Restaurant News Bites: Pinchers Crab Shack, Friendly’s, Five Guys

Restaurant News Bites: Pinchers Crab Shack, Friendly's, Five Guys Barbecue fans in Chicago found the summer of 2010 to be the most exciting times in the city for many years. Between the end of June and Labor Day seven new restaurants serving barbecue opened in the Windy City. The boom was driven by the popularity of Smoque, a restaurant opened by an accounts manager with no professional barbecuing experience.

Pinchers Crab Shack, a small seven location restaurant chain, first used the “You can’t fake fresh” slogan in the summer of 2004. The chain recently sued fast food giant Wendy’s for trademark infringement. Wendy’s used the slogan more recently and may have to pay the smaller chain damages.

Yum Brands CEO, David Novak, has issued a challenge to the ad agencies working with the company. Novak wants to boost sales to the company’s brands like Taco Bell and KFC. The three agencies working to develop advertising campaigns for the brands will come together for a brainstorming session with executives.

Yum Brands’ most popular brand, Taco Bell, was recently hurt by accusations of low meat quality that were subsequently dropped due to misinformation. However, consumers still heard the rumors and sales have been weak for the past half a year. The third quarter is expected to continue to be low in profits, but the company is working to improve this for the end of the fiscal year.

Friendly’s is ready to celebrate July as National Ice Cream Month with families around the country. The chain offers quality, fresh ice cream in all of its stores that is made from local milk and other ingredients. Friendly’s also offers 49 different flavors in its pre-packed pints, so your whole family will find something they enjoy.

Restaurants in India have improved greatly recently, but most locations still struggle with a few stubborn problems. Too much air conditioning, mixed menus in small restaurants, uninformed waiters and loud music turn tourists away. Some restaurants also charge too much for locally made wine and feature overzealous toilet attendants as well.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries is adding a new location to Canton on July 18th. The Virginia based chain is continuing to grow due to their focus on higher quality burgers instead of speed or bargain pricing. The new restaurant added 45 jobs to the area and will give Canton residents a new option for family casual dining.

Bill Bridges may own five other franchise locations from different brands, but he chose Dickey’s Barbecue Pit for his new restaurant. He opened his location in the Delaware suburb of Columbus, Ohio. This brings the chain’s total restaurant count to 156 in 38 different states.

The Red Room Tapas Lounge, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, is expanding its Salsa Night. The event began on Thursday nights at 9 pm, but guests can now salsa on Friday and Saturday nights as well. Free dance lessons are offered in the early evening and drink and tapas specials are available until 10 pm.