YumSugar

All You Can Eat - Recession Buster or Fat Maker?

FitSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:00:15 -0700

Taybarns restaurant is introducing a new dining concept to the English - all you can eat. It's nothing we haven't seen in the United States. We have all-you-can-eat baked potato and pizza bars, endless breadsticks and salad, and the kind of buffets that would make Elvis weep if he was still kickin' it in Vegas.

The Taybarns message is clear: "Enjoy as much as you like, as many times as you like. All for one fixed price!" That fixed price gives you a 111-foot counter filled with pizza, Chinese food, carving stations, fry stations, desserts, and more. The English are going crazy for the buffet-style chain, and while neighboring restaurants continue to close, Taybarns is on the up.

During tough economic times, giving people the most bang for their buck seems like a smart business model, but at what cost? As reported by the BBC, not everyone likes Taybarns. They think the chain encourages unhealthy eating habits and will cause England's collective waistline to expand.

It's a common argument, and one that's been batting around in the US for some time. Is it the fault of (insert any fast food giant here), or does the responsibility fall on the individual? Does walking into Taybarns rob a human of their free will, and why isn't healthy food more accessible to the masses?

KFC Braves Another Grilled Chicken Giveaway

YumSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:50:23 -0700

Now that KFC's finally named a winner in its search for the right grilled chicken spokesperson, the chain is ready for yet another Kentucky Grilled Chicken giveaway. Declaring next Monday, Oct. 26 "UNFry Day," KFC will be handing out one free piece of grilled chicken to customers at more than 5,000 restaurants across the US.

The fast food company's last grilled chicken giveaway, which was backed by none other than Oprah Winfrey, caused quite a stir when KFC, faced with overwhelming demand, was forced to issue an apology and staggered rainchecks to customers who were turned away.

Considering what happened during the last giveaway, I'm not sure I'm ready to show up for this one. Did you have a bad experience with the last promotion? Would you be willing give KFC another try?

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Burger King Gets a Makeover

YumSugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:15:47 -0700

While one fast food chain is temporarily closing stores, another has begun remodeling them. Hoping a facelift will invigorate sales, Burger King announced a major effort to redesign its 12,000 worldwide locations.

Burger King is betting that rotating red flame chandeliers, LCD menus, and corrugated metal and brick walls will encourage customers to sit down and enjoy a meal rather than simply passing through.According to Chairman and CEO John Chidsey, who describes the overhaul as "contemporary, edgy, futuristic . . . like an upscale restaurant," the 60 outlets that have already been revamped have generated 12 to 15 percent more sales.

The "20/20" design transformation, as it's called, is a huge risk for Burger King. The overhaul will take several years to complete worldwide, and will cost franchisees a whopping $300,000 to $600,000 per restaurant. Check out new store pictures. Could a redesign coax you into buying more BK?

KFC Closing Stores For a Good Cause

YumSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:00:36 -0700

Is KFC trying to make amends for the Double Down, its infamous sandwich made with chicken patties instead of bread? The chicken chain is taking a break from inventing indulgent new foods to fight hunger, starting next Tuesday. Over the next few weeks, KFC will temporarily close more than 15,000 locations during the lunch rush and convert them into "World Hunger Relief Kitchens."

The kitchens will serve free grilled chicken meals to needy families while also raising awareness with charitable food drives and car washes at the shuttered stores. Fighting hunger is a pet cause of parent company Yum Brands, which launched a World Hunger Relief fund in 2007. Though there is some irony to KFC giving away free grilled chicken while it's being sued for grilled chicken, I can definitely get behind this good cause.

What do you think about the store closings: publicity stunt or sincere do-gooding?

From Bad to Worse: The Unhealthiest Fast Food Items

FitSugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:00:04 -0700

In case you're wondering what not to eat at the major fast food chains, Next Generation Food has made it easy for you with this handy new chart. It's a colorful reminder of what we already know: fast food is not very good for you. However, the figures are still unsettling.

The chart illustrates the bad (Dunkin' Donuts) to the worse (Pizza Hut) and stacks them up against each other in fat, sodium, cholesterol, and calorie content. Here's a small sampling of what you'll see.

An Angry Triple Whopper from Burger King has a whopping 90 grams of fat.
A Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks contains 500 calories.
A Super Sonic Cheeseburger has 175 mg of cholesterol
A 14-inch Supreme Stuffed Crust Pizza from Pizza Hut has 4,500 mg of sodium

If you can't avoid eating fast food, try these healthier options instead.

Subway Poised to Surpass McDonald's in Locations

YumSugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:35:03 -0700

Could Subway be the world's new McDonald's? It sure looks that way. In the next few months, it will become the world's largest food chain. Although McDonald's has a total of 32,158 eateries worldwide, it has largely curtailed expansion efforts, preferring to hone in on existing store sales. Subway, on the other hand, has been multiplying exponentially, with outposts in China, Qatar, India, and France. This week, it's expected to exceed 31,800 total stores. At a time when restaurants and fast-food establishments are struggling, Subway turned a profit in the last year with its its $5 foot-long sandwich promotion. Yet in overall sales, McDonald's remains untouched. According to industry experts, the average US McDonald's generates $2.3 million in sales, compared to $445,000 for Subway. I'm surprised - I had no idea that Subway was so ubiquitous in other parts of the world. What about you? Would you rather patronize a Subway or a McDonald's?

Source: Flickr User zyphbear

Yummy Links: From Nirvino's Wine App to Eater's Expansion

partysugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 07:50:56 -0700

Introducing the newest must-have wine application for your iPhone. - Nirvino
Fabio Viviani's cookbook by the numbers. - Eat Me Daily
Here are 21 tasty bar snack recipes. - Chow
Everything you need to know about buying sustainable seafood. - Sunset
Eight common fast foods you should avoid. - SF Weekly
Michael Pollan's next mission: reform health care. - Grub Street
The real reason Hector was kicked off of Top Chef? His thermometer didn't work.- The Feedbag
Is it OK to serve pesto at a dinner party? - The Epi-Log
This lavender honey spice cake is seriously Italian. - Serious Eats
Eater is expanding and looking for bloggers/photographers in a city near you. - Eater

Chick-Fil-A Shows Spirit With Chicken Sandwich Giveaway

YumSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:50:10 -0700

Yet another reason to love Labor Day? Free food. To commemorate its second annual Chick-fil-A Kickoff football game, which takes place Sept. 5, fast food chain Chick-fil-A is giving out free Original Chicken Sandwiches to any customer wearing sports-related apparel on Labor Day, Sept. 7, from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The promo, which takes place at Chick-fil-A locations nationwide, states that acceptable sports clothing includes any article or accessory with a sports team logo. Not a sports fan? There's still a way for you to score: Go to this spinoff website and sign up to receive a coupon for a free sandwich. If you're one of the first 250,000, you'll also land a coupon for a free Coke Zero.

I no longer live near a Chick-fil-A, but if I were nearby, I'd definitely be in for one of the chain's signature crispy chicken sandwiches. What about you?

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Taste Test: Quizno's Toasty Bullet Subs

YumSugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:30:07 -0700

It's a well documented fact that I'm a fiend for sandwiches; likewise, PartySugar loves them, especially warm, toasty paninis. Naturally, when Quizno's launched its new Toasty Bullets, it wasn't long before we went to our neighborhood outpost to check them out.

Customers can get a Toasty Bullet in five different flavors: Italian, Big Kahuna Tuna, Pesto Turkey, Turkey Club, and Beef, Bacon & Cheddar. The snack-sized sandwiches are about eight inches long and two inches wide, cost a dollar or two less than the average Quizno's sandwich, and come in a nifty paper pocket to assist with easy, on-the-go eating. Did any of these stun us with their bold flavors - or should you be dodging these bullets? Find out after the jump

Taco Bell's New Focus: Drinks, Premium Food, and Breakfast

YumSugar — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:00:44 -0700

Turns out McDonald's and Burger King won't be the only fast food chains focusing on premium products. So will Taco Bell.

On Tuesday, Yum Brands Inc., which operates Taco Bell, held an investor meeting and announced dramatic plans to shake up the menu at the Tex-Mex chain. Among other things, the game plan includes zeroing in on premium foods, highlighting healthy options, and testing a new line of breakfast offerings.

This year the company launched a nine-item Fresco menu, filled with healthier alternatives that have less than 9 grams of fat, that will be the focus of a "Drive-Thru Diet" campaign in January. It also has plans to extend its selection of beverages, based on the current success of its Frutista Freeze drinks. On top of everything else, the corporation is about to enter early market testing on a breakfast menu, slated to launch in 2012, that'll feature cobranded foods from brands like Seattle's Best, Cinnabon, and Jimmy Dean.

Do you think the fast food corporation's marketing tactics will bring in more diners? Have you sampled anything from Taco Bell's new menu? If not, would you be willing to give it a try?

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