國內西式快餐的價格一直受大眾矚目。在我國，西式快餐巨頭們以強大廣告效應以及龐大連鎖經營維持著連外國人都驚訝的價格體系。最近，不少以低價作為核心競爭力的西式快餐連鎖店紛紛搶灘深圳，它們通過口碑作為傳播手段，已經初步建立起忠實客戶群。有資深人士預測，未來三年將有更多的國際餐飲集團將進入內地，它們已經瞄準國內中低端消費人群，國內西式快餐格局將面臨調整的壓力，最后可能會形成“諸侯割據”局面。

I used to scoff at the idea of Minute Rice. I mean, are we really in such a rush that we can’t wait, like, 10 minutes for a regular old bowl of rice? Well, yes, yes we are. And fast food may be making matters worse. Because a study in the journal Psychological Science shows that even a glimpse of those golden arches makes us act impatiently.

Fast food is a multibillion-dollar industry, and for some of us, drive-through dinner has become a way of life. Granted, sometimes we grab something quick because we really don’t have time. But psychologists got to wondering whether all this speed eating might actually make us less patient.

In a series of experiments, the scientists howed volunteers logos from several fast-food chains or asked them to recall the last time they’d visited. And they found that folks who had thought about fast food would then read faster, even though no one told them to hurry. And they also expressed a preference for time-saving products, like shampoo plus conditioner. And they tended to opt for immediate rewards, like getting a small cash payment right away rather than waiting a week for a larger sum. So if you want to ease the pace, forget meditation. Try a slow cooker.