The Incredible True Story Of The Man Who Created America s First Chain Restaurant George Rose/Getty Images
By Noemi Arellano-Summer/Feb. 22, 2021 3:26 pm EDT
Frederick Henry Harvey was a born entrepreneur. However, unlike McDonalds Ray Kroc, most people don t know his name or his company s mission. The Fred Harvey Company predominantly set out to sell people good food.
When traveling by train for work in Missouri and Kansas during the 1860s, Harvey noticed just how
bad train food was. Having had experience both in food service and on trains, he set out to create a hospitality company that essentially became America s first chain restaurant and the epitome of service, according to Stephen Fried s