“Imagewise, the [fast food] industry may have reached its nadir in 2016, when McDonald’s confessed in a widely circulated memo that just one in five millennials had tried a Big Mac. Bear in mind, this was the heyday of the celebrity chef and experiential dining, when the trendiest food was performative, not convenient.” But then the pandemic hit and the tables turned. Sad times called for Happy Meals. Money was tight, everything changed, and people wanted affordable take-out comfort food that was consistent enough to bring back a sense of normalcy. The trend kicked off a Domino’s effect. Burger was king. Dairy was Queen. Chick-fil got an A for effort. The Taco Bell curve couldn’t be flattened. KF could C clearly. Churches were closed, but Church’s was open. Wendy’s … nuts. Sales at Pizza Hut hiked. Sonic boomed. Jack was jacked up. Popeye’s had eye popping sales. Wingstopped and smelled the roses. ShakeShacked up. El Pollo Locomoted. Fast food became a Subway of life. The In-N-Outlook was positive. I could go on but I’m too flippin’ out of shape from eating so much fast food. Kara Baskin in Experience Mag: The pandemic saved the fast food industry.