Yum Brands Inc., which thrives on budget diners at its Pizza Hut, KFC and Taco Bell chains, will increase menu prices this year in various parts of the world in response to rapidly rising food costs.

The pricing plan, which will be implemented in varying stages, follows on the company’s strong fourth-quarter results posted Monday and positive 2012 outlook, instilling confidence among investors who may have been concerned about Yum’s momentum given its high exposure to volatile emerging markets. The stock rose 2.75%, to $64.93 in Tuesday trading–marking a 10% rise so far this year.

Yum’s restaurants in China–namely Pizza Hut Casual Dining and KFC–have the biggest impact on its overall business, helping increase its profits 30% in the fourth quarter. However, food and labor inflation are nibbling away at its China restaurant margins, which fell to 15.8% in the quarter from 18.2% the year before, despite menu price increases.

Continue reading . . .

Response to our first ever year in review (Top 20 Restaurant News Stories 2011) was so great, we just couldn’t help but serve up another heapin’ helping.

Following is a list of the Top 100 restaurant news stories read on RestaurantNews.com for 2011.

100) The Cheesecake Factory Serves National Cheesecake Day Deal

99) Whataburger Launches New All-Time Favorites Menu

98) Steak ‘n Shake: The History of Hamburger Restaurant Chains

97) Chipotle Unveils Details about New Asian Restaurant Concept

96) California Tortilla Dishes Up Advice on Successfully Using Social Media

95) Original BUBBA burger Grill Restaurants Under Development in Jacksonville, FL

94) Red Robin’s Prime Chophouse Burger Returns

93) 50 Best Brunches in the U.S. Chosen by OpenTable Diners

92) Wingstop Opens First Location in Monterrey, Mexico

91) Furr’s Fresh Buffet to Open in Spring, Texas

90) Successful Startup Restaurant Business Plans

89) U.S. Foodservice Is Now US Foods – Keeping Kitchens Cooking Across America

88) Red Mango Celebrates 100th Store With Introduction of Dark Chocolate Frozen Yogurt Nationwide

87) Restaurant Consultant Reveals 80 Most Common Restaurant Mistakes

86) CiCi’s Pizza Announces American Classics Line with Introduction of New Cheeseburger Pizza

85) White Castle: The History of Hamburger Restaurant Chains

84) United Capital Finances $2 million for Five Guys Burgers and Fries Operator

83) Top 10 Mistakes for a Startup Restaurant

82) Food Network Magazine Reveals the Best Pizza in Every State

81) Dining Out with Food Allergies & Intolerances: Now There’s an App for That

80) Papa John’s Continues Valentine’s Day Tradition with Heart-Shaped Pizza

79) Restaurants, Burger Lovers Celebrate National Hamburger Month

78) Shops at Starwood brings Smashburger to Frisco

77) Red Robin Debuts New Oktoberfest Bürger for a Limited Time Only

76) Panera Bread Enhances Spring Menu with Addition of Sirloin Steak Offerings

75) Panda Express Launches New Golden Treasure Shrimp with Free Offer March 9

74) Famous Dave’s Introduces Six New Menu Items Under 600 Calories

73) Hooters Partners with Kenny Chesney’s Goin’ Coastal Tour

72) Restaurateurs Think Yelp, Groupon Are Hurting Business

71) FREEBIRDS World Burrito Opening Restaurant Across from USC

70) Darden Restaurants to Buy Two Seafood Brands for $59 Million

69) Bru’s Room Sports Grill To Open Two New Locations In Stuart and Pembroke Pines in 2011

68) Dunkin’ Donuts Introduces Frozen Hot Chocolate

67) T.G.I. Friday’s Now Serving Brunch

66) Facebook, Twitter, and Smartphones Lead Social Media-Fueled Innovation Within U.S. Foodservice

65) Hurricane Grill & Wings Inks Deals for 223 New Restaurants

64) Bravo Brio Restaurant Group, Inc. Reports Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2010

63) T.G.I. Friday’s Introduces New Pick 2 for $10 Menu

62) Restaurant Marketing Tips for the Holiday Season

61) Friendly’s Enters Chapter 11, Closes 63 Restaurants

60) Wingstop Debuts Glider Chicken Sandwiches

59) McDonald’s Under Storm

58) Chili’s New Lunch Break is Recess for Adults

57) Domino’s Introduces New Wings and Boneless Chicken

56) Houston Man Selected as Tasti D-Lite’s September ‘Healthy Habit’ Winner

55) “Free Fries Friday” at Burger King December 16th

54) P.F. Chang’s Provides Tax Day Relief by Rewarding All Customers with 15 Percent Savings on April 18

53) Winner of Chipotle’s “Wrap What You Love” Contest Takes Home $10K

52) Perkins & Marie Callender’s Files Bankruptcy, Announces Restaurant Closings

51) IHOP Open on Thanksgiving Day and Giving Thanks With Bounceback Coupon

50) Church’s Chicken Beat Popeyes in a National Spicy Chicken Taste Test

49) World’s Largest Buffalo Wild Wings Opening in Brea

48) Wolfgang Puck’s CUT Las Vegas Debuts iPad Wine List

47) Blue Coast Burrito Opens in Cookeville

46) New York Bagel Café & Deli continues its expansion throughout the East Coast

45) Starbucks and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters to Start Partnership

44) Burger King Offers Two-for-One Original Chicken Sandwich Deal

43) Philly Pizza Restaurant Rolling in the Dough with Text Message Marketing

42) Restaurant Operators to Get More Social at NRA Show 2011

41) BJ’s Restaurant Sets New Opening Day Sales Record in Tyler, Texas

40) Lucky Mint, Baskin-Robbins March Flavor of the Month

39) Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse to Open in Boston’s Seaport District

38) McDonald’s Monopoly Returns with Millions of Prizes

37) Coffee Chain Loyalty Survey Brews Surprising Results

36) OpenTable Diners Reveal the Hottest Restaurants in the US

35) CiCi’s Pizza Signs Agreement for 16 New Restaurants in Texas

34) Seven Leading U.S. Restaurant Trends for 2012

33) Baja Fresh CEO David Kim Goes Undercover on CBS’s “Undercover Boss”

32) Whataburger Releases Online Survey Results Naming Customer Favorite

31) Bankrupt Restaurant Chain Lays Off 1,260 Overnight

30) Top 50 Restaurants in the U.S. with the Most Scenic Views

29) Restaurant Deals and Specials for Veterans Day

28) National Restaurant Association Member Tells Congress New 1099 Mandate Will Overwhelm Small Businesses, Urges Immediate Repeal

27) Arby’s Announces New “It’s Good Mood Food” Marketing Campaign

26) Wendy’s/Arby’s Group Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2010 Results

25) The Power of a Loyal Customer Base

24) Wendy’s Introduces Berry Almond Chicken Salad

23) Restaurant Manager’s Handbook a Restaurant Operations Bestseller

22) Oporto to Open First Location in Rancho Cucamonga, California

21) BJ’s Restaurants Opens at Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento, California

20) Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant Owners Receive 2011 Faces of Diversity Award

19) Seafood Specialties, Culinary Confections Ring In The New Year At The Grand Central Oyster Bar

18) Outback Steakhouse Free Steak Dinner Deal a Restaurant Marketing Win

17) National Restaurant Association Responds to the State of the Union Address

16) Restaurants Tossing a Summer of Salads

15) KFC Launches New 10-Piece Buckets, Helps Cash-Strapped Choirs

14) IHOP Offers New Chicken and Waffles For Limited Time

13) McDonald’s Introduces New McCafe Shakes

12) McDonald’s Reintroduces the Asian Salad

11) Restaurants Serving Up Social Media Connections

10) Cracker Barrel and The Grascals Celebrate #1 Debut on Billboard Bluegrass Chart

9) Five Emerging Trends in the Foodservice Industry

8) IHOP’s All You Can Eat Pancakes Promotion is Back

7) McDonald’s Offers New Fruit & Maple Oatmeal

6) SONIC Adds Four New Premium Beef Hot Dogs to Menu

5) After 119 Years, the Ice Cream Sundae Still a Restaurant Favorite

4) Burger King Offers Original Chicken Sandwich Deal for Fourth of July Weekend

3) Pizza Hut Launches Ultimate Cheese Lover’s with $10.99 Any Lover’s Deal and Facebook Sweepstakes

2) Golden Corral Restaurants Launch Endless Baby Back Ribs Promo

1) Phillips Seafood Opens Two New Airport Restaurants

Yum! Brands Chairman and CEO David Novak Shares Break-Through Leadership Strategies in New Book, TAKING PEOPLE WITH YOU

Louisville, KY  (RestaurantNews.com)  How do you lead an organization of any size – from a tiny startup to a global giant – to make big things happen? Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM), the world’s largest restaurant company, announced today the publication of TAKING PEOPLE WITH YOU: The Only Way to Make BIG Things Happen (Portfolio Penguin, January 2012) by David Novak, Yum! chairman and chief executive officer. Novak shares the secrets of the unique “Taking People With You” leadership program he has developed and taught during his fifteen years at Yum! to thousands of managers and franchisees around the world.

Whether starting a business, developing or launching a new product, moving a company in a new direction or raising money for a good cause, TAKING PEOPLE WITH YOU has the answers to empower people at all levels personally and professionally. The book offers a step-by-step guide to setting big goals, getting others on board, achieving break-through results and celebrating after people “shock the skeptics.” Specific tools are included at the end of each chapter that challenge readers to reflect on how they are doing on key aspects of leadership.

Novak teaches leaders will never make big things happen until they learn how to get people aligned, enthusiastic and focused relentlessly on the mission. Yum!’s track record of success, with at least 13 percent earnings-per-share growth for each of the last nine years, proves his point. Under his leadership, Yum! has established itself as a global powerhouse going from approximately 20 percent profits coming from outside the U.S. in 1997 to more than 65 percent in 2010, while driving one of the highest returns on invested capital in the restaurant industry. Today, Yum! is the leading retail developer in China as well as the largest and fastest growing restaurant company in emerging markets with a two-to-one advantage over its nearest competitor. Additionally, Novak has built Yum!’s entire global people-first culture around reward and recognition to drive results.

TAKING PEOPLE WITH YOU is filled with street-smart wisdom from David Novak as well as leadership advice from other renowned business icons and management experts such as Warren Buffett, Jack Welch, John O’Keeffe (creator and author of Business Beyond the Box), Larry Senn (chairman and founder of Senn Delaney) and many others. It teaches people to change the way they think about leadership and practice it such as:

• Get inside the heads of your people. You can’t convince them of anything until you see the world from their perspective.
• Think big. If your sales growth last year was 3.5 percent, don’t aim for 4 percent this year, aim for 15 percent. Even if you fail, you’ll probably do better than you would have with a smaller goal.
• Practice “extraordinary authenticity.” Show occasional vulnerability and admit when you don’t have the answers.
• Look for good ideas in unexpected places. Earlier in Novak’s career when he was head of the Frito-Lay account at an advertising agency, he and his team came up with the idea for Cool Ranch Doritos during a field trip to a grocery store’s salad dressing aisle.
• Choose a can-do mind-set. There’s a huge difference between a boss who says “We can try this” and one who says “We can do this!”
• Cheer for first downs, not just touchdowns. Publicly recognizing and rewarding small wins keeps everyone motivated for the long haul.
• Get rid of cynics. In many teams one person will reject your values and spread negative energy. Moving that person out will show everyone else you’re serious.

Whether you are a CEO, an entrepreneur, or new to the business world, TAKING PEOPLE WITH YOU will help you get into the right leadership mind-set, develop a strategy and build alignment, and follow-through on the execution of the plan.

All of Novak’s proceeds from TAKING PEOPLE WITH YOU will be donated to the United Nations World Food Programme in conjunction with Yum! Brands global hunger relief efforts. Visit www.takingpeoplewithyou.com.

About the Author

Recognized as one of the world’s “30 Best CEOs” by Barron’s, one of the “Top People in Business” by FORTUNE and one of the “100 Best-Performing CEOs in the World” by Harvard Business Review, Yum! chairman and chief executive officer David Novak is known for motivating people, cultivating leaders and building winning teams. He is also the recipient of the national 2008 Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship. Prior to leading Yum!, he was president of both KFC and Pizza Hut and held senior management positions at PepsiCo. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife. He is also the author of THE EDUCATION OF AN ACCIDENTAL CEO: Lessons Learned from the Trailer Park to the Corner Office (Crown Business, October 2007) that chronicles his personal journey to chairman and chief executive officer and the lessons that proved valuable along the way.

About Yum! Brands

Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, is the world’s largest restaurant company in terms of system restaurants with more than 36,000 restaurants in more than 117 countries and 1.4 million company and franchise associates. Yum! is ranked #214 on the Fortune 500 List, with revenues of more than $11 billion in 2010. The Company’s restaurant brands – KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell – are the global leaders of the chicken, pizza and Mexican-style food categories. Outside the United States, the Yum! Brands system opened approximately four new restaurants each day of the year, making it a leader in international retail development. The Company has consistently been recognized for its reward and recognition culture, diversity leadership, community giving, and consistent shareholder returns.

Contact

Yum! Brands, Inc.
Virginia Ferguson, 502-874-8200
or
Weber Shandwick
Michael Schiferl, 312-988-2017

Top 20 Restaurant News Stories 2011

Stick a fork in it.  2011 is done.  And almost every media outlet in the world has put together some type of Top Stories list.  RestaurantNews.com has been serving up online restaurant news for over 12 years, but this is the first time we’ve stepped up to the Year in  Review buffet.

Following is a list of the Top 20 stories read on RestaurantNews.com over the past year.

Update: Top 100 stories of 2011.


20) Mesob Ethiopian Restaurant Owners Receive 2011 Faces of Diversity Award
In April, the National Restaurant Association honored Ethiopian sisters Berekti and Akberet Mengistu, owner-operators of Mesob restaurant in Montclair, N.J., with its 2011 Faces of Diversity American Dream Award.  The Mengistu sisters have operated Mesob for over seven years with Berekti handling the business operations and Akberet serving as chef.

19) Seafood Specialties, Culinary Confections Ring In The New Year At The Grand Central Oyster Bar
Grand Central Oyster Bar made a surprising, last minute jump into our Top 20 with the annoucement of executive chef Sandy Ingber special New Year’s Eve menu of seafood delicacies available for lunch and dinner at the historic restaurant “below sea level” in Grand Central Terminal.

18) Outback Steakhouse Free Steak Dinner Deal a Restaurant Marketing Win
Outback Steakhouse made a move that dominated restaurant marketing news in August by giving away one million free steak dinners in its Great Aussie Steak Out promotion.  The promotion was designed to introduce Outback’s new wood-fire grill steak preparation and new menu options.  RestaurantNews.com served up a tasty review of the campaign.

17) National Restaurant Association Responds to the State of the Union Address
The National Restaurant Association responded to President Obama’s job creation speech in January, and called attention to its “America Works Here” campaign which was formed to help educate opinion leaders, policymakers, and their staff members about the breadth, depth, scope and influence of the restaurant industry on the American economy.

16) Restaurants Tossing a Summer of Salads
It was the Summer of Salads as restaurants across America offered up a super summer salad fiesta. If you’re a salad lover, then you were in for a summer of tasty green treats.  RestaurantNews.com took a look at the salad offerings of several national restaurant chains.

15) KFC Launches New 10-Piece Buckets, Helps Cash-Strapped Choirs
To launch its new 10-piece 10 Buck Sunday Bucket deal in March, Kentucky Fried Chicken offered 11 struggling choirs across the country $1,000 grants to help keep their harmonies alive.  Members of The St. Louis Children’s Choirs kicked off the program at a KFC restaurant in St. Louis.

14) IHOP Offers New Chicken and Waffles For Limited Time
In March, IHOP rolled out its Chicken and Waffles, becoming the first restaurant chain to offer the combination nationwide.  The Chicken and Waffles, a limited time promotion, included four golden all white meat chicken tenders with four light and crisp Belgian waffle quarters.

13) McDonald’s Introduces New McCafe Shakes
In February, McDonald’s announced plans to “shake things up” with the introduction of the McCafe Shake in its restaurants.  The McCafe Shakes feature the three classic milkshake flavors (chocolate, vanilla and strawberry) in a clear McCafe cup, topped with whipped cream and a cherry.

12) McDonald’s Reintroduces the Asian Salad
McDonald’s brought back its popular Asian Salad in May for a limited time.  The Asian Salad consists of greens, edamame, snow peas, red bell peppers, mandarin oranges, toasted almonds and an orange-glazed grilled or crispy white meat chicken breast filet.

11) Restaurants Serving Up Social Media Connections
Many restaurants today are still left sitting at the cutting board trying to figure out a successful recipe for social marketing, while the early adopters are reaping the rewards of a lucrative, successful social media push.  People are hungry for much more than food. They want to feel connected, and social media allows them to feel as if they are a part of the whole restaurant family.

10) Cracker Barrel and The Grascals Celebrate #1 Debut on Billboard Bluegrass Chart
In January, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and The Grascals announced the #1 debut of The Grascals & Friends – Country Classics with a Bluegrass Spin on the Billboard Top Bluegrass Albums chart.  The CD is part of Cracker Barrel’s exclusive music program.

9) Five Emerging Trends in the Foodservice Industry
In today’s competitive foodservice industry, it’s becoming increasingly important for brands to engage guests and employees in a more meaningful and personal manner.  Steve Prodger, Vice President of Food Services with Empathica, reviewed how restaurants could gain a better understanding of the ways customers want to be engaged and how that information can be used to earn lifelong, loyal clientele.

8) IHOP’s All You Can Eat Pancakes Promotion is Back
IHOP brought back its limited time All You Can Eat Pancakes promotion at the beginning of the year.  IHOP guests could order unlimited pancakes, served three at a time, for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

7) McDonald’s Offers New Fruit & Maple Oatmeal
McDonald’s kicked off the year with the introduction of its Fruit & Maple Oatmeal, made with whole grains, light cream, brown sugar, red and green apples, cranberries, and two varieties of raisins.  The breakfast item is available throughout the day at any McDonald’s location, comes with or without brown sugar, and is also available in a less sweetened version.

6) SONIC Adds Four New Premium Beef Hot Dogs to Menu
Hot dogs have been an American favorite for generations. At the beginning of the year, Every Day with Rachael Ray declared 2011 as the Year of the Hot Dog.  SONIC agreed, rolling out a new line of Premium Beef Hot Dogs with a variety of toppings.  The drive-in restaurant chain offered up a Chicago Dog, a New York Dog, an All-American Dog and the Chili Cheese Coney for $1.99 each.

5) After 119 Years, the Ice Cream Sundae Still a Restaurant Favorite
In April, the ice cream sundae celebrated its 119th birthday.  Over the years, they became a mainstay in the restaurant industry, evolving and giving birth to a new generation of restaurant sundaes including the McFlurry and the Blizzard.  RestaurantNews.com took a look at ice cream sundaes offered up by some of your favorite restaurants.

4) Burger King Offers Original Chicken Sandwich Deal for Fourth of July Weekend
Burger King’s flame-broiled Whopper may be the burger chain’s most famous menu item, but with a price point of $1.04, the Original Chicken Sandwich ruled the roost during a Fourth of July weekend promotion.  The crispy, premium white meat chicken patty topped with shredded lettuce and mayo on a bakery-style, sesame seed bun has been a menu favorite since 1979.

3) Pizza Hut Launches Ultimate Cheese Lover’s with $10.99 Any Lover’s Deal and Facebook Sweepstakes
Pizza Hut launched its Ultimate Cheese Lover’s pizza in May.  The company offered up the Ultimate Cheese Lover’s, the Pepperoni Lover’s, the Meat Lover’s, and the Veggie Lover’s for $10.99.  The pizza chain also began running its Ultimate Lover’s Lover Facebook sweepstakes, awarding a $50 Pizza Hut gift cards daily and free pizza for a year for weekly winners.

2) Golden Corral Restaurants Launch Endless Baby Back Ribs Promo
Golden Corral rolled out an abundance of new ribs products in April, including Baby Back Ribs. This array of  freshly-prepared BBQ ribs products was in addition to the buffet chain’s 150-item, every day dinner buffet, which includes slow-cooked Pot Roast, made-from-scratch Meatloaf, and grilled-to-order USDA dinner buffet Sirloin Steaks.

1) Phillips Seafood Opens Two New Airport Restaurants
In July, Phillips Seafood announced the opening of two new airport restaurant locations: Newark Liberty International as well as Harrisburg International Airport bringing the total to nine successful airport restaurant operations.  Both full service locations feature a traditional Phillips menu offering signature crab dishes, genuine Maryland style favorites and specialty drinks.  The restaurants are franchises with two leading concessionaires.

When Americans are too busy or lazy to cook, they often place an order with their favorite Chinese restaurant. So who do people in China call when they want food delivered? Increasingly, McDonald’s and KFC.

Delivery is becoming an important part of the growth strategy at McDonald’s Corp. and Yum Brands Inc.’s KFC chain in parts of the world where cities are too crowded and real estate costs too high to justify building drive-throughs.

In cities like Beijing, Seoul and Cairo, armies of motorbike delivery drivers outfitted in colorful uniforms and bearing food in specially designed boxes strapped to their backs make their way through bustling traffic to deliver Big Macs and buckets of chicken wings.

Continue reading . . .

Fast-food chain Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen has 75 restaurants in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties, and it plans to open 24 more despite the lagging economy.

Chicken-centric Popeyes, however, doesn’t plan on launching the new outlets on its own dime. It’s seeking franchisees – would-be entrepreneurs willing to take on the expense and risk of opening their own businesses.

“We just don’t have the resources to build everywhere ourselves,” said Greg Vojnovic, vice president of development of Popeyes, owned by AFC Enterprises Inc.

Restaurant chain franchising is on a slow but steady increase, and not just at Popeyes.

Yum Brands Inc. this year planned to turn about 400 of its company-owned restaurants into franchises, most of them KFCs. And in September the company agreed to sell two of its chains – Long John Silver’s and A&W – to firms that specialize in franchising.

Continue reading . . .

KFC Discovers Colonel Sanders' Unpublished "Food Autobiography"

KFC has discovered an unpublished “food autobiography” of the company’s founder, Colonel Harland Sanders, hidden in the company’s Louisville archival storage facility for the past 40 years.

The original autobiography provides an authentic look into the life of the world’s legendary entrepreneur and is centered on his passion for food, hard work and the importance of home-style country cooking. In it, the Colonel shares his personal memoirs and perspectives, life lessons, anecdotes and stories about everything from food to family, business, hard work, customers and franchisees and importantly, some of his own favorite personal recipes.

An excerpt from the opening chapter reads:

“This is a new kind of book. There’s never been another written like it as far as I know. It’s the story of a man’s life and the story of the food he’s cooked and eaten, running right along with it. The food I’ve liked, the work I’ve done and the way I think are all the same thing. I’m going to tell how I grew up and at the same time how you can have the kind of food I grew up on. I’m making room in these pages for real old-time American country and farm cooking before it’s forgotten. I was a farm boy and lean toward farm cooking. To me, my recipes are priceless.”

The Colonel learned to cook down-home, country-style food at an early age from his mother and carried those skills with him throughout his life. In the “food autobiography”, he shared for the first time his personal collection of favorite recipes that he gathered and perfected over his lifetime, including his very first recipe to make light bread which he mastered at age seven. A range of dishes are included for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with instructions on the right way to make biscuits, pancakes, omelets, casserole, pies and much more. One of his goals for the unpublished book was to provide inspiration and practical lessons for the home cook as well.

“We’ve uncovered a new secret of the Colonel’s and we want to share it with millions of KFC fans around the world,” said Roger Eaton, Chief Executive Officer, KFC Corp. “Colonel Sanders was a lifelong cook and sage and his life lessons are just as powerful and relevant today as they were forty years go. He is known for creating delicious home-style meals, developing recipes from scratch and sharing his strong beliefs with friends and family along the way. That’s why we are so delighted to let KFC fans know we will be releasing the ‘food autobiography’ next year,” added Eaton.

At the age of 65, Colonel Sanders turned a $105 Social Security check into a global chicken empire and until his death at the age of 90, traveled 250,000 miles a year visiting KFC restaurants worldwide.

The original manuscript for the “food autobiography” was discovered by accident by Amy Sherwood, a 30-year veteran of the company who immediately realized the value and significance of the find. The Company believes that if someone less knowledgeable about the brand had found the document, it likely would have stayed in the archives and remained undiscovered for years.

The original “food autobiography” has been put in the KFC’s vault, next to the Secret Original Recipe, which the Colonel made famous. The vault was modernized and remodeled in 2009 to go high tech. The custom-built, digital FireKing safe protecting KFCs secrets weighs more than 770 lbs. and has a one-half inch thick steel door. The computerized safe also has a dual-opening system that requires both a smart key and a personal identification number (PIN). A built-in silent alarm and time lock feature provide additional layers of safekeeping which alert the security team of any attempted intrusion and allow access to the safe during pre-set periods of time. The vault is under 24/7 closed circuit monitoring as well.

Restaurant News Bites: Golden Corral, Krystal, Hurricane Grill

OpenTable pulled information from over 10 million user reviews on 12,000 restaurants to compile their new Diner’s Choice Awards list. This recently released list shows the top 50 restaurants in the U.S. according to their wine lists. 21 states offered winners on the list, with wine-producer California accounting for 11 of them.

Social media has a surprisingly large impact on brand perception according to new research from Ogilvy-ChatThreads. Consumption and spending rose between two times and seven times as much when consumers encountered social media advertisements. TV advertising had a much greater effect when combined with these forms of media.

Chocolate fans have another reason to visit their local Golden Corral restaurant. The Chocolate Wonderfall, a chocolate fountain, is part of the regular buffet and comes with a variety of items for dipping, including pineapple, strawberries, Rice Krispies treats and marshmallows.

A Golden Corral franchisee has also received over $18 million in their latest round of funding. GC Partners will use the funding to help remodel many of their existing restaurants and build new ones. The loan for the North Carolina based company was given by GE Capital’s Franchise Finance division.

KFC is now offering another addition to their Famous Bowls line-up. The Cheesy Bacon Bowl starts with mashed potatoes, followed by a layer of corn and popcorn chicken. Three shredded cheeses and homemade gravy top it off, with a final sprinkling of smoky bacon. Famous Bowls were first introduced in 2005.

Wingstop has added a new flavor to their wing sauce menu for the first time in five years. The new flavor is a dry rub known as the Louisiana Rub. It combines tangy Cajun-style spices and herbs for a unique, slightly spicy flavor. The rub can be added to any wings, Glider sandwiches or chicken strips from Wingstop.

The Krystal restaurant chain is aiming for rapid expansion over the next half decade. The company wants to double its locations to 760 in total within five years. However, the company is also attempting to sell the chain. The expansion is part of a plan to add stores in more profitable locations where the brand’s food is in demand.

Four new development agreements will create Hurricane Grill & Wings restaurants in 65 different locations. The planned restaurants will be scattered across the South and in Minnesota. The deals involve opening 22 locations in Northern Alabama and Georgia, 17 in Minnesota and 15 in the Central Florida region.

Pizza Inn is going to China. The chain has announced their plans to expand internationally by introducing their brand to China’s Zhejiang province. The new restaurant opening in Hangzhou recently and four more will open over the next two years. The menu offers a wide range of ingredients that US customers don’t have access to.

Some of the 40 million Americans currently receiving food stamps from the nation’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program may soon be able to use them at participating fast food restaurants.

Yum! Brands – the parent company of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC, Long John Silver’s and A&W – is lobbying to have food stamps be accepted at their restaurants.

“It makes perfect sense to expand a program that’s working well in California, Arizona and Michigan, enabling the homeless, elderly and disabled to purchase prepared meals with SNAP benefits in a restaurant environment,” Yum! spokesman Jonathan Blum told USA Today.

Continue reading . . .

KFC Sizzles With New Cheesy Bacon Bowl

KFC has added a new layer to its KFC Famous Bowls, giving bacon lovers a reason to go hog wild for the fan-favorite menu item now topped with smoky bacon goodness and priced at only $3.99.

KFC’s new Cheesy Bacon Bowls feature a generous serving of creamy mashed potatoes, layered with sweet kernel corn and loaded with bite-sized pieces of crispy Popcorn Chicken. The entire bowl is drizzled with signature home-style gravy and topped off with a shredded three-cheese blend – and now, a layer of crispy bacon.

“Five years ago we unveiled our KFC Famous Bowls to great consumer fanfare. The menu item was even named the Most Memorable New Product Launch of 2006,” said KFC Chief Marketing Officer Barry Westrum. “Since then, they’ve been a consistent fan favorite. And to honor the fifth anniversary, we’ve added an amazing new layer of bacon, creating the Cheesy Bacon Bowl.”

KFC wants to know what America thinks of its new Cheesy Bacon Bowls. The chain will pick one consumer who follows @kfc_colonel and tweets about the new savory layer of KFC’s Famous Bowls using the hashtag #BaconBowls to win a year’s worth of Cheesy Bacon Bowls and other KFC favorites².

Tweets will be reviewed between October 18 and October 28 and judged based on originality, creativity and adherence to brand relevance and bacon theme. Complete rules available at KFC.com.

KFC’s Cheesy Bacon Bowls offer six layers of famous KFC flavors for a portable, complete meal-on-the-go. In addition to the new Cheesy Bacon Bowls, KFC also offers the traditional Mashed Potato Bowl (all the ingredients of the Cheesy Bacon Bowl, except bacon).

Cheesy Bacon Bowls are available for $3.99 for a limited time at participating KFC restaurants.   Prices may vary. Tax extra.

The Friendly’s Ice Cream restaurant chain has laid off an estimated 1,260 employees. This came last Tuesday night after an announcement that the chain is filing for bankruptcy. Laying off this many workers is usually illegal under Federal law, but Friendly’s will get by because none of its locations employed more than 50 people in one place.

New research completed by Cornell University shows that about 25% of all take-out restaurants in the country offer some form of online ordering. Online ordering is more accurate and requires less labor than telephone ordering. 47% of pizza chains offer an online ordering option, while only 2% of fine-dining chains do.

OpenTable may be seeing strong growth in the terms of traffic and revenue, but the competition for online restaurant reservations is getting stiffer. People are also eating out less as a whole. The company tracks information on over 20,000 locations and accepts reservations for these restaurants as well.

KFC is pushing for a fundamental change in its communications programs, including television advertising. The chain says that the existing TV ads aren’t working properly to increase sales and bring in new customers. They are pushing the firm responsible for their ads, Ogilvy & Mather, to add more senior creative partners to the campaign for better results.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is highlighting their commitments to sustainability to draw in more traffic. The chain uses hormone-free cheese and dairy products, humanely raised chicken and beef and partners with independent farmers. A short video was played at a number of food and art festivals recently to explain this commitment.

Southern California-based The Veggie Grill chain has finished its third round of equity funding with $11 million. This amount was based on the strong growth and expansion shown by the new chain. Current shareholders and new investors both contributed to this round of funding.

The building in the South Loop of Chicago may not still house a White Castle restaurant, but it is considered a historical landmark by the city. It was the 16^th location for the chain and was built in 1930. The current owners operate an independent restaurant out of it and they purchased and renovated the building in 1982.

Jack in the Box is debuting a new sweet menu item with the addition of the Mini Cookies. For $1, diners get 5 freshly baked small cookies that use both candy coated chocolate pieces and regular chocolate chips. All 550 locations will be offering the small dessert starting at the end of this week.

October 20^th marks the 20^th anniversary celebration for the Pretzelmaker chain. To celebrate their birthday, all locations will offer visitors a free order of Pretzel Bites. These Bites are small pieces of pretzel dough perfect for snacking. No other purchase or coupon is necessary, but you will need a photo ID to get your free pretzels.

Atlanta-area Little Caesars restaurants are joining with the Children’s Miracle Network and local charities for a number of Miracle Balloon Drives. Purchasing a $1 makes a donation directly to the Children’s Miracle Network. This program helps fund children’s hospitals around the country, including Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

KFC said a “fundamental step change” is needed in terms of its communications especially its TV advertising, as the fast food giant also looks to change the way it remunerates its agencies.

The restaurant chain which spent $36.9m on main media in the 12 months ending June this year according to Nielsen, is also on the verge of appointing its first PR agency with three finalists under consideration.

Nikki Lawson, KFC’s chief marketing officer, told B&T it was looking at its television advertising in particular and is pushing ad agency Ogilvy & Mather to have more senior creatives work on the brand.

Continue reading . . .

Yum! Brands, the world’s largest restaurant company and parent of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, announced today the launch of its annual World Hunger Relief effort featuring multi-Grammy Award winner and international superstar Christina Aguilera in a new public service announcement. According to the United Nations, there are nearly 1 billion people around the world who are hungry today.

World Hunger Relief is the world’s largest private sector hunger relief effort, spanning 110 countries, 38,000 KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants and more than 1 million employees and franchise associates. The campaign raises awareness, volunteerism and funds for WFP and other hunger relief agencies.

The new PSA captures Aguilera standing on a dark stage that is artistically illuminated by sparkling lights held by children. As Aguilera sings a soulful a capella rendition of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, graphics illustrate how millions of children go to bed hungry. She urges people to join her in turning hunger into hope.

The PSA will start airing in mid-October. Aguilera will also appear in World Hunger Relief restaurant posters with the quote “Together, we have the power to save lives and go from hunger to hope” and online efforts, including the campaign’s website, FromHungertoHope.com.

Aguilera has served as global spokesperson for World Hunger Relief since 2009. She also serves as an “Ambassador Against Hunger” for WFP where she has traveled on relief trips with the organization to Haiti and Guatemala.

“As a mother, I can’t accept that children around the globe are going hungry and that’s why I’m so passionate about this issue,” said Aguilera. “My new PSA for World Hunger Relief is a twist on a classic lullaby but also a reminder that every night, millions of children go to sleep hungry. It gives those children a voice and shows how together, we can give every child a chance to dream,” added Aguilera.

“With nearly 1 billion people going hungry around the world, as well as the desperate situation in the Horn of Africa, we all need to help find a solution to this critical issue,” said David Novak, Chairman and CEO, Yum! Brands, Inc. “We are thankful for Christina’s efforts to help us build awareness, inspire volunteerism and raise money to fight hunger. As a company with a huge heart, we believe it is our privilege and responsibility to do everything we can to make a difference and save lives.”

Hunger and malnutrition are the number one risk to health worldwide – greater than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Among the key causes of hunger are natural disasters, conflict, poverty, poor agricultural infrastructure and over-exploitation of the environment.

Recently, financial and economic crises, coupled with drought, high food prices and conflict affecting more than 13 million in the Horn of Africa, have pushed more people into hunger. Yum! is directing the first $1 million from its World Hunger Relief effort this year to help WFP provide food to families affected by hunger and suffering the effects of drought in the Horn of Africa. Novak and other senior executives and franchise leaders from KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Yum! Restaurants International also traveled to Honduras last month to help WFP’s relief efforts in the country.

“The world hunger relief campaign provides life-saving food and nutrition to millions of children, transforming desperation to hope,” said Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of WFP. “This support enables school meal programs in the world’s most food-insecure areas, helping ensure children are not only being nourished, but can attend school, helping break the cycle of hunger and poverty.”

Consumers can visit FromHungertoHope.com or donate in the restaurants (no purchase necessary – see calendar below for dates that each brand’s participating restaurants begin their in–store campaign). Every U.S. dollar raised will go directly towards WFP’s operations to fight hunger around the world. One U.S. dollar provides four meals for hungry children at school.

Yum! plans to generate the equivalent of nearly $50 million in awareness of the hunger issue through a PSA, advertising, public relations, web–based communications and in–restaurant posters. The Company’s employees and franchisees will be volunteering their time around the globe at hunger relief agencies, food banks, soup kitchens and launching fundraisers.

Since World Hunger Relief launched in 2007, more than one million of the Company’s employees, franchisees and their families have volunteered more than 21 million hours to aid hunger relief efforts in communities worldwide. The effort has raised nearly $85 million for WFP and other hunger relief organizations and is helping to provide more than 350 million meals and save the lives of millions of people in remote corners of the world.

Yum! is also addressing hunger across the U.S. through its Harvest program. Since its launch over two decades ago, Harvest has become the largest prepared-food donation program in the world. Through Harvest, Yum! has donated over 125 million pounds of food, with a value of over $500 million, to those at risk of hunger in the U.S. The Company also has been the primary sponsor of the Dare to Care Food Bank in Louisville for nine years, and has donated nearly $9 million to this local agency.

Campaign Calendar: World Hunger Relief kicks off its fall campaign in the U.S. with Pizza Hut on September 25, Taco Bell on October 6 and KFC on October 17.

Twin chains Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. are adding new Steakhouse Burgers to their menus. The Steakhouse Burgers come in Six Dollar Burger and Thickburger options. Both are topped with blue cheese, A1 steak sauce, fried onion strings and Swiss cheese. Black Angus ground beef is used exclusively for the patties on these burgers.

The motivations and purchasing behaviors of lunch-time diners vary greatly based on their generation, according to new information from Technomic’s Lunch Consumer Trend Report. People under the age of 34 dine out for lunch the most. They also use value menu items for the lunch the most, while older people don’t consider the value menu as much when making lunch time decisions.

Uno’s is currently working on the largest franchise deal for the chain in its history. The new fast-casual concept for the brand, Uno Due Go, will grow by 30 units or more in Texas. The restaurants will be built in existing retail environments like airports, sports stadiums and hospitals to save money on leasing or new construction.

GE Capital’s Franchise Financing group has provided an additional $13 million to the Jack in the Box franchisee J&D Restaurant Group. The latest round of funding will help the company buy nearly 40 locations in the chain. The locations are all found in Texas. The company was founded last year in Dallas, Texas.

Jacksonville, Florida now has two more BUBBA burger Grill restaurants to dine out at. The chain developed from the best-selling frozen burger patties that became a hit in retail environments. Jacksonville already had one BUBBA burger location, but customer demand created an additional two locations. Fleming Island will also see their BUBBA burger location opening in the next few weeks.

KFC, under the management of Yum! Brands, is the newest national chain to integrate DigitalPersona products into their point-of-sale equipment. The products use biometric fingerprint scanning to accurately control employee and management access to cash registers and other equipment, as well as keeping clear records of access.

LongHorn Steakhouse is bringing its Western flair to Tupelo, Mississippi. The restaurant opened recently and raised over $700 for a local children’s charity at a pre-opening training event. 240 guests can be served at one time in and the restaurant brought over 80 jobs to the local community. The Atlanta-based chain is continuing the grow.

Good Times Restaurant & Frozen Custard is bringing the Sweet Potato Fries back to their menu for a limited time. Customers can enjoy the waffle-cut fries plain or dusted with cinnamon sugar until the end of December. The return of these fries brings the chain’s total fry options to four, with other favorites including the Green Chile Cheese fry.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit chain knows that they offer some of the best barbecue in the country, so to celebrate they are hosting an eating contest. The West Coast competition will take place in the Dickey’s restaurant in Pleasanton, California. Contestants will have six minutes, beginning at 1 pm on the 24^th, to eat as many pulled pork sandwiches as they can.

White Castle recognizes their employees and team members when they’ve served 25 years with the company. The ceremony for this year will see 89 new people inducted into the 25 Year Club. Over 1500 people are currently part of the club, with about 750 still on payroll or working at a White Castle location.

Yum! Brands has signed definitive agreements to sell Long John Silver’s, Inc. and A&W Restaurants, Inc. to two separate buyers led by key franchisee leaders. Both sales are subject to customary closing conditions.

“We are pleased to announce that we have identified strategic buyers who are passionate about these two great restaurant brands and committed to their growth potential,” said David C. Novak, Yum! Brands, Inc. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “As we continue to sharpen our long-term growth focus on international expansion and improving our US brand positions in KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s and A&W no longer fit our long-term growth strategy.”

The Company does not expect the sales to have a material impact to its ongoing earnings or cash flow. Both transactions are expected to close in the fourth quarter. Goldman, Sachs & Co. acted as exclusive financial advisor to Yum! Brands on the transactions.

Long John Silver’s will be acquired by LJS Partners LLC, led by a consortium of prominent franchisee leaders and other investors.

A&W will be acquired by A Great American Brand LLC, led by a franchisee leader with substantial interests in international A&W restaurants and the National A&W Franchisees Association representing U.S. A&W restaurant operators.

Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Ky., is the world’s largest restaurant company in terms of system restaurants with approximately 38,000 restaurants in more than 110 countries and territories. The company is ranked #214 on the Fortune 500 List, with revenues of more than $11 billion in 2010. Four of the company’s restaurant brands – KFC, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver’s and Taco Bell – are the global leaders of the chicken, quick-service seafood, pizza and Mexican-style food categories. A&W Restaurants is the longest running quick-service franchise chain in America. Outside the United States, the Yum! Brands system opened approximately four new restaurants each day of the year, making it a leader in international retail development. The company has consistently been recognized for its reward and recognition culture, diversity leadership, community giving, and consistent shareholder returns.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.  (RestaurantNews.com)  DigitalPersona, Inc., a global provider of authentication and endpoint protection solutions, today announced that many KFC restaurants owned by the chain’s franchisees are improving their loss prevention programs with DigitalPersona® fingerprint biometrics. Two such KFC franchisees, West Quality Food Service, Inc. and KBP Foods, are using DigitalPersona U.are.U® Fingerprint Readers, which are now available through the franchise’s central purchasing co-op, in restaurants across the Midwest and Southeast. They added the DigitalPersona biometrics to their existing NCR Advanced Restaurant (formerly Compris) point-of-sale (POS) software in order to eliminate the need for personal identification numbers (PINs) and to hold employees as well as managers more accountable. Both franchisees have seen an immediate reduction in payroll fraud and unauthorized transactions, resulting in improved operations and profits.

Employees at these KFC restaurants previously used PINs at point-of-sale terminals to access time-and-attendance systems, while managers used PINs to authorize discounts, voids and overrides. Unfortunately, employees were able to share PINs to inappropriately clock one another in, boosting labor costs. Similarly, staff could secretly use managers’ PINs to authorize fraudulent transactions, driving up the cost of food. Since integrating DigitalPersona fingerprint biometrics with each store’s POS software, the franchisees have significantly raised individual accountability by tying transactions to the specific employee that performed them.  Biometrics has proven to be a strong deterrent that has eliminated buddy punching and reduced the number of unauthorized transactions.

“When using PINs, it is difficult for a restaurant to quantify the impact of unauthorized transactions,” said Mike Servolini, Director – South Operations at West Quality Food Service. “With the DigitalPersona fingerprint solution, we have been able to track each manager’s and employee’s actions more closely, and have recognized a near-immediate reduction in food costs. This is directly attributed to the elimination of false voids and overrides.”

“Buddy punching is completely gone from our stores now that we’ve switched to DigitalPersona fingerprint biometrics,” said Chris Elwood, Area Coach, Omaha for KBP Foods. “Everyone is required to use their fingerprint to get into our systems, and anyone clocking in early or staying late has to get a manager’s fingerprint for approval. This gives us peace of mind that our labor costs are accurate.”

DigitalPersona U.are.U fingerprint readers have been integrated into more than 90 percent of the biometrically-enabled POS systems in the U.S. and are supported by a variety of commercial POS applications. DigitalPersona fingerprint readers enable restaurants and retailers to transition away from swipe cards and PINs, which can be easily lost, stolen or shared. In contrast, biometrics ties individuals to the actions they perform, providing a powerful deterrent to time-and-attendance and management-override fraud. Fingerprint biometrics also makes it easier for businesses to address the stringent Payment Card Industry (PCI) mandates for strong identity security controls and can improve productivity as well as customer response times by simplifying and speeding up system login.

“Fingerprint biometrics is emerging as the authentication method of choice for quick-serve restaurants,” said Jim Fulton, vice president of marketing at DigitalPersona. “Fingerprint readers are a mature, reliable technology that can be deployed quickly and easily, enabling ROI to begin immediately.  Our fingerprint readers have been known to pay for themselves in as little as four weeks.”

About DigitalPersona

DigitalPersona, Inc. is a global provider of strong authentication and endpoint protection solutions that close the gap between people and security for enterprises, government agencies and commercial embedded-solution developers. The company’s fingerprint biometrics technology helps organizations prevent fraud and increase accountability; it is incorporated into multiple national voting systems, almost all brands of biometrically-enabled point-of-sale (POS) stations, as well as many commercial applications in the retail, healthcare, and financial industries. DigitalPersona’s data and access protection software is shipped by computer manufacturers on millions of notebooks and desktop computers per year; its cloud- and Active Directory-managed solutions for full disk encryption, multi-factor/strong authentication and single sign-on (SSO) password management simplify compliance and cut IT costs. For more information contact DigitalPersona, Inc. at: +1 650.474.4000, or visit www.digitalpersona.com.

© 2011 DigitalPersona, Inc. All rights reserved. DigitalPersona and U.are.U are trademarks of DigitalPersona, Inc. registered in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

KFC is promoting their 100% breast meat Popcorn Chicken with a new deal. For a limited time, customers can pick up a large order of popcorn chicken morsels for just $2.99. A coupon will also be offered that adds a drink and a side item to the large popcorn chicken for just $3.99, making it a full meal.

Del Taco is adding new Pork Carnitas items, including the Carnitas Combo Burrito and the Carnitas Macho Nachos, for a limited time. The shredded pork is simmered slowly with spices and seasonings before being used in a variety of dishes. Guests who would like to try the new items can pick up a coupon for a free Carnitas Taco al Carbon on Del Taco’s Facebook page.

TCBY, The Country’s Best Yogurt chain, is focusing their expansion goals on Northern Colorado. To achieve this the chain recently signed new franchise agreements with Steve Lauer to open eight locations in the area by 2013. Lauer already owns and operates a number of Subway and Qdoba restaurants in Colorado.

O’Charley’s has hired a new Concept President who assumed the role on September 16^th. Marc Buehler will be in charge of maintaining and developing the entire concept of the brand. He brings decades of experience to the company after serving as the President and CEO of Kona Grill until June 2011.

For the second year in a row, Boston Market has joined in the Dine Out For No Kid Hungry fund-raising week. Boston Market locations will offer a coupon for a free side dish for any customer who donates at least $1 between September 18^th and 24^th. The money will be used to fight childhood hunger in America.

Zagat’s 2011 National Chain Restaurants Survey has been topped by Outback Steakhouse and Bonefish Grill. Bonefish Grill won in six categories, including Top Overall, Top Service, Top Food and Best Seafood. Outback Steakhouse won Best Steak for the third year in a row and also won the Best Overall Value category.

Yogurtini is cashing in on the popularity of self-serve frozen yogurt with an expansion campaign. The chain will be opening their newest location in Highlands Ranch, Colorado this Saturday. To celebrate the grand opening the 2^nd franchised restaurant will give away free frozen yogurt. Guests visiting between 4 and 7 pm can enjoy free yogurt and entertainment.

Highlands, North Carolina is celebrating their fifth annual Highlands Culinary Weekend in the beginning of November. Opening night will be held on the 10^th at Highlands Country Club. Tastings and wine sampling will be held at a variety of restaurants and wine cellars around the city for the rest of the weekend.

Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes, the two brands owned by Garden Fresh Restaurant Corp., have become the largest chain in America to be certified by the Green Restaurant Association. The company worked for over two years to achieve the certification. Upgrades to the entire store system and food production process were necessary.

Pizza Inn has announced their financial results for the 2011 fiscal year. The company saw a net income increase of $0.05 per share. Overall revenues increased in the final quarter by 10% and same store sales also grew by over 4%. Increases were also seen in all categories for the entire fiscal year when compared to the 2010 results.

Unlike some nuggets that have been pressed or formed, each piece of KFC’s Popcorn Chicken features 100 percent off-the-bone premium breast meat chicken. Perfectly sized for eating on the go, each and every piece of Popcorn Chicken stays true to the commitment and high standards set by the Colonel decades ago.

“At KFC, we’re proud that we have a cook in every kitchen in all our restaurants, and we’re equally proud that our cooks don’t make nuggets. KFC’s Popcorn Chicken is real 100 percent off-the-bone premium breast meat.” said KFC Chief Marketing Officer Barry Westrum. “Stop by for a large order for just $2.99 and you’ll taste why our cooks are so proud of KFC Popcorn Chicken.”

Made with 100 percent premium breast meat chicken off-the-bone, Popcorn Chicken is marinated for a tender inside and breaded for a flavorful, fun crunch on the outside. Because it’s never pressed or formed, each easy-to-eat piece is a unique bite of the world’s most famous fried chicken, prepared everyday by real cooks in every KFC kitchen. Three of those cooks, Aaron McGraw, Robert Jefferson and Rachel Harris, are featured in the latest KFC commercials for Popcorn Chicken.

In addition to the nationally promoted offer of $2.99 for a large Popcorn Chicken, KFC is also offering a coupon deal for the week of September 19. The offer is for a Popcorn Chicken Combo, which includes a large order of Popcorn Chicken, a side item and a medium drink for $3.99 plus tax (at participating locations). To receive your coupon, visit KFC’s website and sign up for the Colonel’s e-mail club: http://www.kfc.com/emailclub/. (Popcorn Chicken available at participating KFC restaurants. Prices may vary. Tax extra.)

Visit www.kfc.com for more information on Popcorn Chicken.

The number of businesses approved to accept food stamps grew by a third from 2005 to 2010, U.S. Department of Agriculture records show, as vendors from convenience and dollar discount stores to gas stations and pharmacies increasingly joined the growing entitlement program.

Now, restaurants, which typically have not participated in the program, are lobbying for a piece of the action.

Louisville-based Yum! Brands, whose restaurants include Taco Bell, KFC, Long John Silver’s and Pizza Hut, is trying to get restaurants more involved, federal lobbying records show.

That’s a prospect that anti-hunger advocates welcome, but one that worries some current food stamp vendors and public health advocates.

Continue reading . . .

Howard Schultz, the founder and CEO of the Starbucks corporation, has started a boycott on campaign contributions. His lead has been followed by Whole Foods and J.C. Penny. The boycott aims to encourage politicians from both parties to work together to solve the growing deficit problem. He is also encouraging companies to spend the money on hiring instead of campaign funding.

Chipotle Mexican Grill has funded the production of a new short-film called “Back to the Start”. The stop-action animation illustrates one farmer’s path to sustainable agriculture, a pursuit the chain aims to support. Willie Nelson contributed a cover of Coldplay’s song “The Scientist” to the 2 minute film that will air in theaters around the country.

To support the charitable actions of the Habitat for Humanity foundation, Darden Restaurants donated over $1 million of furnishings from their stores. The fixtures were removed as part of on-going renovations to Olive Garden, Long Horn Steakhouse and other restaurants owned by the company. The ReStore locations sold out of the re-used furnishings quickly.

KFC restaurants in Southern California are bringing the excitement of the 2012 London Olympics to the area now. The KFC Olympics will involve five competitions pitting the best chicken cooks against each other. The winner of each regional contest will compete in the Finals at the beginning of October.

The National Aquarium has a new dining experience to offer visitors. The former main cafe was renovated to allow the new Harbor Market Kitchen room to grow. The restaurant uses local fresh ingredients in a variety of innovative dishes. The old cafe had nearly 1.5 million visitors before the renovations.

Rudy’s “Country Store” and Bar-B-Q has added another NASA store location in the Houston area. The restaurant and store opened on September 1^st. The first 100 guests in line when the store opened walked away with a $20 gift card for the chain. Other giveaways were also held throughout the grand opening celebration.

BJ’s Restaurants is proud to celebrate the opening of their newest location. The Jacksonville restaurant opened on August 29^th and seats nearly 300 guests. The location features the chain’s full menu of pizzas, salads, and a variety of beer options. The signature 103” plasma screen television is also in place.

Syosset, New York is home to the latest Hurricane Grill & Wings location. The chain is known for offering over 32 flavors of hot wings. The grand opening in Syosset brings the brand’s total number to 41 restaurants. The beach-style atmosphere brings a relaxed and family-friendly option to the dining scene.

Pizza fans in Arlington, Texas has another chain to choose from. Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers opened their new location on September 5^th. The menu features all of Mellow Mushroom’s classic pizza, salad and appetizer options. Gluten-free crusts and hoagies will also be available.

Southern Californians don’t have to wait until London 2012 to get their dose of Olympic competition. Beginning Wednesday, KFC Southern California is putting its best to the test in a KFC Olympics to determine the best chicken cooks in the Southland.

Coming on the heels of the KFC SoCal Colonel’s 120^th birthday tour, in which the second-generation Colonel checked in on Southern California cooks to ensure the Original Recipe chicken was being prepared properly, the never-satisfied Colonel is putting his best cooks to the test in a KFC “Chicken Olympics.” Through mid-October, KFC SoCal and the Colonel, who like his predecessor hails from Kentucky, will host five regional chicken cook-offs that culminate in an Olympic Finals October 11 in Westminster.

Participants will be competing for a cash prize of $500 and the top honor of being designated Southern California’s best KFC Cook, a coveted title in the nation’s chicken capital with more than 700 competing chicken restaurants. Competing cooks will be judged on the preparation of three KFC staples: Original Recipe, Kentucky Grilled Chicken, and the Colonel’s Extra Crispy Strips. Judges will evaluate the three final products on the basis of uniformity and overall appearance.

“KFC makes America’s best fried chicken, so naturally we wanted to seek out and reward the best cooks that deliver on the Colonel’s promise and high expectations with a fun — but very real — competition,” said Shahid Chaudhry, vice president of the SoCal KFC Advertising Association.

Kicking off Wednesday, Aug. 31 in Corona, the regionals stop in Santa Ana, Escondido and Los Angeles before concluding at the finals at a KFC restaurant in Westminster. Awards will be handed out in a ceremony October 12 at the Taco Bell corporate headquarters in Irvine, Calif. Taco Bell is a sister brand to KFC under the Yum! Brands, Inc., umbrella.

KFC Olympics
August 31 — Inland Empire Regional: 1151 W. 6^th St., Corona, CA 92882.
September 7 — Orange County Regional: 762 S. Harbor, Santa Ana, CA 92704.
September 13 — San Diego Regional: 639 N. Broadway, Escondido, CA 92025
September 14 — San Fernando Regional: 1244 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90019
September 21 — Los Angeles Regional: 3061 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066
October 11 — Finals: 6641 Westminster Blvd., Westminster, CA 92683
October 12 — Awards Ceremony: 1 Glen Bell Way, Irvine, CA 92618

KFC Corporation, based in Louisville, Ky., is the world’s most popular chicken restaurant chain specializing in Original Recipe, Extra Crispy and Original Recipe Strips with home-style sides, Honey BBQ Wings, and freshly made chicken sandwiches. There are more than 14,000 KFC outlets in more than 80 countries and territories around the world, serving some 12 million customers each day. KFC Corporation is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., Louisville, Ky.

The main goal of the nation’s food stamp program has been to supplement the buying power of low-income residents when they shop for unprepared foods at grocery stores.

But a major restaurant company is lobbying the federal government on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, federal lobbying records show. Louisville, Ky.-based Yum! Brands has allies among advocates for the hungry who hope to give restaurants a greater role in SNAP.

Yum! Brand restaurants include KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut.

A little-used provision dating to the 1970s allows states to OK restaurants for SNAP benefits. The provision allows the elderly, disabled or homeless – populations that might not be able to cook unprepared foods – the option of exchanging their SNAP benefits at participating restaurants, but only a few states have opted into the program. South Dakota is not one of them.

Continue reading . . .

Yum! Brands, the world’s largest restaurant company and parent of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, announced today that it is directing the first $1 million from its World Hunger Relief global effort to provide food to families affected by hunger and suffering the effects of drought in the Horn of Africa. The funds will help the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) feed those in urgent need of food assistance.

Drought coupled with high food prices and conflict in the Horn of Africa is affecting more than 13 million people. WFP is rapidly moving life-saving food and nutritional products by sea, air and road to hungry populations in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Djibouti, and Somalia to address their needs. In Somalia alone, WFP is feeding 1.5 million people in the northern and central parts of the country and in Mogadishu which continues to fill up with those fleeing the famine zone.

“The situation throughout the Horn of Africa is desperate and we all need to help,” said David Novak, Chairman and CEO, Yum! Brands, Inc. “As a company with a huge heart, we believe it is critical to immediately commit the first $1 million from our World Hunger Relief effort to aid the people throughout the Horn of Africa.”

Novak and other senior executives and franchise leaders from KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Yum! Restaurants International traveled to Honduras earlier this week to help WFP’s relief efforts in the country. As the second poorest country in Central America, Honduras is one of the many recipients of funds raised through World Hunger Relief.

There are nearly 1 billion hungry people around the world today. Hunger and malnutrition are the number one risk to health worldwide – greater than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

Yum! Brands’ annual fall World Hunger Relief effort is the world’s largest private sector hunger relief initiative, spanning 110 countries, 38,000 KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants and over one million employees, to raise awareness, volunteerism and funds for WFP and other hunger relief agencies. Multi-Grammy Award winner Christina Aguilera, the effort’s global spokesperson, will appear in a new public service announcement this fall as well as advertising, online efforts and posters in KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants. Consumers can visit www.fromhungertohope.com or donate in the restaurants this fall. Every U.S. dollar raised will go directly towards WFP’s operations to fight hunger around the world.

Since World Hunger Relief launched in 2007, more than one million of the Company’s employees, franchisees and their families have volunteered more than 21 million hours to aid hunger relief efforts in communities worldwide. The effort has raised nearly $85 million for WFP and other hunger relief organizations and is helping to provide over 350 million meals and save the lives of millions of people in remote corners of the world.

Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Ky., is the world’s largest restaurant company in terms of system restaurants with approximately 38,000 restaurants in more than 110 countries and territories. The company is ranked #214 on the Fortune 500 List, with revenues of more than $11 billion in 2010. Four of the company’s restaurant brands – KFC, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver’s and Taco Bell – are the global leaders of the chicken, quick-service seafood, pizza and Mexican-style food categories. A&W Restaurants is the longest running quick-service franchise chain in America. Outside the United States, the Yum! Brands system opened approximately four new restaurants each day of the year, making it a leader in international retail development. The Company has consistently been recognized for its reward and recognition culture, diversity leadership, community giving, and consistent shareholder returns.

WFP is the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Each year, on average, WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.wfp.org.

Thirty years after Colonel Harland Sanders left his legacy as the iconic founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, the brand is reinvesting in his image and memory via a website designed to reach a new generation.

To keep Sanders’ legacy alive, KFC has launched www.ColonelSanders.com, an online destination designed to collect photos, videos and stories about Colonel Sanders from family members, friends and everyday Americans who either met or knew of the American icon.

“Colonel Sanders, his secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices and all he achieved are the cornerstones of our company,” said Barry Westrum, chief marketing officer for KFC. “We’re honored to launch this project to preserve the memory of our founder by collecting stories from folks far and wide.”

Based on the submissions the website collects, KFC may compile and release the stories at a later date.

Along with being an iconic American entrepreneur, Colonel Sanders was also a Southern gentlemen, said Shirley Topmiller, who served as the Colonel’s assistant and worked at KFC for 28 years before her retirement.

“We know there are countless stories out there about the Colonel,” says Topmiller, who as Sanders’ assistant handled everything from scheduling his television appearances to ordering his famed white suits.

Now, Topmiller is helping to lead the campaign to preserve the legacy of her former boss.

“If you knew the Colonel, met him during all of his travels, saw him on television or just heard a story or two from a friend of a friend, we’d love to hear from you,” said Topmiller, “We want to preserve all of these great memories before they’re gone forever.”

At the age of 65, Harland Sanders turned a $105 Social Security check into a global chicken empire and until his death at the age of 90, traveled 250,000 miles a year visiting KFC restaurants worldwide. For years, he carried the secret Original Recipe in his head and the spice mixture in his car as he drove coast to coast visiting franchisees.

“I’m thrilled to be helping preserve stories from the Colonel’s life so that future generations can understand what an important role he played in the history of KFC and our country,” said Topmiller.

The Kentucky Fried Chicken concept was pioneered by Colonel Harland Sanders (1890-1980), whose cooking career began at age six. Sanders held jobs ranging from streetcar conductor to insurance salesman, but his cooking skills were a constant throughout his life. In 1930, Sanders operated a service station in Corbin, Ky., and filled the stomachs of hungry travelers who stopped in to fill up their gas tanks. Sanders soon moved his restaurant across the street when he could no longer keep up with the demand from travelers who he had been feeding at his kitchen table. In 1935, the Kentucky Governor made Sanders an honorary Kentucky Colonel for his contributions to the state’s cuisine. Over the next decade, the Colonel perfected his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices and the basic cooking technique still used at KFC today.

When Sanders was 65, a new interstate highway forced the closure of his restaurant and he was left with only his recipe for fried chicken and a $105 Social Security check. The Colonel hit the road and struck handshake deals with restaurant owners who agreed to sell his fried chicken. What began as a dream fueled by the Original Recipe, a no-quit attitude and a Social Security check grew into the world’s largest chicken restaurant chain. Until he passed away in 1980 at the age of 90, the Colonel still traveled 250,000 miles a year visiting KFC restaurants around the world.

There are more than 15,000 KFC outlets in 109 countries and territories around the world serving some 12 million customers each day. KFC Corporation is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., Louisville, Ky.

Legend has it that Genghis Khan’s cooks tossed mutton, mushrooms and vegetables together to serve his soldiers quickly before battle. Eight centuries later, the same “hot pot” cuisine is now a contender as Yum! Brands’ next big restaurant chain, alongside fast-food outlets KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.

The pending $860 million acquisition of Little Sheep, with 700 locations in China and a handful elsewhere, including San Diego, could satisfy Yum’s search to fill the Chinese cuisine niche. Louisville-based Yum already touts itself as the world’s largest restaurant company, with 38,000 outlets.

Since announcing its purchase in April, company executives have spoken openly about the possibility of building the Little Sheep hot-pot concept into a global brand like KFC. Meanwhile, Chinese regulators are reviewing the purchase.

Continue reading . . .

David Novak, the chairman-CEO of Yum Brands, is on a mission to lift sales at the restaurant company — the parent of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut — and is challenging his ad agencies to do their part.

According to multiple people familiar with the matter, Mr. Novak has circulated a memo to the company’s lead creative agencies, calling for a “brainstorming session” that will involve its three main ad partners: WPP’s Ogilvy & Mather and Interpublic Group of Cos. siblings DraftFCB and the Martin Agency.

People familiar with the memo said Mr. Novak expressed discontent with the company’s U.S. business results compared with its international growth, and asked for agencies to assess the causes and come up with solutions. Solutions may include anything from untapped consumer trends to operations suggestions to innovations in the fast-food category. Mr. Novak is also understood to have inquired about what could be done on Yum’s part to help improve the creative work.

Continue reading . . .

New York City’s Summer Restaurant Week this year will feature over 320 different restaurants. The event will take place over two weeks between July 11^th and July 24^th. Saturdays will be excluded from the special Restaurant Week specials. Each participating restaurant will offer a special three course meal for $24 at lunch and $35 at dinner.

New Orleans plans to highlight 40 of the city’s top restaurants this August for the 7^th annual COOLinary Restaurant promotion. Diners will be able to eat a three course lunch for just $20 or a three course dinner for $35 or under for the entire month. The city also has over 1200 other restaurants that offer cuisine from all cultures and parts of the world.

KFC has seen great success with its decadent and premium Double Down sandwich in Canada. The chain released the bun-less, fried chicken patty sandwich for the second limited time run earlier this year in June. Demand in the northern country has grown so great that nearly 2 million sandwiches have been eaten so far and supplies may run out in the next few days.

The second quarter of this financial year is expected to be much better for U.S. restaurant brands despite food costs continuing to rise. Profits are forecasted to rise as large chains like McDonald’s and Yum Brands!, parent company of Taco Bell and KFC, expand in Asia. Starbucks is also finding success through the introduction of new single serving cup home brewing supplies.

Listening to children cry or scream while you eat in a restaurant can ruin your meal. The owner of McDain’s Restaurant and Golf Center in Pennsylvania has banned all children under the age of six to preserve the environment for adult diners. Owner Mike Vuick made the decision based on parents’ inability to control the volume of young children.

Hot pot cuisine is fabled to have been invented by the Mongols who had little time for cooking meals between battles. Yum! Brands is betting on the style to be the next big hit in fast food trends. Yum!, which already owns Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC, is working on acquiring the 700+ Chinese locations and few U.S. locations of hot pot chain Little Sheep.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has secured a new credit agreement for the next five years. The credit line includes a revolving line of loans for up to $500 million dollars and a term loan of $250 million dollars. The agreement was signed with lenders from Wells Fargo, Merrill Lynch, and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

Frankie’s Sammiches began earlier this year as a food cart serving fresh Italian beef sandwiches to downtown Milwaukee. Now the sensation has become a fixed restaurant with the opening of a new storefront. The new restaurant will serve the original Italian beef sandwiches as well as burgers, other sandwiches, side items and Chicago style hot dogs.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has become the country’s largest barbecue restaurant chain by constant expansion. Now the restaurant chain is making agreements and plans for California growth. 23 new locations have been planned so far for the state for opening within the next year. The chain currently has 8 restaurants in California.

Zpizza is a national pizza chain that focuses on fresh ingredients and healthy yet tasty food. The new summer salad is a sweet choice for lunch or dinner. The Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad features walnuts, goat cheese crumbles, strawberries and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing over a mix of premium baby lettuces.

Burger King is running a chicken sandwich promotion to celebrate Independence Day. The Original Chicken Sandwich will be available for just $1.04, but will go back to its normal price after the 4^th. The breaded chicken patty is topped with crisp lettuce and mayo for a classic chicken sandwich.

KFC first introduced their Grilled Chicken options in 2009. Customers who want a lower fat, flavorful chicken meal have made the grilled option very popular with the chain. Now KFC is relaunching their grilled items with improvements. The all-white meat breast pieces are now 20 percent larger.

California Pizza Kitchen is dedicated to innovation and the development of new pizza options. The national chain has announced that it is adding 10 new items to its menu, including new pizza varieties, bigger salads and fresh soups. A gluten-free pizza crust option is also being introduced that works with 29 of the current pizza topping configurations.

Restaurant managers do struggle with a variety of legitimate challenges during day-to-day operation, but taking responsibility for the location’s success is the key. Managers who find excuses not to succeed will simply not be able to deal with the myriad challenges of the restaurant industry. Taking accountability for the restaurant leads to a more successful management style.

Marble Slab Creamery is gearing up to release their newest flavor and will be giving away free scoops. July 11^th will be “Red Head Appreciation Day” and anyone with red hair, whether it is natural or a wig, will receive a free scoop of Red Velvet Ice Cream. The new ice cream flavor combines the rich taste of red velvet cake with smooth ice cream.

Cold Stone Creamery released Cake Batter Ice Cream in 2003 and was surprised at its immense popularity. The chain is inviting cake batter fans to visit their local location for National Ice Cream Month. Cake Batter Ice Cream and Birthday Cake mix-ins will be highlighted for July. Customers can add cake pieces to their favorite flavor or other toppings with the Cake Batter flavor.

Classic summer flavors include the sweetly tart taste of lemonade, and Krispy Kreme is using this flavor for their newest creations. Try the lemon glazed cake doughnut, or the Lemon Kreme Pie filled doughnut. The Jolly Rancher Krispy Kreme Chillers make a perfect accompaniment to these new doughnut flavors.

Blue Bamboo is the work of chef Dennis Chan. The restaurant combines the best of Asian cuisine with the flavors and textures of traditional Southern cooking. This new style of fusion has made his restaurant very popular with Southern diners. Menu items include Panko Fried Tomatoes and Red Curry Shrimp and Grits.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is continuing to grow across the country and bring fresh smoked barbecue to small and big towns alike. Irving, California is now home to two locations for the chain as the newest restaurant opens. The chain is celebrating its 70^th anniversary and this most recent opening brings the total up to 152.

Buffalo Wings & Rings has launched a completely redesigned website and is giving away nearly 2,000 wings to a lucky fan to celebrate. Guests who visit the official can enter to win 1,984 chicken wings in commemoration of the year the chain first opened. Joining the free Club ’84 loyalty program automatically enters each visitor and gives them access to special news and promotions.