fast-food industry

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Tough Times Push Chains to Try New Fare

McDonald's classy coffee, grilled KFC widen menus

(Newser) - Desperate times are driving chain restaurants to desperate measures—straying from their bread-and-butter dishes and diversifying the menu. KFC now sells grilled chicken, Domino’s offers subs, and McDonald’s dips into the world of espresso coffee, USA Today reports. “This is a defining moment for the industry,"...

'Healthy' Fast Food Eaters Mull the Salad, Buy the Fried

Companies like KFC know how to play to customers' cravings

(Newser) - KFC's grilled chicken giveaway may have been a bust, but the company actually got what it wanted—luring health-conscious eaters back to the franchise, argues Steve Almond in the Washington Post. The chicken chain's CEO appeared on Oprah to apologize for pulling the plug on the offer, yet "his...

Why Our Brains Want What's Bad for Us
 Why Our Brains Want 
 What's Bad for Us 
INTERVIEW
Apr 30, 2009 1:46 PM CDT

Why Our Brains Want What's Bad for Us

(Newser) - Former Food and Drug Administration chief David Kessler thinks Americans are victims of “conditioned hyper-eating,” and he’s written a book about it: The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite. The Wall Street Journal poked him for some answers about how food can “...

Student Obesity Jumps in Schools Near Fast-Food Joints

Rate 5% higher when kids can walk to outlet

(Newser) - Students are more likely to be obese when their schools are located within a tenth of a mile of fast-food restaurants, researchers found. In a study of more than a million California ninth-graders over 8 years, they found that the incidence of obesity at schools near the restaurants was 5....

Booming Mickey D's Plans European Surge

Global downturn? They're lovin' it

(Newser) - A rare beneficiary of the financial crisis, McDonald’s says it will build 240 new European locations and create 12,000 jobs, the Financial Times reports. The firm’s biggest expansion in 5 years will extend mainly to Spain, France, Italy, Russia, and Poland. “We’re certainly not slowing...

Sagging Economy Is Bitter Dish for Restaurateurs

With 12-15% slump forecast in fine dining for '09, some close down, others plug deals

(Newser) - Lean times are perhaps leanest in the restaurant business, and fine-dining establishments are bracing for a particularly tough year while improvising strategies to remain afloat, the Wall Street Journal reports. Sales, $7 billion last year, are expected to plummet 12-15%; the industry could shed 12,000-18,000 restaurants, a 2-3%...

Mickey Dee's Looks to Moms for Healthier Image

Gives 6 bloggers a peek at inner workings

(Newser) - McDonald's is trying to harness mom power to help shake its unhealthy image, reports the Washington Post. The burger joint has recruited six mothers to serve as "quality correspondents" and is giving them unprecedented access to the company's operations in the hope they will share their favorable findings about...

McDonald's Sees Sales Jump in Oct.

Recession? Ronald is lovin' it

(Newser) - Consumers worldwide who are watching their spending bought more burgers and chicken breakfast biscuits at McDonald's in October, leading to a big rise in sales at established locations. The corporation said today its global same-store sales jumped 8.2% during the month, beating the company's own prediction for a rise...

Double Cheeseburger Gets Boot for One-Slice McDouble

McDonald's new burger, with less cheese, takes standby's place on dollar menu

(Newser) - Grumbling from franchisees has McDonald’s set to bump the price of its double cheeseburger up to $1.19, the Chicago Tribune reports. That, of course, would knock it off the popular dollar menu, so plans are to replace it there with the new McDouble—virtually the same burger but...

How France Fell for Le Big Mac
 How France Fell for Le Big Mac
Aug 19, 2008 11:59 AM CDT

How France Fell for Le Big Mac

McDonald's French operation is company's 2nd most profitable

(Newser) - After the US, what country has the most profitable McDonald's franchises in the world? The surprising answer: it's France, home of the Michelin Guide and the three-hour lunch. The London Times travels to Paris to discover how the French have begun to adopt Anglo-American eating practices, abandoning the leisurely midday...

We Live in a Time of Bacon— Resistance Is Futile

Spray-on variety a bit much, but writer thinks meat can't ever get too full of itself

(Newser) - Everywhere Peter Meehan looks, he sees bacon. Fatty, salty, bombastic, and blissfully delicious bacon. The Salon writer tries to figure out "where we are in the bacon bonanza"—he cites bacon spray, scented candles, trendy recipes, even a bacon-of-the-month club—and reaches out to experts "to see...

Papa John's Hits $1B in Online Pizza Sales

Pizzamaker hits milestone as Internet becomes serious doughmaker for industry

(Newser) - Papa John's passed the $1-billion mark in online pizza orders yesterday, trumpeting growth in Internet sales averaging 50% per year since it debuted the service in 2001. Domino’s and Pizza Hut join the third-place pizza-delivery chain in reporting that the Internet is giving the business new life and increasing...

Arby's Purchase of Wendy's 'Sad Day' for Thomas Family

Columbus despairs as layoffs loom

(Newser) - After years of haggling, Arby’s owner Nelson Peltz reached a deal to acquire Wendy’s yesterday, ending the involvement of the Thomas family that founded it. Wendy Thomas herself called the sale a “huge, huge disappointment,” the Columbus Dispatch reports. The family had hoped local franchisee J....

Restaurant Chains Race Into Four-Figure Territory

(Newser) - Fast-food behemoth McDonald's took 20 years to open its 1,000th store, but 2007 has seen five chains join the four-digit club, USA Today reports. Of the success of Panda Express, Panera Bread, Papa Murphy’s, Sbarro, and Wing Street, one consultant says: “It's a landmark. It's a goal...

Ronald Smiling as Stock Soars
Ronald Smiling as Stock Soars
Sep 22, 2007 5:36 PM CDT

Ronald Smiling as Stock Soars

Food giant reacts to critics with new menus and marketing, but still loves trans fat

(Newser) - Ronald McDonald is smiling as his stock soars and critics give grudging respect to his new menus, the AP reports. McDonald’s hasn’t yielded on all fronts – its fries still simmer in trans-fatty cooking oil – but nimble reactions to critics have helped boost the stock from $12...

McDonald's Takes Good News to Go
McDonald's Takes Good News to Go
Jul 24, 2007 2:12 PM CDT

McDonald's Takes Good News to Go

Company's strong results can't offset cost of Latin American sale

(Newser) - Despite strong global sales, McDonald’s reported a second-quarter loss today, which it attributed to its sale of Latin American franchises. The company lost $711.7 million, or 60 cents a share, but said its new offerings and value menu drew consumers, CNNMoney reports. Excluding the Latin American charge, earnings...

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