Consumerist
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when good promotions go bad
Boston Market CEO Explains Bungled Promotion
Baltimore Sun reporter Liz Kay tracked down Boston Market CEO Lane Cardwell to get him to answer to his restaurants' muffed $1 meal coupon promotion. Boston Markets were unprepared for the deluge of customers who wanted to take advantage of the deal, and stores ran out of food. More » -
overcharges
UPDATED: Florida Subway Does NOT Overcharge On Sales Tax
Mario ate at a South Beach, Fla. Subway that charged him 9 percent even though the Miami-Dade county sales tax is 7 percent. Neither Mario nor the Subway cashier was aware of a 2 percent surcharge that boosted the tax to 9 percent. More » -
apocalyptic
This Boston Market Is Seriously Out Of Everything
Reader OutKastz sent us more photos from a post-apocalyptic Boston Market where they ran out of meat and almost all soft drinks. The reason? This weekend's dollar coupon fiasco. More » -
incorrect procedure
Man Attempts To Rob Taco Bell, Then Asks For A Job Application
Well this guy is doing it wrong: We've been alerted to a report from Haverstraw, NY where police say a man entered a Taco Bell, waved a gun around, demanded money — then asked for a job application. More » -
fast food
So, Do Calorie Counts On Menus Help People Make Better Choices? Or Not?
There have been two recent studies concerning NYC's menu labeling law. One said that the posted calorie counts had no effect — and the other disagrees. So, who is right? More » -
get off my lawn
McDonalds Shakes Cane At Teens, Calls Police On Them For Rapping Their Order
Four teens in American Fork, Utah, have been issued citations for disturbing the peace after they drove up to a McDonald's and recreated this food order. Doesn't McDonald's know that they invented the food order rap genre in the first place? More » -
karoshi
Putting In Too Much Overtime Can Kill You
A worker at a McDonald's branch in Japan died of "karoshi" — the Japanese term for death from overwork — according to officials at the local government labor bureau. The employee, a 41-year-old woman, had put in about 80 hours a month in overtime for six months before she died. "We determined her work caused the illness," said an official at the agency. More » -
fast food
Burger King Welcomes Windows 7 With Seven-Patty Whopper
What could be more American than celebrating the launch of a new product with an almost comically unhealthy fast-food product? Unfortunately, the seven-patty Windows 7 Whopper is only available in Japan. More » -
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freebies
KFC Handing Out More Free Chicken Next Monday
Looks like KFC found some more piles of grilled chicken in a closet somewhere, because next week they'll hold their third grilled chicken giveaway this year. Their CEO promises that this time the event will be glitch free: all who desire a sample of grilled chicken will receive a sample of grilled chicken. More » -
health
People Ate More After Calories Got Posted At Fast Food Joints
Calorie posting is supposed to help people make healthier eating choices, but study of fast food joints in poor New York neighborhoods saw customers eating more calories after the calories went up on the sign. More » -
fast food at home
How To Make The Shake Shack Burger At Home
Shake Shack is a place that has burgers (example pictured here) that people in NYC seem to think are good. We have not personally tried said burgers, but we've yet to meet someone who has that isn't enthusiastic about them. With that in mind, we direct you to a recipe that claims to allow you to make the Shake Shack burger at home.
This has us wondering, what other restaurant or fast foods would you like to recreate in your own kitchen? Any good recipes to share? Tell us in the comments.
The Fake Shack [Serious Eats via Buzzfeed]
(Photo:I. M. Bitter) -
fat tax
Should We Tax Junk Food?
Should America tax junk food? Should we add a "fat tax" to the list of sin taxes? When most Americans eat fast food at least once a week, could we tax junk and subsidize healthy foods in the name of public health? Paul Michael of Wisebread thinks that it makes financial sense. More » -
great ideas
Meet Burgerville's Awesome New Nutritional Info Receipt
We love the idea of Northwestern chain Burgerville's new receipts that feature nutritional information—not just calorie counts, but also the amount of fiber, fat, and carbohydrates in each item of your order, as well as the order as a whole. Now, here's one of the receipts as spotted out in the wild. More » -
bad consumer
Angry Customer Shoots Taco Bell Employee Because They're Closed
So, you roll into Taco Bell at 3:30 am. They're closed. Sure, you're upset, but do you need to shoot the person working there? One guy in Miami thinks so, and he's apparently still at large after shooting a Taco Bell employee in the leg simply because the restaurant wasn't open. More » -
have it our way
Burger King's Swank New Look Will Make You Crave Whoppers
In its latest effort to take the burger experience to a higher level — and win back consumers who've migrated to "fast casual" restaurants — Burger King is remodeling more of its eateries to include what His Highness describes as a "contemporary industrial palette of metallic and black accents, complemented by finishes that resemble brick and concrete." But will the fancy new look, which was relaunched this week in Amsterdam, get customers to eat more Whoppers? And how does a creepy guy in a plastic mask sell what the company calls an "intimate and engaging dining" experience?
Inside: Poll - Will the new look get you to eat at BK more often? More »
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menu labeling
Does Posting Calorie Counts On Menus Sway Consumers?
Starting last year, fast food restaurants in New York City were required to list the total calories of every item on the menu. The idea was to provide greater transparency for consumers so that they can make smarter choices. Has it worked? Professors at New York University and Yale have completed a study that shows that the labeling makes consumers think they're being healthier, but in fact they're ordering more total calories than before the law went into effect. More » -
royale with cheese
McDonald's Set To Open Branch In Louvre
The French arm of McDonald's may no longer be the target of local farmers and gastronomes who attacked it in decades past. But next month, the chain will ask the French if they'd like frites with their Mona Lisa, as it prepares to open a branch at what could be called Ground Zero of French culture: the Louvre. As one art historian said, the move represents "the pinnacle of exhausting consumerism, deficient gastronomy and very unpleasant odours in the context of a museum." More » -
fast food
Chick-Fil-A Has The Best Drive-Thru
The Chicago Tribune informs us that the quick-service industry publication QSR Magazine ranks fast food restaurants based on the follwoing drive-through attributes: speed of service, order accuracy, menu board appearance, and speaker clarity. Chick-fil-A is apparently unstoppable, stealing the top spot for the sixth time in seven years. More »
fast food
New York, 8:59 PM
Sat Nov 7
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