As a foodservice industry journalist (my day job), I get invited to see the inner workings of a lot of great companies large and small. Last week I attended a press conference at Kentucky Fried Chicken’s Louisville headquarters to learn about its new Kentucky Grilled Chicken (KGC), a product the 14,000-store chain believes will transform […]

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Tastes great, less B.S.: A New York Times story shows how multiple restaurants are having fun with this year’s presidential race—and boosting business—by naming drinks and food items after candidates. From the story:
“At the Barney’s Beanery here, bartenders have assigned a brand of beer to each presidential candidate, inviting patrons to vote with their lips. […]

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Don’t know about you, fair reader, but I never thought much of Yum! Brands’ multibrand concept, the restaurants where, if so motivated, you could have a Long John Silver’s fish sandwich and helpin’ of the Colonel’s Original Recipe in the same spot. I suppose I’m simple, wanting one or the other, not a choice for […]

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According to an AdAge.com story, Burger King’s “Whopper Freakout” video may become the best-recalled ad in more than five years. If you’ve not seen it for yourself, have a look here. It’s certainly funny, if not a bit long at 7 minutes.
But is it getting more people to eat what I’ll argue is the best […]

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Dietitians say breakfast is the most important part of the day, but based on where Americans are getting theirs, it’s becoming the most expensive and the most caloric meal. 
A story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution points out how breakfast eaten at fast-food restaurants is soaring. Those operations have breakfast down to a science and their biggest […]

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I’m not a big fast-food eater. I’m too old to abuse my body with it, I make enough money—thank God—that I don’t have to buy it, and after working in or writing about restaurants for the past 27 years, I’m a bit of a food snob.
So when a buddy of mine at Yum! suggested I […]

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In a late 2007 investor conference call, officials at Yum! claimed they’re going to start taking pages out of McDonald’s playbook in hopes of spurring sales. According to an Associated Press story, it wants to follow McDonald’s lead with healthy food options, and higher quality products in general.
I don’t know about you, but the idea […]

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McDonald’s restaurants in Seminole County, Fla., have partnered with the Seminole County School Board to give students (K through 5) Happy Meals as rewards for good grades and attendance.
According to an article in the New York Times, Pizza Huts in the area had done the same with Personal Pan Pizzas for the past decade, but […]

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