-family timeline.",
      "source_ids": [
        13
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://www.thebkbook.com/timeline"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Founder-family historical account",
      "qualification": "Product introduction distinct from business origin.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-subway-1965",
      "entity": "Subway / first sandwich shop",
      "date": "1965",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "precursor_shop",
      "geography": "Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States",
      "claim": "Fred DeLuca and Peter Buck begin their sandwich business.",
      "source_ids": [
        17
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://www.subway.com/en-us/aboutus/history"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate history",
      "qualification": "First shop does not necessarily establish use of the later brand name at that date.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-subway-1974",
      "entity": "Subway",
      "date": "1974",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "franchising_start",
      "geography": "United States",
      "claim": "Company begins franchising in its chronology.",
      "source_ids": [
        17
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://www.subway.com/en-us/aboutus/history"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate history",
      "qualification": "Separate from the first Connecticut restaurants.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-wendys-1969",
      "entity": "Wendy’s",
      "date": "1969",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "first_restaurant",
      "geography": "Columbus, Ohio, United States",
      "claim": "Dave Thomas opens the first restaurant.",
      "source_ids": [
        35
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://www.wendys.com/wendys-story"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate timeline",
      "qualification": "No claim that the quick-service format itself was invented here.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-jollibee-1978",
      "entity": "Jollibee",
      "date": "1978",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "business_transformation",
      "geography": "Philippines",
      "claim": "Transformation into Jollibee after the earlier ice-cream-parlor business.",
      "source_ids": [
        18
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://www.wipo.int/en/web/ip-advantage/w/stories/from-ice-cream-parlor-to-fast-food-empire-tony-tan-caktiong-s-story"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "UN agency historical business case",
      "qualification": "Do not silently substitute for the opening date of every precursor operation.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-nandos-1987",
      "entity": "Nando’s",
      "date": "1987",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "company_origin",
      "geography": "Rosettenville, Johannesburg, South Africa",
      "claim": "Origin described in the company heritage narrative.",
      "source_ids": [
        21
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://www.nandos.com/heritage/our-story/"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate heritage narrative",
      "qualification": "Corporate heritage narrative, not a full history of peri-peri chicken.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-chipotle-1993",
      "entity": "Chipotle",
      "date": "1993",
      "date_precision": "year",
      "event_type": "first_restaurant",
      "geography": "Denver, Colorado, United States",
      "claim": "First Chipotle restaurant opens.",
      "source_ids": [
        32
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1058090/000105809026000009/cmg-20251231.htm"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Corporate annual filing hosted by the SEC",
      "qualification": "Company filing supports the origin date, not a claim to invent all fast casual.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-pizzanet-1994-pilot",
      "entity": "Pizza Hut / SCO PizzaNet",
      "date": "1994-08-22",
      "date_precision": "day",
      "event_type": "pilot_announcement",
      "geography": "Santa Cruz, California, United States",
      "claim": "Joint release announces an online-ordering pilot; payment occurs at delivery.",
      "source_ids": [
        44
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://web.archive.org/web/20120609100313/http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/199408/msg00057.html"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Contemporaneous joint corporate announcement, reproduced on a mailing list; Internet Archive capture",
      "qualification": "Not independent proof of a worldwide first. The release announces launch that day; it does not measure completed orders or success.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-slow-food-1989-manifesto",
      "entity": "Slow Food",
      "date": "1989-12-10",
      "date_precision": "day",
      "event_type": "manifesto_endorsement",
      "geography": "International movement",
      "claim": "Delegates from fifteen countries endorse the founding manifesto, according to the reproduced movement account.",
      "source_ids": [
        45
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://slowfoodusa.org/history/"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Movement account and reproduced founding manifesto",
      "qualification": "Movement testimony about its own origins and values; not an evaluation of program outcomes.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    },
    {
      "record_id": "ffh-laudan-2010-essay",
      "entity": "Rachel Laudan: In Praise of Fast Food",
      "date": "2010-08-05",
      "date_precision": "day",
      "event_type": "public_essay_publication",
      "geography": "Utne, English-language publication",
      "claim": "Published essay challenges nostalgia for preindustrial food and emphasizes the work behind meals.",
      "source_ids": [
        46
      ],
      "source_urls": [
        "https://www.utne.com/environment/fast-food-culinary-ethos/"
      ],
      "evidence_type": "Historian’s argumentative essay; published excerpt from The Gastronomica Reader",
      "qualification": "Date of the consulted published excerpt, not the original appearance of every argument or the anthology publication date.",
      "checked": "2026-09-11"
    }
  ]
}