Fast food is food that can be prepared and served very quickly. Stereotypical restaurant fast food is cooked in bulk and in advance and kept warm, or reheated to order. Fast food can also include TV dinners and other foods that can be cooked easily by the consumer, and food from restaurants that cook their food to order but specialize in doing so quickly.
Many fast-food restaurants, (also known as "Quick Service Restaurants" or QSR) are part of restaurant chains or franchise operations, and standardized foodstuffs are shipped to each restaurant from central locations citation needed]. There are also simpler fast-food outlets, such as stands or kiosks, which may or may not provide shelter or chairs for customers. citation needed]
Because the capital requirements to start a fast-food restaurant are relatively small, particularly in areas with non-existent or poorly enforced health codes, small individually-owned fast-food restaurants have become common throughout the world. Restaurants such as Culver's, Noodles, Ivar's, Skippers, and in-store grocery delis where the customer's can sit down and have their food orders brought to them, are considered fast food and Fast casual restaurants.