Fast food outlets and “family style” restaurants are suffering a bit of indigestion. After years of cutting their prices, handing out coupons and creating discounted special menus, they’re having trouble making ends meet, and are trying to lure customers to higher-priced meals. But cash-strapped diners aren’t buying it; they want the cheap stuff, and restaurants aren’t about to say no and risk losing customers to the cheaper eatery next door. [More]
restaurants
Friendly's Burger Has Grilled Cheese Sandwiches For Buns
By 6.21.10
Yes, the latest assault on America’s waistline comes in the form of Friendly’s recently launched Grilled Cheese BurgerMelt. Move over, Double Down, there’s a new “something with far more calories than bread as a bun” sandwich in town. [More]
Sorry, The Ad For Our Specials Today Doesn't Reflect Reality
By 6.17.10
If you sat down at a restaurant table and saw a sign advertising a special–say, $4.99 breakfasts–with a photo of a certain meal, you’d assume that the promotion includes that meal, right? Well, Felicia writes, at Marie Callender’s, your assumption would be wrong. [More]
Ex-Panera Bread CEO Opens Commie Not-For-Profit Eatery
By 5.20.10
What is a meal at Panera Bread worth to you? A former Panera location in a prosperous St. Louis suburb has reopened as “St. Louis Bread Company Cares,” a restaurant where customers can select a meal, then pay what they think the meal is worth–or as much as they can afford. If customers can’t afford to pay anything, they can volunteer to work there. A not-for-profit foundation runs the restaurant, which opened this week. [More]
What Happens When You Eject A NY Times Reporter From Your Restaurant
By 5.12.10
Ron Leiber writes the “Your Money” column for the New York Times. On Saturday, he, along with his party, was ejected from a restaurant by the chef. Mr. Leiber wrote about it on the Times food blog and now the restaurant is getting crank calls according to Gothamist. [More]
Police Officer Prepares Orders At McDonald's
By 5.10.10
Wherever Craig lives, that’s where the most Hamburgler-proof McDonald’s in the country is located. He says he was there the other night and a police officer got up from the seating area, went around behind the counter, and prepared his order for him. When Craig asked why the officer was also a McDonald’s employee, the officer followed him outside and asked why he cared. That officer probably thought you were the Hamburglar, Craig. [More]
How Real Is That Olive Garden Cooking School?
By 4.28.10
We’ve all seen the Olive Garden ads where the popular chain of Italian eateries touts the Olive Garden Culinary Institute of Tuscany, a picturesque cooking school in Italy where they claim to educate chefs and develop new products. But, like many others, the folks at Jaunted.com wanted to know just how reality stacks up against the advertisements. [More]
Competing Breakfast Nook Owners Spit Upon, Punch Each Other
By 4.27.10
Two diner owners in Boston area, firmly locked in a battle for breakfast dominance, have come to blows, reports the Boston Globe. [More]
Loud Restaurants Make You Eat And Drink More
By 4.19.10
It turns out that, at least for smart restaurateurs, making the dining experience ridiculously noisy is good for business: people buy more drinks per hour, and they finish eating and leave sooner. [More]
Ruby Tuesday Will Pay You Fifty Cents To Eat This Sandwich
By 4.9.10
The economics of the restaurant business are strange and confusing. But Dave writes that he couldn’t help but find this deal at Ruby Tuesday amusing. You can have a nice salad bar lunch for $7.99…or some mini sandwiches or burgers and fries along with salad bar access for $7.99. After 3 p.m., the price for the salad bar goes up fifty cents…but the price of the sandwiches does not. [More]
Should You Tip The Owner Of A Restaurant If He Delivers Your Food?
By 4.2.10
Daniel recently had an interesting tipping dilemma. He ordered a smoked brisket from a locally owned barbecue place, and had it delivered. Unexpectedly, the restaurant owner himself showed up to deliver the brisket. So, he asks: should he have tipped the restaurant owner? [More]
The Census Is Getting Weird With Its Marketing
By 3.30.10
“Nobody expects the U.S. Census! Our chief weapon is surprise!” A Seattle blogger posted a photograph of a fortune she received in her fortune cookie recently, and it looks like the Census is using surprise fear and surprise surprise, fear, and a ruthless efficiency to remind people to send back their forms. Oh, and they’re ruining fortune cookies. I fully expect to be forced into a comfy chair soon, which all in all isn’t a bad way to be tortured, so meh. [More]
"The Woman Next To Me At Eat'n Park Kept Kicking An Old Lady!"
By 3.22.10
What should you do when you witness someone abusing someone else, but you’re in a retail establishment and the management won’t help you? While eating at an Eat’n Park last week, Myriad claims she watched a young woman repeatedly kick the elderly lady sitting with her, and when Myriad tried to intervene the girl threatened to punch Myriad in the face. Myriad says the manager refused to cooperate, only repeating that he knew the girl and that she was “very nice.” [More]
NYC Health Dept. To Post Letter Grades On All Restaurants
By 3.16.10
In a move toward greater transparency, the New York City Board of Health has decided that all restaurants in the five boroughs will now be required to post large letter grades reflecting the results of their most recent health inspection. [More]
Amusing Complaint Gets Wild Wings To Fix Tiny Wings
By 3.16.10
There are many kinds of complaint letters. I like the funny ones the best, like Tracy’s. Usually a nut for Wild Wings Lunch Buffet’s wings, she was sorely saddened to get a plate of “micro wings” foisted upon her. And instead of celery and dressing – tater tots! Tracy dashed off an amusing complaint letter, and they actually investigated it and will be fixing the wing deficiency! [More]
McDonald's Worker Robs Rival Restaurant While On Break
By 3.16.10
A McDonald’s worker has been charged with aggravated robbery and theft of property after he tried to heist a nearby restaurant, while on his smoke break from McDonald’s, while wearing his McDonald’s hat and red-and-white jacket. Crikey, these burger wars are getting out of hand!
Police: McDonalds worker robs Schlotsky’s while on break [FOX16] (Thanks to Shoan!)
Restaurant: We Don't Charge Enough For This Food, So You Can't Have A Doggie Bag
By 3.12.10
If you order food, should you be able to take the uneaten portion home with you? Sure, you can’t take home a box full of roast beef and shrimp from an all-you-can eat buffet, but can you take home half of a cheeseburger from a chain restaurant? Jennifer writes that the staff at the McCormick and Schmick’s that she visited recently don’t seem to think so. Her boyfriend wasn’t allowed to take the uneaten portion of his burger and fries home because it was purchased during happy hour, at happy hour prices. [More]
$500 For A Pass To See The Red Sox — On TV, At A Bar!
By 3.11.10
A new restaurant, Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill, is opening next week.. The place is offering a $500 season pass to watch the Red Sox — on TV. You have the option of choosing either home or away games and the pass comes with other amenities like a guaranteed table. [More]
