Fast Food Secrets You Never Knew
By: Becky Bracken
Published: May 23, 2011

Smart Money has a great article "10 Things Fast Food Companies Won't Say" and the list goes well beyond calorie counts and labor practices. 
Did you know it's not quite so easy to start up your own fast food franchise? See the #5 thing they won't tell you, "Good Luck Opening a Franchise." Big, lucrative franchises can be worth millions, but to get in you've got to know somone at the company, already own another franchise or be related to someone. Sounds all too familiar, right? 
And have you ever wondered why you always get the same perky greeting when you visit your local drive-thru? Well, it might not just be good old fashioned hospitality, the smile actually makes you spend more. That's according to the #4 thing fast food companies won't tell you, "Our smiles make you spend." These fast food companies are big business and they make it their business to know what gets you to open your wallet, not just the car window. 
The whole list is worth reading and filled with little-known fast food factoids like the real price of soda and how good of a deal the "value combos" really are.