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The new trend in fast food is the dollar menu (well, it was before certain people decided they knew better than us and started telling us what we can and cannot eat) At first, dollar menus seem like a great way to buy the fast food we know and love / petition against at a very low price. And it is. The dollar menu provides the same consistent and great tasting food for a friendly price. But it's so much more than that. The menu in question embodies the spirit of America.

Think about it. The dollar menu screams "This is what I want. No more, no less. I want it cheap and I want it now or at least in the next 5 minutes!" And who doesn't want to scream that on occasion? No gimmicks, no fuss, just money for food. It's a simple subliminal mantra that is sweeping the nation with its simplicity, subliminality, and mantracity.

But what affect will this have on our more formal restaurants? Will five star gourmets start selling $1 Kobe Burgers or "like it", "love it", and "gotta have it" sized glasses of Chablis? Will high class resorts offer you to upgrade your steak to a 12oz for only a quarter more? No. Those ideas are terrible.

But we will start seeing a focus on price and speed. What with McDonalds making a fortune on the $1 double cheeseburger, others would be foolish not to follow their business model. The real changes will show up in other fast food locales. A race will commence for the cheapest, fastest food. Soon you'll drive up to Wendy's shouting your order at the top of your lungs, circle around the back, and as you start to drive away they'll shoot your food out of a cannon mounted on the roof. It will be up to you to position your car to catch the food. Those of us without convertibles or sunroofs will be at a serious disadvantage.

The time may come when fast food is sold for fractions of a penny over cost, relying entirely on volume to make profits. When that day comes, expect to see the Filet of Fish quickly disappear from the menu. Everything will end up on the dollar menu, and anything that is not will be seen as extravagant and will be counted towards the luxury tax.

How will this affect the quality of fast food? We may see a deterioration of quality in the smaller joints, but your average Burger King or Del Taco will not be hurt. As long as technology keeps advancing the way I assume it is, the quality will remain the same, as food storage techniques become more effective for long term freezing, and flavor techniques make even the oldest frozen beef patties taste like they were just defrosted this morning.

So, to recap, within the next few years, we should see fast food getting cheaper, faster, hopefully better quality, and fired from a rooftop cannon operated by that franchises mascot. All this is because of the dollar menu and the $1 double cheeseburger. Thanks McDonalds.

Learn more about this author, Andy Paulo.
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