Ah, Burger Chef – a burger chain synonymous with ‘Happy Meals’ and murder. Did you know they did Happy Meals before McDonalds? It’s true! BC called them ‘Funmeals’ and they were the first fast food restaurant to offer Star Wars-related toys in kids meals. For today’s Sci-Friday we get to see what a Star Wars Funmeal looked like in 1978 – take a look:
But wait, there’s more! In 1972, BC introduced the Funburger, a hamburger with packaging that included puzzles and a small toy. A year later, they introduced the Funmeal, the first kid’s meal that included a burger, french fries, a drink, a cookie, and a small toy; with expanded packaging that included stories about Burger Chef and Jeff’s adventures and friends.
Why would scifi care about Funmeals or happy meals? Because they’re part of merchandising, which is one of the biggest sources of money for any scifi franchise (looking at you, Star Wars, Hunger Games, and Jurassic Park).
