thoughts from Seattle

JFK, not JFK AGAIN !!! after a red eye from Seattle there is no place you want to be but JFK......but that's not important.

Three days of Caffine, Bread and Pizza have taken their toll but clarity is somehow the end of this... Something about Seattle that brings me around.

you could say this has been a tough couple of weeks!! Cheeries,Parfaits,focaccia, sr exec insecurity, FOM's that think they are food guys and franchisees that aren't laughing were really starting to take their toll on my sanity. But leave it to seattle to bring me back...the best thing it was PANERA in Seattle that did the trick!!!

After a day of touring some of seattle's best coffee and bakiers while trying to keep the rest of the leadership team from going over the cliff I was feeling drained. But Tue AM I once again found the promised land and it was in Kent Washington at the Panera.

we walked in and it was everything that makes you say WOW!!! This thing really Rocks!!

Some of the finest pastries and baked goods we've ever seen, anywhere. Wow they look great when they are done right...Just beautiful. But wait new focaccia, Ciabatta, egg sandwiches, Parfait and new coffee all live here 3000 miles from Inlet. It all looked great!!! People there LIKE the paper cups (envirionmental issues are serious there). the new coffee tags look great (brewed at..) and the ciabatta makes the egg sandwich ROCK!!

As I'm standing there taking it all in a regular comes up next to me and assuming it's my first time in a Panera says "it's all great!!!, the food here is wonderful"
NICE!!!

watching all the positive energy just makes sense of all the stuff we have to deal with. It's like a religous experience!!!


Thanks to everyone out there for creating and executing nothing short of the best food in the business... makes me proud..

we had some laughs and might even have some insight on how to sell bread better. More on that later.

where's my gate, get me home!!!! I hate JKF

On the road again-A video montage

Burger King goes on a health kick for our chubby kids

Burger King next year will offer healthier fast-food items for children under 12, with plans to sell and market flame-broiled Chicken Tenders and apples cut to resemble thick-cut french fries.Burger King Holdings Inc., the world's second largest hamburger chain, said it has set nutritional guidelines to follow when targeting children under 12 in advertising, including limiting ads to Kids Meals that contain no more than 560 calories, less than 30 percent of calories from fat and no more than 10 percent of calories from added sugars.In that vein, Burger King is building a Kids Meal that will contain the flame-broiled Tenders, organic unsweetened applesauce and low-fat milk, for a total of 305 calories and 8.5 grams of fat. It will be available in restaurants sometime in 2008, the company said.The fast-food chain is also developing what it calls BK Fresh Apple Fries. The red apples are cut to resemble french fries and are served in the same containers as fries, but they are not fried and are served skinless and cold."We not only want to better inform parents and kids about these new menu options but also to demonstrate through product innovation that better-for-you foods can be fun and taste good," John Chidsey, Burger King's chief executive, said last week.The 2.4-ounce serving of Apple Fries will have 35 calories, the company said. A small serving of Burger King french fries has 230 calories and 13 grams of fat, according to Burger King's Web site.Burger King will use U.S. grown apples that are cut and packaged in a sterile environment and subjected to a pre-wash that contains lemon to keep them from turning brown, said Burger King spokesman Keva Silversmith.The Miami-based company will continue to offer its fried Chicken Tenders on its menu. The flame-broiled Tenders have 145 calories and 6 grams of fat per four-piece children's serving. A four-piece serving of fried Tenders has 170 calories and 10 fat grams.Miriam Pappo, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, said the move is part of a trend to offer healthier products at restaurants as people become more aware of nutrition and take interest in exactly what they are eating."It's a good trend. The actual ultimate solution is still to eat less fast food," said Pappo, clinical nutrition manager at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. "It will only be successful if it tastes good and it will only be successful if it fills the child up."Long criticized for a lack of healthier options, several quick-service food chains in recent years have developed items for those seeking fast access to a less-expensive meal that has fewer calories and less fat than a burger, french fries and a soda.Burger chain leader McDonald's Corp. offers apple slices with a low-fat caramel dip and low-fat milk in its Happy Meals, while offering salads and fruit parfaits on its regular menu. Wendy's International Inc. offers salads, yogurt with granola and mandarin oranges.Burger King also sells salads and has a veggie burger. It did not reveal a price for its new children's items because food and paper costs have not been set, Silversmith said.Ronni Litz Julien, a Miami nutritionist and author, praised Burger King but said it was the responsibility of parents to teach their children to eat healthier."I'm elated with the idea that they are paying more attention to the children today," Julien said. "The truth of the matter is that children in this country have never been more unhealthy. Fast food has been a big part of that. If a parent doesn't encourage this from the get go for their children, whether its 4 years old or 10 years old, it can't possibly be successful."

25% is right!

You were all right, Ronnie an crew own about a 25% share of breakfast.

Breakfast is fast becoming the most analyzed and dissected meal occasion of the day, with about $1 billion in annual sales hinging on the ability of leading brands to match the right products with the appropriate consumer segment. Mornings can be a tough time to make a sale, so it should come as no surprise that consumers--young and old--are likely to beg off a real hot breakfast because they are too hurried, too sleepy, not interested in what's being offered, or planning to hit the Golden Arches on their way to work or school.

Over the edge and plummeting!

This is a post from my old college professor Dr. James Goldth down in North Carolina. He now writes for QSR magazine and is a contributor to the Village Voice, Wine spectator and the Food Network. Apparently he sees the path of Cosi's downward spiral, which alot of us knew to begin with....................Good points for all ! Danny

I saw an earlier post about how chaotic it is in their stores. I have to agree, but that is not why I am writing. It seems that the Cosi has not managed its brand placement well. They are not a quick coffee stop like starbucks, nor a chill place for friends with food like Caribou Coffee. They try and straddle both worlds and fail.
They also have not handled their brand development and expansion well. They have not licensed their name or co partnered with complimentary food companies.For instance they could license their name to an energy drink company and their flat bread to a baked goods retailer. This way they diversify there market and revenue channels, increase brand recognition and decrease liability by passing it off to a third party contract manufacturer. I know some of their key personal have been in the job less than a year, but the basics of service could be addressed.
I don't know, but I don't think this is the next starbucks and I would not expect the stock to double by year end unless they do something drastic (like merge).

Don't let this happen to you!!!

Arrested For Salting A Police Officer

McDonald's worker nabbed for over-seasoning Georgia cop's burger

SEPTEMBER 10--A McDonald's employee was arrested last Friday for salting a police officer. Specifically, Kendra Bull, 20, is accused of the over-seasoning of a hamburger served to Officer Wendell Adams, who was reportedly sickened by a Big N' Tasty burger served at a McDonald's in an Atlanta suburb. According to a Union City Police Department report, Bull told cops she accidentally put too much salt and pepper on the hamburger, but since managers had been concerned about waste, she "had gone ahead and used the hamburger." A copy of the police report can be found below. Investigators contend that Bull dumped the excessive condiments "on the whole hamburger on purpose." Bull, pictured in the mug shot at right, was arrested on a misdemeanor reckless conduct charge, for which she spent a night in jail before posting $1000 bail. While the illegal adulteration of food served to law enforcement officials has been widely chronicled in these pages--from loogies to pot to kitchen cleanser--Bull's bust is the first for such savory behavior. (2 pages)

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