McDonald’s, Pizza Hut: Vintage photos of Melbourne's fast food chains

Reminisce about birthday parties at Glen Waverley Macca’s and soft serves at Ferntree Gully Pizza Hut with these great photos.

With Hungry Jack’s turning 50, we’re taking a look back at the early days of Australia’s fast food restaurants.

From having a birthday party at McDonald’s to the all you-can-eat buffet and dessert bar at Pizza Hut, check out these great photos from the early days of our fast food chains.

MCDONALD’S

McDonald's Glen Waverley in the 1980s.

Glen Waverley is home to Victoria's first McDonald's restaurant, which opened on September 12, 1973, at the corner of High St and Springvale Rd.

The store had a huge modern makeover in 2016, but many customers still have fond memories of visiting the original restaurant, which even had outdoor tables and umbrellas, offering an al fresco dining experience.

The restaurant in 1973. Picture: Darryl Cardona

On Monash Leader’s Facebook page, customers even remembered being able to have a smoke and using McDonald’s own ashtrays.

Many children also have fond memories of collecting toys from the restaurant’s Happy Meals, including the iconic Muppet Babies, as well as drinking glasses featuring McDonald’s characters.

The popular Muppet Babies.

McDonald’s opened its first Australian restaurant in Sydney in 1971, and there are now more than 970 outlets across the country.

Customers eating at first McDonald's restaurant in Australia, at Yagoona in Sydney, in 1975.

Melbourne’s coolest McDonald’s building is perhaps in Clifton Hill, inside an art deco building on Queen’s Parade.

The art deco McDonald's in Clifton Hill.

Although black coffee used to be served out of a pot at Macca’s, with seniors getting free refills, caffeine lovers rejoiced when the world’s first McCafé opened in Melbourne in 1993.

But not everyone is always happy to welcome the Golden Arches to town, with a huge bunfight over the fast food giant’s plans to open in the Dandenong Ranges.

PIZZA HUT

Ferntree Gully Pizza Hut in the 1970s. Picture: Old Shops Australia

There was nothing better than being a kid in the 90s and tucking in to the all-you-can eat buffet at Pizza Hut.

Although now mainly a takeaway service, many of the distinctive Pizza Hut buildings remain around Melbourne, including the Ferntree Gully store on Burwood Highway, which is now a pool shop.

On Knox Leader’s Facebook page, many former customers had fond memories of the restaurant.

“Wow blast from the past. Had a birthday party there and attended many more. If only things were like they were back then,” Brett Pritchard said.

“We went there as kids all the time, that and the Croydon one, $5 all you can eat … loved it,”

Julian Fernandez said

“(I remember) the salad bar, gingerbread man, (and) piping hot pizzas served fresh at the table,” Ngaire Mackay said.

Others also remembered collecting soft plastic dinosaur toys from The Land Before Time movies with their meals.

Pizza Hut memories: The Land Before Time toys were a huge hit. Picture: Luke James

Dianne Swan said: “Boyfriend and I thought we were so posh going there for dinner in 1976. “We always ordered a 1/2 carafe of Moselle, garlic bread, seafood cocktail and pizza with the lot.

“It was table service then, none of this all you can eat rubbish.

“Boyfriend became my husband and we still reminisce about our dates at Pizza Hut.”

Others remembered jugs of red soft drink, the dessert bar and “the best ice cream soft serve machine in history”.

RED ROOSTER

Australia’s first Red Rooster store.

“Australia, your chicken is ready.” Do you remember the catchy jingle from the 1980s spruiking the roast chicken restaurant? Written by Mike McClellan, “Australia, your chicken is ready, red red ready Red Rooster,” became a successful advertising campaign for the company.

The Kailis family opened the first Red Rooster store in Western Australia in 1972, before the company expanded into the eastern states in the early 1990s.

In 1992, you could feed the whole family with a whole chicken, chips, gravy and peas for $10.

KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN

An Australian Kentucky Fried Chicken store in 1993.

Australia’s first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant opened in Sydney in 1968, with more than 600 outlets now operating around the country.

Harland Sanders, later known as Colonel Sanders, started the business in the US state of Kentucky, serving up Southern fried chicken, before developing his fried chicken seasoning recipe featuring 11 herbs and spices.

A Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Melbourne in 1984.

The KFC Twitter account famously only follows the five Spice Girls and six men that have the first name “Herb” – 11 herbs and spices.

The Australian 50th - 1974

HUNGRY JACK’S

The interior of the first Hungry Jack's restaurant.

The home of the flame grilled Whopper is celebrating its 50th birthday this year.

Known for its famous marketing catchcry “The burgers are better at Hungry Jack’s,” the chain began with a single restaurant in the Perth suburb of Innaloo and has grown to have more than 440 stores across the country.

Hungry Jack’s opened its first restaurant in Victoria in 1986.

The much-loved Yumbo burger, a nostalgic 1970s favourite with ham and cheese served on a sesame seed bun, has made a comeback to mark the company’s 50th birthday.

This month, Hungry Jack’s is opening its latest restaurant in Taylors Hill in Melbourne’s northwest.