15 Photos of What Fast-Food Restaurants Looked Like in the 1980s

Fast-food was a different beast in the 80s. The food felt real. The employees felt like they cared 10% more; maybe even enjoyed working there. What happened to the good old days? They’re gone, that’s for sure. 

Feeling nostalgic? Here are 15 photos to bring you back to what life was like in the world of 1980s fast food.

I have had bad jobs in the past. At no point was I tempted to do a funny broom fight with my coworkers. That’s the type of thing you do when you’re enjoying yourself and the people you work with.

Motorhead was a big get for McDonald’s. If the burger’s good enough for Lemmy, it’s good enough for me.

Look at these garden vibes! This feels like the back patio of a cool brewery. I’d get lunch here any time.

There were more treasures at Pizza Hut than just pizza; arcade games were on the table too.

Look at this place. Look at the plants. Look at the tile. This McDonald’s looks like it could be on the first floor of Nakatomi Tower.

You no doubt remember the iconic “Where’s the Beef?” commercial that Wendy’s ran in 1984. The Russian-born legend Clara Peller was huge for Wendy’s in the 80s; here she is, posing in front of an L.A. location.

It’s impossible to know what Ronald Reagan thought about McDonald’s overall, but it’s not impossible to know what he thought about this particular burger. For him, in this moment in time, it was the only thing that existed in that universe

This could easily have been an album cover for “Grill Masterz” or “Fry Cook Heroes” or “McMoneyMakers” or whatever cool band name they would have come up with.

The vest: slick. The visor: slicker. Burger King’s vibe was unbeatable in the 80s.

They should hang Frank Meeks’ jersey in the Domino’s rafters; the man operated 60 Domino’s franchises and died surprisingly young from pneumonia in 2004 at the age of 48. Here he is before he shuffled off this mortal coil.

Pizza Hut’s red cups made every beverage taste better. I’m still chasing the high those red cup root beers gave me.

Here’s Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s, chomping down on a burger. It’s always a good thing to see the owner eating the food, though maybe not in the kitchen. Best to keep one’s saliva in one’s mouth whilst in the kitchen.

Look at this guy. Is he a classic boss, or what? “This is a cup. This is ice. Put the ice in the cup and then the soda in the cup. Blah, blah, blah.” This guy is always breathing down her neck, I bet. My man better check that haircut before he starts giving other people advice.

In the late 80s, Wendy’s debuted a pretty insane buffet concept: A salad bar, pasta bar, and burrito bar all in one. Yikes. This is basically what Sizzler continued to do for the rest of its beautiful run. Also, a little advice: Do not make a burrito by dumping a bunch of sour cream and salsa over the top of it, as the photo suggests. Keep that stuff inside. You know this.

Here’s Earl Slick, who lent his legendary guitar-playing to the likes of Robert Smith, John Lennon, and David Bowie. This is a much better look for Dunkin’ than the crazed, wild-eyed version of Ben Affleck they’re currently using.

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