Is This Fast Food?

Building our Fast Food Index was not easy. Sure some restaurants scream fast food. A restaurant like McDonald's or Subway cannot make a case that it is not fast food. But then again what differentiates something like Denny's from Ruby Tuesdays? Or for example is T.G.I Friday's fast food even though they want it to be termed "causal dining"? We have really agonized over which restaurants should be included or excluded. We take user contributions for any additions to the index, but we still do the research. The key thing seems to be if the restaurant has "quickly" made food and more than several dozen locations. Sure there can be wait staff, but if a restaurant has a drive-in, even if it sells itself as casual dining - it's fast food. For this reason we will add a place like Ruby Tuesdays. The "curb to go" is not drive in, but it's still takeout. As far as we are concerned causal dining can still be fast food, so the list may raise an eyebrow - and we want that. Adventures in Fast Food is all about discussion. I hope this clears up any confusion about what gets added or not. In the future, questionable additions may be discussed here to gather public input. Bon appetite!