Chain Leader back issues from November 2003:
Garden Fresh hopes to blossom in private market.(Stakeholder Issues)
Nov 01, 2003 ... Add Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp. to the list of public restaurant companies going private. The company, which operates 97 Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes salad-bar restaurants across 15 states, announced it will merge with Fairmont Capital, Anaheim Calif., if shareholders approve the ...
Look out below: fast casual outscores full-service chains.(Market Forces)(Brief Article)
Nov 01, 2003 ... Industry observers often remark that fast-food chains are at a severe disadvantage to fast-casual restaurants, particularly in the areas of atmosphere, service and nutritious offerings. But little is said about fast casual's edge over casual-theme restaurants--until now. A study ...
Union dos and don'ts: how to detect, and maybe even avoid, union activity.(Editorial)
Nov 01, 2003; ... Chicagoland stinks. It's not due to the traffic, the weather or the NFL Bears. It's the garbage that has been piling up for a week because the Teamsters are on strike against the Chicago Area Refuse Haulers Association. At press time, a federal mediator is working to appease all sides ....
A smile won't do it: despite survey results, QSRs deserve credit for creating healthful options.(The Bernstein Perspective)(Editorial)
Nov 01, 2003; ... Quick-service chains would be better off getting customers to smile about friendly service than trying to provide more healthful foods, according to the Greenwich, Conn.-based NFO World Group. NFO's recent survey of a national cross-section of 600 consumers, conducted this summer, purports ...
Mideast from the Midwest: Aladdin's Eatery blends healthful fare, complex flavors and speed.(Upstarts)
Nov 01, 2003; ... When Fady Chamoun came to the United States from Lebanon in 1972 to attend college, he quickly realized that he wanted to make America his new home. After graduation, he took a job here, got married and began to raise a family: A good life, except one important factor was missing: a ...
First things first: San Francisco Oven used its first unit to define the concept; now it's moving on.(Upstarts)
Nov 01, 2003; ... Matt Harper, president and chief executive officer of San Francisco Oven, has learned a lot by experimenting heavily with his first unit. Now he has a 30-year McDonald's veteran on board to teach him even more. Fast casual San Francisco Oven opened in Willoughby, Ohio, in 2001. ...
Slow and steady: Posados Care Inc. favors small but strong regional presence over national expansion.(Local Heroes)
Nov 01, 2003; ... Andy Gugar, owner of Posados Care and Mercados Care, has no intention of taking his 13-unit Tex-Mex concept national. Rather, he is content to keep the chain in Texas and surrounding regions. "We just don't want to expand any faster than our capability at this time because in ...
Tween scene: kids teach Dairy Queen how to hook the bubble-gum crowd.(Storyboard)
Nov 01, 2003; ... In the concept's first year without its beloved but dated Dennis the Menace license, Dairy Queen retooled its marketing campaign to better attract tweens, the coveted yet hard-to-understand 8- to 12-year-old set. Tweens spend more than $14 million annually, according to G WHIZ ...
Industrial lite: a soft yet modern interior helps consumers differentiate Qdoba Mexican Grill from its competitors.(Restauratour)
Nov 01, 2003; ... Don't let the stainless steel tabletops fool you. Qdoba Mexican Grill, the Denver-based, build-it-yourself burrito chain, has no intention of morphing into a hard-core, industrial, downtown look. "We want to cater to middle America," says President and CEO Gary Beisler, explaining that an ...
A Sicilian in Texas: Carrabba's Damian Mandola creates rustic Italian food with a Texan's focus on the center of the plate.(Toque Of The Town)
Nov 01, 2003; ... Damian Mandola would be the first to tell you he's not a "real" chef. 'I'm just a big Sicilian boy from Texas who loves to cook and eat," he says. And it's true: Mandola, co-creator of 133-unit Carrabba's Italian Grill, didn't go to culinary school. He learned many of the recipes for the ...
Looking for trouble: buying chains out of bankruptcy, TruFoods' Jeff Bernstein is working to revive struggling brands.(Turnaround Artist)
Nov 01, 2003; ... Since 1998, Jeff Bernstein has acquired three restaurant brands out of bankruptcy: Pudgie's Famous Chicken, Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips and Wall Street Deli. A fourth, Burritoville, was in dire straits. And beg hungry for more. "I look for companies that have great products, ...
Luther's reformation: restaurant veteran Jon Luther is transforming the aging brands of Allied Domecq QSR.(Thought Leader)(Interview)(Cover Story)
Nov 01, 2003; ... Jon Luther claims he really hasn't been shaking things up since joining Allied Domecq QSR in January. Yet how do you explain a remark of this magnitude: "Does 'Donuts' stay in our name as we go forward with our beverage plan?" One too many espressos, perhaps? Allied ...
Rite of passage: with new ownership in place, Iowa's Maid-Rite is taking its signature sandwich national.(Growth Strategy)
Nov 01, 2003; ... Just over two years ago, Bradley Burr, owner of a marketing consulting firm in Des Moines, Iowa, knew two basic facts about Maid-Rite Corp., the quick-service chain based in town: Its loose meat sandwich--the Maid-Rite had a cult following in the Midwest where it sold, and the company was ...
A guide to America's best cow's milk cheeses.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
Nov 01, 2003 ... Just say cheese and Kent Rathbun gets revved up, talking a mile-a-minute on the Key role domestic cow's milk cheeses play on menus today. "Everybody loves cheese," says Rathbun, chef-owner of Abacus and Jaspers, in Dallas and Piano, Texas, respectively. "It's comforting. It's creamy. It's ...
Cheese reference guide.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
Nov 01, 2003 ... There are all kinds of ways to classify cheese, including by cheesemaking process, texture, taste or simply being all-American, all-star cow's milk cheeses--the top picks for assured customer satisfaction. Refer to this guide when training staff, writing menu descriptions, cooking with ...
Warm tomato gratin with Asiago Parmesan and Basil.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
Nov 01, 2003; ... This gratin is wonderful with roasted chicken, grilled steaks, sauteed wild sockeye salmon and new potatoes, or as an appetizer with shaved parma ham and crostini. <Pre> Serves 4-6 Preparation Time: 5-10 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Ingredients 2 pounds Large, ripe ...
Love at first bite.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
Nov 01, 2003 ... The people have spoken, and 93% of consumers love the taste of cheese. Nine out of 10 consumers also find that ...
Once is never enough.(Special Advertising Section)
Nov 01, 2003 ... How do you like your cheese? Whether it's on burgers, salads or quesadillas. 84% of consumers ...
Sensory appeal.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
Nov 01, 2003 ... Following are descriptors to promote cheese on your menu to increase your bottom line. <Pre> Aroma: Earthy, fresh, floral.nutty, smoky Flavor:Buttery, complex,creamy, explosive,rich, robust, ...
Point Reyes original blue cheese and grilled sirloin steak sandwich.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
Nov 01, 2003; ... <Pre> Serves 8 Ingredients 4 ounces Olive oil 1 Red onion, thinly sliced 1 cup Balsamic vinegar 2 pounds Sirloin steak Salt and ground black pepper, to taste 1 pound Point Reyes Original Blue cheese 16 slices Asiago bread 8 ounces Roasted red peppers ...
Everyone loves mac and cheese.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
Nov 01, 2003 ... Nearly 8 in 10 consumers (77%) love Macaroni and Cheese. * Using unique cheeses can make ...
Honey, I brought the cheddar.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
Nov 01, 2003 ... They might argue about everything from money to housework, out there's one thing that the sexes agree upon ... Cheddar. Hen and women alike rank ...
Cheese accompaniments.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
Nov 01, 2003 ... Fresh and dried fruits fruit and nut breads, compotes and crackers sauces and honey ... "It's not just a piece of fruit or piece of bread accompanying cheese these days. People are getting very creative," says cheese specialist Raymond Hook. Here are a few proven complements. ...
How to care for your cheese.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
Nov 01, 2003 ... Cheese is alive! It breathes. "That's the mystery and fun part about it. It constantly changes once you purchase it," says Hiro Sone, chef-owner of Terra, St. Helena, Calif., and winner of the James Beard Foundation's 2003 award for "best chef in California." And herein also ...
Chef and cheesemaker.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
Nov 01, 2003 ... Chef, author and food historian John Folse, whose Lafitte's Landing restaurant is merely one part of a food manufacturing empire set in Louisiana spent two years researching cheese before opening up his own cheese plant. At Bittersweet Plantation Dairy, he currently produces ...
Cheesemaking as art and tradition.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
Nov 01, 2003 ... California, Oregon, Wisconsin, Vermont wherever there's a dairy tradition, artisan cheesemakers are setting up shop, producing creamy, rich, hand-crafted wheels of what writer Clifton Fadiman has called "milk's leap toward immortality." It does seem that behind every great ...
The cheese course comes into its own.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
Nov 01, 2003 ... The old world tradition of the cheese course has come into its own in America, spurred on by the widespread availability of outstanding domestic specialty cheeses and the demands of well-educated, well-traveled diners seeking new taste experiences. Growth has been "explosive," ...
Quick guide to pairing cheese with wine: wine and cheese are two of the most compatible foods in the world. This guide was created by Master Sommelier Larry Stone of Rubicon in San Francisco.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
Nov 01, 2003; ... <Pre> Quick Guide to Pairing Cheese Wine Wine and cheese are two of the most compatible foods in the world. This guide was created by Master Sommelier Larry Stone of Rubicon in San Francisco. Cheese Tasting Notes Asiago Asiago's mildly nutty favor ...
Cheese & wine: perfect partners.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
Nov 01, 2003 ... While wine and cheese are natural partners, the question often arises: Which wines bring out the best in each cheese? Perhaps the most important word is "acidity," says a leading authority, Master Sommelier Larry Stone of Rubicon, San Francisco. "When you're trying to put the ...
Cheese and beer: a hot new trend.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
Nov 01, 2003 ... Pairing cheese with beer is a new trend that is appearing in restaurants across the country. As a general rule of thumb, lighter beers go with lighter cheeses and strongly flavored beers pair best with more assertive cheeses. It's like equating lagers with white wines and ales ...
Staying power: Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. builds its management bench to ensure the success of new units.(Human Assets)
Nov 01, 2003; ... Life might be like a box of chocolates, but Scott Barnett knows better than to take any chances with the future of a successful restaurant chain. When the president and CEO of Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., founded in 1996 and based on the motion picture Forrest Gump, set out in 2001 to improve ...
Get the door: QSR customers use delivery the most for pizza, at dinner and on the weekend.(Traffic Trends)
Nov 01, 2003; ... Pizza chains are the overwhelming share winner in delivered QSR meals, according to Quick Track, a quarterly survey by Villa Park, Calif.-based research firm Sandelman & Associates. A 21 quarter average shows that 86.8 percent of all delivery occasions were from national pizza chains. ...
Tandem bikers: Auntie Anne's Anne and Jonas Beiler get away from it all while riding together.(Off The Clock)
Nov 01, 2003; ... Jonas Beiler had been riding motorcycles for about 10 years when he urged his wife, Anne, to try it in 1980. He had hesitated because his brother, Leon, who had introduced the couple when they were teenagers, had died in a motorcycle accident shortly after they were married. Anne says she ...