This just in, from the Midwest: corporate siblings IHOP and Applebee’s will be joining forces to create a combination restaurant — the first of its kind — expected to open in downtown Detroit. [More]
food
How Do You Feel About Ketchup On Hot Dogs, Ranch Dressing On Pizza & Other Divisive Food Issues?
By 12.21.16
Imagine you’re at the ballpark and just bought some food. You’re waiting to use the condiment station, when the person in front of you begins pumping ketchup along the length of their hot dog. Do you think “Oh yeah!”? Do you want to grab them by the shoulders and shake some sense into them? Or does it not matter to you, but that person over there dipping their slice of pizza in ranch dressing is driving you into a fury? [More]
USDA Asks Meat, Dairy Companies To Replace Confusing Expiration & Sell-By Labels With “Best If Used By” Date
By 12.14.16 — Updated: 2.15.17
Though almost every food item you buy at the supermarket has some sort of expiration date — under the headers of “Sell By,” “Use By,” “Use Before,” “Best Before,” among others — printed on the packaging, the truth is date labels are largely voluntary and determined by the food producers. If handled properly, most foods are perfectly safe to eat after whatever date is on the label, but stores and consumers throw away an inordinate amount of food every year simply because that date has passed. In an effort to reduce food waste, the federal government is hoping to encourage meat and dairy producers to all use the same phrase: “Best If Used By.” [More]
Some Chipotle Restaurants Facing Food Shortages
By 12.13.16
Though Chipotle has been focused on winning back all the customers it lost during its food-safety crisis, a company executive says some restaurants don’t have enough food to feed the people who do want to eat there. And those food shortages are making customers cranky. [More]
Starbucks Still Really, Really Wants You To Come By For Lunch
By 12.8.16
America, Starbucks really wants to do lunch. You go there for breakfast and for the occasional afternoon caffeine pick-me-up, but where are you at midday, when Starbucks has plenty of sandwiches, bagels, and bistro boxes sitting around that lunch customers aren’t using. How can a place known for coffee convince people to stop by for lunch? [More]
McDonald’s Is Selling Waffle Fries This Holiday Season — But Only In Canada
By 12.7.16
Do you like waffle cut fries? Even though you can probably get them at just about every sports bar or diner in town, do you nonetheless have a craving to purchase them from McDonald’s? Then you had better plan a trip to the wintry north, because the fast food chain is only selling them in Canada this holiday season. [More]
Burger King Selling A Doughnut Burger For Hanukkah
By 12.6.16 — Updated: 12.9.16
If you love doughnuts, burgers, and burgers made with doughnuts, you might want to think about spending Hanukkah in Israel, where Burger King will be offering doughnut burgers for the holiday. [More]
Chipotle CEO “Not Satisfied” With Quality Of Customer “Experience” In Some Restaurants
By 12.6.16
As Chipotle closes the books on its second consecutive year of bad headlines and sagging sales, the company’s founder and co-CEO Steve Ells says the burrito chain still has “a long way to go” to recover from its food-safety crisis. In particular, he notes that Chipotle has forgotten about providing the best customer service. [More]
Sorry, Rudolph Fans: Domino’s Giving Up Reindeer Pizza Delivery Dream
By 12.5.16
We know you might have been excited to hear that Domino’s was attempting to deliver pizzas in Japan with reindeer. Alas, the chain has shattered that vision, announcing that it’s giving up on that dream in favor of more traditional delivery vehicles. [More]
Big Olive Oil Accuses Dr. Oz Of Disparagement
By 12.1.16
The “Dr. Oz effect” usually refers to the popular talk show host’s ability to turn unproven “miracle cures” and weight loss fads into instant successes, but fortunes can swing the other way when the Great and Doctorful Oz says not-nice things about a product. [More]
Chicago Doesn’t Even Have Half The Health Inspectors Needed To Inspect High-Risk Restaurants
By 11.29.16
While it might be reassuring to see a sign posted in your favorite restaurant or other food establishment that it’s earned the approval of the city health department, that doesn’t necessarily mean health inspectors have actually been by recently to do their job. [More]
Food Scientists Trying To Develop Kale Aimed At Picky American Palates
By 11.28.16
We all know that kale is trendy, but if it were up to some American consumers, it wouldn’t be, well, quite so kale-y. [More]
Domino’s Training Reindeer To Deliver Pizzas
By 11.28.16
When the weather gets rough, you may be more tempted to order food for delivery. But what about the delivery person left battling the elements to bring you your grub? Domino’s Japan thinks it has just the antlered, four-legged solution. [More]
Sabra Recalls Hummus Over Listeria For Second Time In Two Years
By 11.21.16
What’s your favorite flavor of hummus — is it garlic? Maybe roasted red pepper? How about Listeria monocytogenes? The bacteria might not be a popular flavor, but for the second time in less than two years*, Sabra Dipping Co. is recalling some of its products over concerns they may be contaminated with the pathogen.” [More]
Your Thanksgiving Feast Will Cost Less This Year
By 11.17.16
After the average price of Thanksgiving dinner topped $50 for the first time ever in 2015, consumers are getting a break this year: the American Farm Bureau Federation says the average cost of a feast for 10 people will be $49.87, a $0.24 drop from a year ago. [More]
Chili’s Apologizes After Manager Takes Away Veteran’s Free Meal On Veterans Day
By 11.14.16
Chili’s says it’s investigating after an army veteran in Texas said his free Veterans Day meal was taken away after someone else at the restaurant called his service into question. [More]
Three Gourmet Ice Cream Brands Recalled For Possible Listeria
By 11.11.16
Being fancy and expensive is no guarantee against contamination, which is a lesson that all food processors should learn. This week’s recall is of gourmet ice cream from the brands Agave Dream, L.A. Creamery, and Nancy’s, all of which came from the same co-packing facility, and all of which may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. [More]
Sad And Lonely Cottage Cheese Wants To Be Like Cool Kid Greek Yogurt
By 11.8.16
Just the words “cottage cheese” may conjure up images of the goopy, runny stuff mounded high on a plate next to some slices of melon in the “lighter fare” section on a diner’s menu, perhaps. But cottage cheese wants to shed that uncool, unappetizing image, and be more like its cooler dairy cousin, Greek yogurt. [More]
