The bright red box with its golden handles has become a fast food staple since it was first introduced nearly 40 years ago. We want to hear from you. The Happy Meal let kids choose what they wanted to eat, giving them a sense of autonomy, and helped McDonald’s brand itself as family-friendly fare. 1977. The first actual Happy Meal was served in Guatemala in the mid-'70s, when Yolanda Fernández de Cofiño came up with an item called a "Menu Ronald." Answer: 1977. Why was the McDonald's Happy Meal invented? Discerning the popularity of the kids' meal, McDonald's introduced its Happy Meal in 1978, and other fast food corporations, including Burger King, followed suit with their own kids' meals. Truth be told, the Happy Meal isn't most well-known for its food. McDonald's has tinkered with its Happy Meal, overhauling the food inside the box and serving up healthier food options for kids. 1 Questions & Answers Place. It introduced milk as an option in the late 1980s. The creation of McDonald's Happy Meal was somewhat nebulous. Dick Brams, a St. Louis marketing manager, is widely known as the "father of the Happy Meal," but McDonald's officially credits the idea to an advertising executive named Bob Bernstein. The concept was eventually brought to the attention of McDonald's management in Chicago. The first actual Happy Meal was served in Guatemala in the mid-'70s, when Yolanda Fernández de Cofiño came up with an item called a "Menu Ronald." You know, like ketchup. By some accounts, the earliest form of what we’ve come to know as the Happy Meal was developed by a Guatemalan franchiser named Yolanda Fernández de Cofiño, who conceived of the “Menu Ronald” … However, the Happy Meal fell out of fashion with some advertising partners in the mid-2000's. However, shelf life applies to Happy Meal toys and, potentially, Happy Meals themselves. But, if you are going to eat chocolate, do it mindfully. In the '80s, diners sought to decrease the amount of fat and cholesterol they consumed and demand increased for leaner meats and poultry. Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. Kids love to collect. He came up with the key Happy Meal innovations like a toy, putting handles on that cute little box, and offering up extra entree options for kids to debate for far too long. Martin Hunter/Sunday Star Times. Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email, and get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun. The Happy Meal was created in 1979 and from that point on the items included with it were hit or miss depending on the generation, the times, and, well, if it was something we could find easily in a … Unfortunately for Burger Chef, its top competitor ultimately won out. Childhood obesity rates were rising and there were concerns about calorie-laden kids' meals at fast food chains. Turns out the Happy Meal was inspired by popular kids’ cereal that packed toys in the box. But critics weren't appeased, even when the chain added nutritional information to its Happy Meal packaging in 2005. In 2012, McDonald’s made the french fries portion smaller, and it … The Happy Meal contains a main item typically a hamburger, cheeseburger, or small serving of Chicken McNuggets, a side item french fries, apple slices, or a salad in some areas, and a drink milk, juice, or a soft drink. The Happy Meal is one of those amazing all-American food inventions. In time, Cinderella, Simba, the 101 Dalmatians, Aladdin, Nemo and of course Mickey Mouse all made their appearances in the Happy Meal. Classic Disney Movies Made an Appearance. In 1997, McDonald's began handing out Teenie Beanie Babies in its Happy Meal and soon found lines of people out the door hoping to get their hands on the collectible. Since then, Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, Aladdin, Simba, Nemo and all 101 dalmatians have made appearances. For generations, the McDonald's Happy Meal was a little burger, small fries and a little soda, plus a little toy. The Happy Meal® App is now based on the principles of epistemic play, a theory that children learn best when they’re engaged in experiences that let them behave like real professionals. At that time, the company began including apple slices in every kids’ meal. Television ads enticed parents to bring their kids into their local McDonald's to get a kids' meal with a special "Star Trek prize.". Since then, the children's meal and toys have become a staple for the giant fast-food brand. Find answers now! This meant ditching cheeseburgers and chocolate milk from the kids' menu. Some restaurants offer burgers without fries and a drink. The Happy Meal has come a long way. This first iteration of the Happy Meal was the Circus Wagon box, which came with either a cheeseburger or hamburger as well as fries, cookies, a drink and a toy. So, when McDonald's hopped on the Ty's Beanie Baby trend in the '90s, it was no surprise its customers reacted with such fervor. The idea was inspired by a child eating and reading at the breakfast table The Happy Meal has seen incredible success since its promotional inception. They’re not “off-the-shelf” toys made by anyone else. Instead, it's often the trinkets inside that have gained the most notoriety. These changes led Disney to rekindle its relationship with McDonald's in February, more than a decade after it severed ties with the burger brand. However, those toys got an upgrade over the years due to several strategic partnerships. Ask anyone who grew up eating McDonald's and they can instantly tell you what the most coveted Happy Meal toy of their generation was. Then, advocacy groups asked for changes so … 1982: McRib Sandwich It didn't have the famous "Mc" in front of it, but it really should have been called the McTickle — that way, McDonald's would have the rights to the name, instead of whoever coined the term on Urban Dictionary. Offering up beloved characters from the House of Mouse and already popular toy properties was a way to lure in families multiple times over the course of the limited release of a themed meal. McDonald’s had been making significant changes to the Happy Meal since 2012, before the partnership, as well. From Feb. 2 through 15, the prize inside of Happy Meals will be a book, according to media rep for McDonald's. Here's a look at how McDonald's Happy Meals have evolved since 1979: The classic kids' meal started as a gimmick, a way to lure in parents with small children for an easy-to-order lunch or dinner. Early on the toys included in the Happy Meal were little trinkets — stencils, puzzle locks and spinning tops. Not long after the Teenie Beanie Babies craze, McDonald's found itself at the center of a growing debate. Cookies were swapped out for apple slices. Which is why the big burger chain has been so quick to reshape its Happy Meals in recent years to address concerns about the company’s impact on childhood health. No. They were also in high demand by parents who didn’t want kids “picking” at their own fries. Consequence of Sound writes that it was designed to "help parents feed their children with less fuss." In 1987, McDonald’s teamed up with Disney in an epic partnership. The "Star Trek" meal was the first of McDonald's major film partnerships. Here’s why Happy Meal toys are safe: All Happy Meal toys are made exclusively for McDonald’s by McDonald’s own safety-approved suppliers. These restaurants cater to low-income people who enjoy fries and drinks but can’t always afford them. All Rights Reserved. Under the Act, burgers must be sold with fries and a drink. Chicken McNuggets were added a few years later as an alternative to red meat. The chain understands that kids love toys, … We're about to melt your mind again: The McDonald's Happy Meal is actually the creation of a Guatemalan woman, according to a report by Consequence of Sound. Food Added May 25th, 2019 by EZ 0 Share Report. Part of the change included items….with the inclusion of a small toy. The company that created the Hamburglar is stealing hearts. More recently, McDonald's revamped its selections so that they are now lower in calories, sodium, saturated fat and sugar. Emile Wamsteker | Bloomberg | Getty Images, Disney to rekindle its relationship with McDonald's, lower in calories, sodium, saturated fat and sugar. Eventually, Gogurt yogurt tubes would also become an option. This wasn't the first time McDonald's made major changes to its iconic Happy Meal. “Burgers by themselves are not a […] Happy Meals now included books, stickers and toys that featured popular Disney characters. But that wasn't always the case. ©2020 Group Nine Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. After an initial roll-out in Kansas City in 1977, the Happy Meal made its national debut two years later. McDonald's is the largest distributor of toys in the world. Wait, that originated in China?! The Golden Arches now offers selections that are lower in calories, sodium, saturated fat and sugar. McDonald's had already begun adding to its kids' meal offerings. Don’t miss these 16 recipes for people who really really love fries. As it turns out, the iconic boxed kid's meal was invented by another fast food chain, the now-defunct Burger Chef. Children have always been able to choo… McDonald’s introduces the Happy Meal. The first kids' meal, Funmeal, emerged at Burger Chef in 1973 and succeeded. McDonald’s introduced the Happy Meal in 1979, and Burger Chef unsuccessfully sued for appropriating the idea of the Fun Meal. The meal came with a hamburger, a small fries, and a small sundae in a bag. A Division of NBCUniversal. Yolanda Fernández de Cofiño—married to José María Cofiño, owner of all McDonald’s franchises in the country—created the “Menu Ronald” for children, which included a hamburger, small fries and a sundae. Their need to accumulate every iteration of their favorite show, movie or character has been and continues to be one of the strangest drivers of growth in the toy industry. In 2011, it began offering apple slices as an alternative to fries. We have been rigorously testing and re-testing our Happy Meal toys for decades. Over the years, McDonald's has worked to provide healthier options for kids by reducing calories, saturated fat, and sugar in Happy Meals. Smiley face is invented; annual licensing fees exceed $50 million by the decade’s end. Favorite this Trivia. A combination of rising childhood obesity rates and concern over calorie-laden children's meals at fast food restaurants led companies like Disney to part ways with the brand. In the mid-1970s, Yolanda Fernández de Cofiño began working with her husband operating McDonald's restaurants in Guatemala. Some fast food corporations considered youngsters their "most important" customers, owing to the success of the kids' meal. This move brought Disney back into the fold in February, just in time for the entertainment giant to promote the highly anticipated "Incredibles 2," which is due out in June. 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