YumSugar

Yummy Links: From Papa John's to The Cheesecake Factory

YumSugar — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 11:02:24 PST

Papa John's promises free pies if the Super Bowl goes into overtime. - Eater
Ferran Adrià's latest cookbook focuses on approachable family meals. - Grub Street NY
Trendspotting: Ash on food. - Chow
Why one Michelin three-starred restaurant deserves zero stars. - Inside Scoop SF
Momofuku mastermind David Chang plans to release a quarterly iPad app and print journal. - Diner's Journal
Is barley wine really wine? - Serious Eats
Ham and linguine casserole is comfort food fit for a crowd. - The Kitchn
The Cheesecake Factory makes its Middle Eastern debut. - Nation's Restaurant News

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Yummy Links: From a Novice Thanksgiving to Google's Thanksgiving

YumSugar — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 11:50:00 PST

Thanksgiving: a guide for beginners. - Chow
Whatever, Domino's! Papa John's one-ups with a double bacon, six cheese pizza. - Eater
Top Chef: Just Dessert's Yigit Pura will open a dessert shop in San Francisco. - Grub Street SF
How to make your turkey day feast diabetic-friendly. - Serious Eats
Must-make: crackly caramelized doughnuts. - Salon Food
With Red Delicious apples occupying 40 percent of the market, heirloom apples are a dying breed. - The Atlantic Food
Ina Garten's Thanksgiving recipes from Google. - Google

For Papa John's, Camaro Search Ends on a Sour Note

YumSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 09:00:45 PDT

This Summer's turned out to be quite the roller coaster ride for Papa John's founder John Schnatter. First, he and the pizza chain held a contest to locate his 1971 Camaro, the car he sold to finance his first pizza joint 25 years ago.

In what seemed like a fairy tale, Schnatter reunited with his long lost Camaro in Flatwoods, KY. But here's where the story turns sour: Papa John's is now suing one Kentucky couple, Phillip and Billie Slone, who believe they deserve the $250,000 search prize.According to the Slones, they first alerted Papa John's to the vehicle's whereabouts. Papa John's has fired back, accusing the Slones of fraud. The chain claims that after it informed Billie Slone that she didn't qualify for the prize without the vehicle's title, she contacted the titleholder, Jeff Robinson, and told him she knew a man who would pay for his Camaro.

Although Papa John's offered the Slones $25,000 for the role they played in linking Robinson to the pizza chain, Billie Slone has accused the company of amending winning guidelines after the contest was under way. I'm saddened to see a monetary prize spoil such a fun competition. Who is at fault: Papa John's or the Slones?

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Papa John Called - He Wants His '71 Camaro Back

YumSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:30:32 PDT

In 1984, John Schnatter, founder, chairman, and former CEO of Papa John's, sold his cherished 1971 Z28 Camaro to buy $1,600 worth of restaurant equipment to open a pizza joint. Now that he's got a worldwide empire under his belt, Schnatter has set out on a cross-country mission to find his original Camaro. He's even offering $25,000 to the person who reunites him with his long-lost ride.

Papa John has already hit up Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, and Louisville on his road trip, but so far, there's been no sign of the gold, double racing-striped Z28. Check out the publicity stunt, which has been documented at length on a promotional website, Papa's Road Trip.

I think the contest - which requires the winner to show written proof of John Schnatter as a past title owner - is wonderfully random and entertaining and I'll be checking up on it periodically. What do you think of the whole endeavor?

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Papa John's Founder Tells Customers Not to Overeat Pizza

partysugar — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 03:00:10 PST

Late last week, the founder of Papa John's pizza chain, John Schnatter, warned customers against eating too much pizza. The unexpected advice was given during an interview with BBC's Radio Four program in the UK. Schnatter got himself into trouble when he said:

Pizza's actually healthy for you if you don't eat too much of it. You can't eat five or six slices but if you eat one or two slices it's very nutritious.

The BBC presenter, Adam Shaw, was quick to respond pointing out that he's not sure Papa John's "investors would want to hear you [Schnatter] tell people don't eat too much of our pizzas." Although some may see this as a horrible slip, I think Schnatter is responsibly representing the everything-in-moderation diet. Perhaps, if the creator of Garden of Eatin' blue corn tortilla chips had warned Oprah not to eat an entire bag, she would not have gained the weight.

What do you think of his comment? Was it wrong for him to state the truth because it could negatively affect the sale of pizzas?

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Trend Alert: Foodies on Facebook

YumSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:15:08 PST

Foodies may be serious about eating, but apparently they're serious about computers: Fast-food chains, food companies, and food celebrities are raising their profiles on social-networking platform Facebook.

Last month, we mentioned that Pizza Hut was the first fast-food chain to launch a Facebook online ordering system, so die-hard users never have to leave the site to order dinner. And yesterday, number one fast-food chain McDonald's launched a Facebook fan site of its own to honor the 25th anniversary of its wildly popular Chicken McNuggets.

In a push to connect to its younger customers, pizza delivery Papa John's has launched a new promotion: Anyone who becomes a "fan" of the Papa John's page on Facebook will receive an online redemption code for a free medium pizza with any online order.

It isn't just fast-food chains who are promoting themselves on Facebook - other food industry insiders are following suit. Candy company Mars advertised its "Get Some Nuts" campaign for Snickers on Facebook, and rumors about Next Food Network Star finalist Lisa Garza spread after she changed her marital status on her Facebook page.

I'm surprised to learn that Facebook has become so important in the world of food. Have you been following the food and beverage industry there?

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Would You Text Your Pizza Order?

GeekSugar — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 16:00:45 PST

Popular pizza chain Papa John's has launched a text message ordering option at 2,700 US restaurants that allows customers to text their orders in to a local franchise. The company has been using an online ordering service since 2001 and claims web orders account for nearly 20 percent of its US sales.

Domino's Pizza has also started a system that allows hungry customers to place orders from web-enabled cell phones and PDAs. According to AP, the ordering system is available at about 3,000 Domino's locations and will spread to all of the chain's 5,100 restaurants next year.

I happen to be a pizza fanatic so I love the idea of having more than one way to order a hot slice, but I think I would worry if my order had gone through or not if it took a while to arrive.

5 Free iOS Apps For Finding Food Fast

GeekSugar — Thu, 19 May 2011 16:26:11 PDT

While typically I'm not a chain restaurant kind of girl, if the craving strikes, why not answer? Whether it's a burger, pizza, burrito, or just about anything else, there's an app that will get you well on your way to satisfying the urge. Here are five of my favorite examples.

Link Time: What's New in Fast Food

Susannah Chen — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:36:46 PST

McDonald's rolls out its first new product of the year, Chicken McBites . . . - FoodBeast
. . . and also ditches "pink slime" in favor of beef - Daily Mail
Burger King and Friendly's are experimenting with joint restaurants - HuffPost Food
Take a look at Taco Bell's new breakfast foods - Eater
The first-ever East Coast Starbucks shuts down - DCist
But that's OK, because Starbucks just had its most successful holiday season, ever - Bloomberg
Domino's, Papa John's, and Pizza Hut are all winging it for the Super Bowl - The Stir

Link Time: The Best (and Worst) Hot Chocolate

Susannah Chen — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:36:15 PST

The best (and worst) hot chocolate to buy - The Daily Meal
Inside the dark and deceptive world of truffles - HuffPost Food
Make light coconut milk your new best friend - Vegetarian Times
3 easy ways to cook with soy protein - Yahoo! Shine
Creative ideas for serving smoked salmon - Food Republic
Papa John's PR nightmare: a cashier calls one woman "lady chinky eyes" - Eatocracy
Donut Taco Palace I: Where New Year's resolutions go to die - BuzzFeed