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Michael Phelps Will Be the New Face of Subway

YumSugar — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:30:14 -0800

Move over, Jared. Subway's got a new guy in town, and his name is Michael Phelps. The mega-medal Olympian continues to score endorsements faster than his swimming records. He's now landed an exclusive fast food deal to represent Subway beginning early next year. As Phelps puts it:

Subway restaurants have always given me the options that I am looking for — whether that's healthy sandwiches before a big meet or the tasty meatball sub that I treat myself with. I was ready to take my Subway fandom to the next level — I really think of Subway as a champion food option.

The exclusive fast food deal has left many industry experts puzzled, considering the swimmer unabashedly campaigned for a relationship with McDonald's during the Summer games. But the announcement isn't the first surprise move by Phelps, who shocked everyone when he declined to appear on the cover of the Wheaties box — as many Olympic champions have done — in favor of endorsing Kellogg's Corn Flakes and Frosted Flakes. Do you think Phelps is an appropriate fit for Subway?

Source and Source

Burger King Goes High-End

YumSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:15:01 -0800

Number two fast food chain Burger King has been testing a new line of premium items. This includes ribs and thicker burgers, made with grills, batch broilers, and other costly new kitchen equipment.

The fast food chain's decision to move in the direction of higher-price items comes at a time when the casual restaurant industry is struggling. National chains have seen declining sales across the board; Burger King is hoping to capitalize on the industry's market share.

CEO John Chidsey said he wouldn't elaborate further "because some things are still under wraps," but the chain's gourmet menu items could be advertised as soon as next Summer.

Still, Burger King has no plans to lose its value menu. "We work the value for the money equation on both ends of our menu," said Russ Klein, Burger King's president of global strategy.

Does Burger King's new strategy surprise you? Do you think the corporation will manage to draw business away from the casual restaurant business?

Source

Subway Introduces Flatbread Sandwiches

YumSugar — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:30:00 -0800

Today Subway has announced that, beginning next Monday, it will offer flatbread as an option for any of its existing sandwiches, and will also introduce two new sandwiches, Chicken Florentine and a Steak & Bacon Melt, made with flatbread.

In a departure from Subway's signature fresh-baked bread philosophy, the flatbread dough will be baked off premises, then supplied to Subway franchises and finished off in on-site ovens.

With this launch, Subway is attempting to make headway in a tight market that includes other chains such as Dunkin' Donuts and Quiznos, which both already carry flatbread sandwiches. Do you think Subway's new product will take off?

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Do or Don't: Bringing Outside Food/Drink Into a Restaurant

YumSugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:30:07 -0800

Last week, New York Times critic Frank Bruni broached the question of whether it's kosher to bring outside food or drink into restaurants. I've noticed at some places — most recently at a popular neighborhood coffeehouse — that a growing number of establishments have barred customers from bringing items (such as water) inside. Bruni cited an example of a friend getting turned away from brunch at a New York diner for arriving with a Starbucks coffee in hand, and argued in favor of the establishment. "It strikes me as a measure of disrespect," he writes. What are your thoughts on the issue? Is Bruni being too extreme when he calls it disrespectful behavior?

Do or Don't: Bringing Outside Food/Drink Into a Restaurant

Do. Everyone does it at the movies, so why not?

Don't. I'd never bring food into a restaurant that was from some other establishment.

It depends on where you're going and what you're bringing.

Other — see my comments below.

For Red Mango and Pinkberry, It's Pomegranate War

YumSugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:15:01 -0800

Last Thursday, frozen yogurt chain Red Mango announced that it would be partnering with pomegranate juice pioneer, POM Wonderful, to debut its first new flavor, Pomegranate by POM Wonderful.

But someone else had the same idea: Red Mango's biggest rival, cult favorite Pinkberry. New York magazine's food blog first reported that the rival chain's pomegranate flavor is slated to hit stores Nov. 21, one week after Red Mango's, and a Pinkberry rep confirmed with us the release of the new flavor.

This pomegranate battle isn't the first time that Pinkberry and Red Mango have gone head to head, and it certainly won't be the last. While the two chains may not be thrilled with the news, I'll be excited to conduct a taste-off. Will you do the same?

Source, Source, and Source

Gordon Ramsay's Company Voted Top Chain

YumSugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:00:00 -0800

A recent UK poll indicates that Gordon Ramsay Holdings is the most admired restaurant brand in Great Britain. The restaurant group of the famed chef and TV personality Gordon Ramsay topped the list of restaurant chain operators in a survey by consulting firm Allegra Strategies, beating McDonald's, which ranked number three, by two spots.

Ramsay owns 11 restaurants in the UK alone, plus three pubs, as well dining spots in New York, Los Angeles, Prague, Versailles, Dubai, and Tokyo, among others.

I must admit that I wonder how Gordon Ramsay can keep it together with so many ventures on his plate. I also have to question how the upscale dining mogul's company can be put in the same category as a fast-food chain like McDonald's. Given how many dining brands he has to manage, do you think Ramsay's reputation for excellence is well deserved?

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Red Lobster Adding Wood Grills in Attempt to Revive Sales

YumSugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:00:35 -0800

Darden Restaurants announced that beginning next week, it will install wood-fired grills in all 680 Red Lobster restaurants.

The company has been testing the wood-grilled menu for over a year, and will train 3,500 employees on the grills. New items will be going on the menu, such as wood-grilled lobster, wood-grilled sirloin and shrimp, and wood-grilled fish. According to the chain's president, Kim Lopdrup:

This is the most comprehensive culinary and menu change in Red Lobster's history. Wood-fired grilling introduces our guests to a whole new way to enjoy seafood.

Red Lobster's announcement to add these costly new grills comes at a time when the casual restaurant chain industry has stumbled. Chains such as Bennigan's, Steak & Ale, Ponderosa, and Bonanza have all filed for bankruptcy protection in the past year. Do the wood-grilled menu items sound appetizing to you, and will they be enough to turn Red Lobster around?

Source

Man Arrested For Sharing His Buffet Plate

YumSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:00:04 -0700

Lately, it seems like people are willing to do anything — including serve jail time — over food. Earlier this month, a Florida man was arrested for trying to pay for his McDonald's meal with pot. This week, two cooks were put behind bars for intentionally contaminating a police chief's food. Now, a man has been arrested for letting his girlfriend eat off his buffet plate while refusing to pay for two meals.
On Oct. 21, Dan Linscomb and his girlfriend dined at the Iron Skillet restaurant in Atlanta. While he admitted in a police report that his girlfriend "ate a couple bites from his plate," Linscomb defended his position, saying, "there were no signs in the restaurant that said someone could not have some food off your plate." The restaurant staff called local police, who arrested Linscomb on theft. Two days later, he was released after pleading guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct.

In today's tough times, should restaurants charge both parties regardless of how much they eat, or do establishments need to go easy on customers like Linscomb, who may simply be trying to scrape by? Have you ever eaten "two-for-one" at a buffet before?

Source

Cooks Arrested For Tainting Food

YumSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 03:00:52 -0700

Two short order cooks were put behind bars yesterday for intentionally contaminating food.

Jaime Perez and James Ledesma of Andy's Landing restaurant in Burnet, TX, were arrested on felony counts of tampering with a consumer product. According to a former co-worker, Perez put bodily secretions into Burnet Police Chief Paul Nelson's food. Allegations include spit, nose blowing, and wiping of hamburger buns on the cook's backside.

Apparently, previous run-ins with the law left Perez with ill will toward the police chief. The second cook, Ledesma, was around to witness the food contamination but failed to stop it or report it. If both are convicted, each could face up to 20 years in prison.

The police chief's food isn't the only item to be tainted — the restaurant will likely be left with a tarnished reputation as well. I'm revolted by the details, and saddened for the restaurant. The story also leaves me wondering how often "special ingredients" are added to diners' food. Do you worry about the same thing?

Source

Do or Don't: Putting Your Napkin on the Plate?

partysugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:00:00 -0700

Yesterday DearSugar and I got into a debate about what you should do with your napkin when finished eating a meal. She said it was tacky and rude to put your napkin on the plate, but I told her I've done it before. What do you think? Is it bad manners to put your napkin on the plate when finished eating? Source

Do or Don't: Putting Your Napkin on the Plate?

Yes. DearSugar is right: it's tacky and rude.

No. If everyone is finished with the meal it's perfectly acceptable.

It depends on the restaurant and the people you're dining with.

Other — I'll share my opinions below.