Quick-service restaurants (QSRs) first began to expand rapidly in the 1940s, driven significantly by the introduction of franchising models during that decade. This development allowed QSR chains to grow with less risk, expanding geographically first in the U.S. and then internationally. The 1950s marked the rise of major chains like McDonald's with its franchising system, accelerating rapid growth. Hence, the most notable rapid expansion of quick- service restaurants began in the 1940s and extended through the post-war decades with global expansions becoming prominent especially in the 1950s and beyond.
For context, the early core of QSR beginnings traces back to innovations in the early 1900s and 1920s, but the rapid scaling and franchising boom happened mainly mid-century starting in the 1940s.
