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A Day in the Life of Zach Calkins, Quiznos Innovator

YumSugar — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:21:48 PDT

Zach Calkins is Senior Vice President of Culinary Innovation at sandwich chain Quiznos, where he tracks food trends and develops new products for the sandwich market. Here's what he did on Monday, July 18.

6:30 a.m.: I got up, made a latte, and let Hazy, my labrador, out. I started thinking about the day, what I had to get done. I fed Hazy, and was out the door by 7:30, heading downtown to the corporate office on my bike.

7:45 a.m.: It was a big product showing day in the office: I had to present to the team what we're going to be doing for September and October, based on consumer research and studies we'd conducted online.

If we're going to bring in a new product, our vendors need eight weeks to get everything made and into our 2,600 stores. Yesterday was the drop dead date. I finalized my recipes and the prep list for my team to get ready.

Keep reading to learn about the new menu items Zach's been creating for Quiznos.

Do You Order Seafood From Fast Food Restaurants?

Susannah Chen — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 03:50:30 PDT

First there was the Lobster & Seafood Chopped Salad Sub at Quiznos. Then came Taco Bell's Pacific Shrimp, and now Wendy's has its own version of a fish fillet sandwich. Three's a trend, and we've officially called it for seafood in fast food and fast-casual establishments.

Seafood's never been as popular the in world of fast food as, say, a burger or fried chicken items. Presumably, this is because the taste of seafood never lies when the stuff is anything short of fresh. Yet call me crazy, because I've always sort of secretly liked the McDonald's Filet-O-Fish, and the new seafood sandwich at Quiznos really surprised me in a good way. What's your take?

Taste Test: Quiznos New Sandwiches

Susannah Chen — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 04:50:49 PST

After spending quite some time trying out Quiznos's core menu a few months ago, I'd learned a thing or two about the Denver-based company and how it thinks outside the bun in its attempt to bring the latest sandwich trends to market. So I wasn't at all surprised to spot a bevy of brand-new submarines on the Quiznos menu, ranging from healthy to hearty. Here at Sugar headquarters, we got a chance to try them out. Here's what we thought.

Subs & Suds: Menu Faves and Malts at a Quiznos Beer Dinner

Susannah Chen — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 05:50:51 PDT

How does a nationwide sandwich chain like Quiznos distinguish itself from competitors such as Subway? Well, one way is to throw a five-course pairing dinner with local beers. Announcing an event of the sort may have sounded far-fetched, but it sure seemed to whet every media outlet's appetite for curiosity and made plenty of headlines in the food world for thinking outside of the box. But it was at the dinner itself that Quiznos was able to shock and awe by demonstrating how much it thinks outside of the bun with its food as well.

What's Cooking at Slashfood

partysugar — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 04:00:51 PST

We love Slashfood so much that every Thursday we round up their most delicious stories. Here are this week's finds:

The secret to making super aromatic tea is ginger.
Tips for pairing wine with Winter fruits.
The FDA is investigating the fake "unfaithful" Tiger Woods Gatorade campagin.
A stray pig was found at a Quiznos drive-thru window.
Anthony Bourdain discusses the new season of No Reservations.
A cheese recall has hit the national markets.

Flashback: Quiznos Sub Ads

GiggleSugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 07:00:00 PST

What is it with rats as mascots for restaurant/fast food chains? At least this Quiznos rat is vaguely cute, in a creepy way. The Chuck E. Cheese rat is just creepy. Also, "Mmm, toasty" is a fantastic tagline. Makes me want to run to the kitchen and toast something, anything.

Free Food Alert: Tacos at Jack in the Box, Sub at Quizno's

YumSugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:30:11 PST

Jack in the Box really wants your support: The fast-food chain's latest campaign features its fictitious CEO "Jack Box" comatose after being struck by a bus. Last week, it asked fans to "show support for Jack" with a coupon for free curly fries. Now, it's asking diners to do the same with a coupon for two free tacos, good today only. To score two free tacos, simply bring in this coupon.

Possibly piggybacking on the success of Jack in the Box, sandwich chain Quizno's is also offering free fare with its Million Sub Giveaway. To land a free toasted sub, simply register on the company's website. I may very well be headed to Quizno's for lunch. What about you - will you hit up these offers?

Source and Source

Quiznos vs. Subway: Which Should You Order?

FitSugar — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:00:00 PST

When it comes to eating a sammie, where should you go? Subway and Quiznos seem like they are equal footing in popularity, but what about calories? Take this quiz and see if your palate agrees with your desire to cut calories.

Take the Quiz

In Praise of the Cubano

Susannah Chen — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:30:15 PDT

I've had plenty of Cuban sandwiches in my lifetime, made by everyone from local San Francisco cafés to national chains like Quiznos. But until last week, I'd never had an authentic Cubano sandwich as it's served at a typical lonchería in Miami.

What makes a real Cuban sandwich? Why, it's not just the slow-cooked pork, but also the bread. An authentic version of a storied sandwich is made from heavily-buttered pan Cubano, an elusive long, rectangular bread that tends to be flaky and crisp on the outside, and tender and moist on the inside. In between goes sliced ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, and dill pickles, and the whole thing is warmed on the press, or plancha, where it's heated until the exterior's toasty and the interior steamy.

The variation I tried was made to order at David's Café, and it was so many things all at once: crispy, juicy, creamy, soft. I'd never eaten anything quite like it and decided that my pairing of the meal with a Dominican Presidente beer couldn't have been more spot-on. Have you ever had a real Cuban sandwich?

Meet America's Fastest-Growing Restaurant Chains

YumSugar — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 03:07:43 PDT

The economic recession may not sound like the best time for burgeoning enterprises to expand, but a few restaurant chains actually expanded a shocking amount in the year 2010.

Among them? In-N-Out competitor Five Guys, BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse, known for, among other things, its decadent Pizookie cookie; Jimmy John's, which is stacking up to be a fine competitor to Quiznos and Subway; and Chipotle, the burrito behemoth that also has a new Asian concept in the works.

Slashfood got its hands on Technomic's top restaurants and their sales over the past year. To find out more - including which chain takes the title of fastest-growing restaurant - read the full story at Slashfood.

Source: Flickr User Steve Snodgrass