American Fast Food Legends are Dropping Like Flies

This morning came news that Herb Peterson, the inventor of the Egg McMuffin, passed away at the age of 89.

This rather innocuous news would normally have failed to elicit even a passing glance from me. However, I’ve often heard people remark that bad news, or celebrity deaths in particular, come in threes. Mr. Peterson’s death represents not death number 3, but death number 4 on the list of fast food legends who have passed away in 2008. So what exactly is going on?

Earlier this week, Tabloid Baby asked, Who is killing America’s fast food founders? noting that in each of the months of January, February & March of 2008, the founder of a famous fast food chain passed away.

Carl Karcher, founder of Carl’s Jr., died in January at the age of 90. Lovie Yancey died in February at the age of 96. Then, on March 23rd, Al Copeland, founder of Popeye’s Chicken & Biscuits died at the age of 64.

One interesting observation, other than the founder of Popeye’s, who died at 64, the other three individuals lived to the ripe old ages of 89, 90 and 96. Wow. Perhaps there is a health secret to fast food burgers and Egg McMuffins that we are unware of?

So has the death of McMuffin creator Herb Peterson kicked off the start of another round of three? Who will be the next to go? Should the founders of American fast food chains spend the next two months living in fear? Or is this all just an eerie coincidence?