Even though we all now have phones with handy calculator apps, some restaurant diners are still confounded by the math when trying to sort out the tip, particularly when splitting the bill. Many restaurants now do the math for you and print a suggested tip on the receipt, but some Cheesecake Factory customers say the popular chain is enriching itself by suggesting misleading tips on split bills. [More]
Food & Personal Care
J.P. O’Reilly’s Burgers Recalled Because They’re Secretly Bacon Cheeseburgers
By 8.11.17
Many people like bacon and cheese on their burgers, but for whatever reason — allergy, religion, taste — plenty more don’t. And so the company behind the J.P. O’Reilly’s brand is recalling two tons of surprise! bacon cheeseburgers in six states for “misbranding.” [More]
USDA Says Chicago Soda Tax Puts $87M In Federal Food Stamp Funding At Risk
By 8.11.17
A controversial tax on sweetened beverages in Chicago is putting the entire state of Illinois at risk for losing millions in federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly referred to as food stamps), according to a warning sent by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to state regulators. [More]
Several Joe’s Crab Shack Restaurants Abruptly Close With No Warning To Employees
By 8.11.17
Joe’s Crab Shack and its sibling restaurant chain, Brick House Tavern, will soon have a new owner pending approval by the bankruptcy court. Yet it’s celebrating in a surprising way: The chain is abruptly closing locations scattered across the country, sending employees home during their shifts. Update: Here’s a newer list of recently closed locations that employees and customers sent to Consumerist. [More]
Italy Is Europe’s Ice Cream Champ, Producing 6.8B Scoops Of Gelato In 2016
By 8.11.17
Hear that sound? It’s everyone in Italy, screaming for ice cream. Because if there’s one country that loves creamy frozen treats, it’s the home of gelato: Italy produced more ice cream last year than any other country in Europe. [More]
Food Scientist Envisions A Future Where “Super Nutritious Pizza” Exists
By 8.11.17
Sure, you may try to claim that “pizza is a vegetable” or that it’s healthy because you put some broccoli on top. Yes, we’re just fooling ourselves — but if one food scientist has his way, we could all be eating truly nutritious pizza in the future. [More]
Applebee’s Closing More Than 100 Locations, IHOP To Shutter 25 Restaurants
By 8.11.17
There could soon be fewer places to grab an app or order a stack of pancakes: Dine Equity, the company behind Applebee’s and IHOP, will close up to 160 locations of the chain restaurants this year in an attempt to trim costs and boost sales. [More]
Amazon Considering Ready-To-Eat Meal Delivery That Doesn’t Require Refrigeration
By 8.11.17
Although the idea of ready-to-eat-meals may sound more like military rations than your average dinner at home, Amazon is reportedly talking about delivering dishes that are already prepared and don’t need to be refrigerated as part of its push into the grocery business. [More]
American Airlines’ “First-Class” Lobster Roll Doesn’t Even Get The “Roll” Part Right
By 8.10.17
‘Tis the season for lobster rolls, those often-pricey sandwiches stuffed with tasty lobster meat straight from the sea. Or, in the case of American Airlines, two pieces of bread with an orangey-white substance holding them together.
[More]
At Least 230 Cases Of Norovirus Linked To Doughnut Shop
By 8.10.17
Hundreds of people in Ohio have been sick this week — and they can blame doughnuts: Officials have linked at least 230 reports of norovirus to one local doughnut shop. [More]
Safety Regulators Issue Safety Alert For Still-Popular Fidget Spinners
By 8.10.17
Following several incidents in which it became increasingly clear that toys-of-the-moment fidget spinners weren’t just exploding in popularity, but actually exploding, federal safety regulators have issued a safety alert aimed at reducing the potential for injuries and fire hazards associated with the gadgets. [More]
Would You Eat A Taco Bell Burrito Topped With ‘Popping Crystals’?
By 8.10.17
Burrito-lovers looking for a little extra flavor on their meal might add tomatoes, lettuce, cheese sauce, or even a bit of guacamole. But what about a Pop Rocks-like seasoning? That’s apparently an option for customers at select Taco Bell locations in California. [More]
Dallas Chipotle That Rained Mice Temporarily Closes To Check Over Building
By 8.10.17
Remember the Chipotle restaurant in Dallas where customers captured video of mice falling from the ceiling and scurrying across the floor? That was a few weeks ago, and now the restaurant is temporarily closing so experts can evaluate the building. [More]
The Grease Blotter: Teens Terrorize Wendy’s With Fireworks; McDonald’s Worker Punched In Face Over Fries
By 8.9.17
Over the years, we’ve heard about plenty of incidents involving customers-gone-bad, from those who assault fast food employees when their orders are wrong to more extreme measures like setting fire to a store. We can add a few more bad consumers to this list after two separate, but equally disturbing, incidents at a Florida Wendy’s and a Texas McDonald’s. [More]
Yes, There Really Is A Starbucks Everywhere You Look, And That’s A Problem For Starbucks
By 8.9.17
These days, it might feel like there’s a Starbucks on every corner. And while more stores sometimes translate to more customers and better sales, the ubiquity of Starbucks is turning into a bit of a problem for the Seattle-based chain as it struggles to compete — with itself. [More]
Noodles & Co. Venturing Into Veggie Land With ‘Zoodles’
By 8.9.17
Health-conscious foodies — and those avoiding gluten — now have another option when looking for a fast-casual restaurant offering veggie fare: Noodles & Company is testing “zoodles” — spiralized zucchini — at some of its restaurants in an attempt to bring in carb-avoiding customers. [More]
Report: Monsanto Skipped Important Testing On Weed Killer That’s Now Killing Crops
By 8.9.17
There’s a problem in farm country this year: Acres of crops are unexpectedly withering away, but it’s not due to drought or natural blight. Instead, the crisis seems to be related to a new herbicide from Monsanto. Users of the recently released plant-killer didn’t realize it would spread beyond their fields, because — according to a new report — Monsanto skipped over tests that would have highlighted this problem. [More]
Birchbox Is For Sale, Maybe To Walmart
By 8.9.17
Birchbox is a site that sells high-end makeup, and $10 sample box subscriptions that entice customers to try new types of high-end makeup. Walmart is a discount mega-retailer that sells lots of makeup, but hardly any of it is high end. Yet Birchbox could join the Walmart family if a rumored deal goes through. [More]
