Lovely though it might feel to walk through a sudden gush of Arctic air on an otherwise hot, steamy New York City day, businesses that keep their doors open with the air conditioning on can now expect to pay a fine if they’re caught blasting cool air onto the sidewalks. [More]
restaurants
Drunk Customer Returns To Restaurant The Next Day To Take Back $1,000 Tip
By 6.15.16
Usually when someone leaves an exorbitant tip at a restaurant, folks ask things like, “What made them so generous? What’s the heartwarming story behind it?” But one restaurant owner was a bit more practical after a drunk customer left $1,000 on the table for servers, asking instead, “Did he even mean to do that, or will he just want his money back?” It turns out she was right to ask those questions, because he didn’t, and he did. [More]
McDonald’s Moving HQ From Chicago Suburbs To Downtown Neighborhood Filled With Millennials
By 6.13.16
After years of guiding the company from the its suburban seat outside Chicago, McDonald’s says it’s moving headquarters to a trendy neighborhood in the city’s downtown, in an apparent effort to attract younger talent to its ranks. [More]
Pizza Hut To Cut Back On Preservatives, Antibiotics, Additives
By 5.31.16
Pizza may not have a reputation as a health food, but that’s no reason to use ingredients that may make the pizza even less good for you. In an effort to reach consumers clamoring for less-questionable fast food, Pizza Hut has announced some upcoming upgrades to its ingredients. [More]
Court Says NYC’s Salt Warning Labels Can Go Into Effect As Planned
By 5.27.16
Despite efforts from a restaurant trade group to stop a New York City rule requiring warning labels on foods high in sodium from going into effect, a state appeals court says the city can begin enforcing the rule as planned starting June 6. [More]
Some Postmates Users Cry Foul Over Inaccurate Price Estimates
By 5.26.16
When you use a delivery service like Postmates to pick up your dinner or groceries, you should expect some difference between the estimated price and the one you ultimately pay, but some Postmates users say they are paying upwards of 35% more than the estimate. [More]
Amazon Launches Restaurant Delivery Service In New York City, Just Not All Of It
By 5.17.16
After launching its restaurant delivery service in Seattle and Los Angeles in the last year, Amazon has finally added New York City to the list, though only to certain areas in Manhattan. Amazon Restaurants provide food deliveries from more than 350 restaurants to people in Chelsea, Harlem, and the Financial District. Members of Amazon’s $99/year subscription program can view participating restaurants, browse menus, place orders and track the status of their delivery. [Amazon] [More]
Taco Bell Will No Longer Bolt Tables To The Floor At New “Upscale” Test Locations
By 5.17.16
Taco Bell is giving some of its restaurants a shiny new makeover, with a test of four different “upscale” design concepts. They might feature different decor but there are a few elements they’ll share, including larger tables that aren’t bolted to the floor so people can eat in bigger groups. [More]
Joe’s Crab Shack Backs Away From No-Tipping Policy
By 5.13.16
Six months after Joe’s Crab Shack became the first national full-service chain to test a no-tipping policy, the company is ditching the idea. [More]
Do Food Trucks Have A Right To Compete With Nearby Restaurants?
By 5.11.16
Cities can tell you where you can and can’t park, and they can decide which areas of town are zoned for which types of commercial uses, but can a city determine where a food truck can park based solely on the type of food it makes? [More]
These Restaurant Employees Should Probably Stop Mocking Customers On Their Tabs
By 5.9.16
Here’s the problem with making jokes about your customers in the point-of-sale system at a restaurant: you really should make sure that you erase those jokes before there’s any chance that your customer might see them. Better yet, maybe stick to making fun of customers the old-fashioned way. In the kitchen or the break room. Where they can’t hear you. [More]
Here’s A List Of The 21 Bob Evans Locations That Closed Over The Weekend
By 4.25.16
Earlier today we warned that if you had a craving for some Bob Evans food, you should call before driving to your local restaurant. That call is no longer necessary, as we now know which of the chains restaurants were closed over the weekend. [More]
Foodservice Employees: Have You Ever Gone To Work Sick? Tell Us About It
April 21, 2016
Every day, countless American workers go to their jobs knowing they have a cold, flu, or some other communicable illness, but not all of these people have work that puts them in contact with other folks’ food. If you’ve worked in foodservice and gone to a job while still ill, we want to hear your story. Were you concerned about losing your job if you didn’t show up? Does your employer not offer sick leave? Could you not afford to lose those few hours? Whatever your reason, we’d like to hear your story. Email us at tips@consumerist.com with “SICK AT WORK” in the subject line. All details would remain anonymous, and no names or other identifying information would be published. [More]
New “McDonald’s Of The Future” In Missouri Will Offer All-You-Can-Eat French Fries
By 4.18.16
While we live in a fast food world that’s been moving steadily toward healthier menu options, you better believe that if someone puts unlimited French fries on the table, people are going to react. That’s where a McDonald’s franchisee in Missouri with his big “McDonald’s of the future” idea comes in. In his version of the future, we will all eat as many fries as we want. [More]
Man Accused Of Giving Dunkin’ Donuts Drive-Thru Staff A Peep Show They Never Asked For
By 4.8.16
There are many things fast food staff working in the drive-thru have probably had to see that they didn’t want to, we have no doubt. Workers at a New Hampshire Dunkin’ Donuts just added one more to their list, after a man allegedly cruised through the drive-thru while exposing his genitals. [More]
Oldest McDonald’s In U.S. Might Be Getting A Drive-Thru
By 4.6.16
Last year, the world’s oldest Taco Bell, located in Downey, CA, was facing the wrecking ball. While that eatery was eventually saved and relocated, another long-standing establishment in the city is now facing its own big change. The country’s oldest McDonald’s is about to get a 21st century facelift: a drive-thru. [More]
Man Says He’s “Extremely Lucky” After Falling Chipotle Sign Crushes Car With Him Inside
By 4.5.16
While a story that starts with a heavy object crushing a car is never going to be a total win for those involved, an Indianapolis man says he’s just grateful that he emerged relatively unscathed after a Chipotle sign fell on his car… while he was sitting inside it. [More]
Subway Posting Calorie Counts On Menus Nationwide Ahead Of Final Federal Regulations
By 4.5.16
It seems someone has gotten a little bit impatient: instead of waiting for federal regulations requiring chain restaurants and other businesses to post calorie counts on menus and displays to finally go into effect, Subway is going to go ahead and slap those numbers on its menu boards nationwide now. [More]
