There always seems to be restaurant news on the menu. As I do every week, let's take a look at some of this week's more appetizing stories.
1. From coffee to cutting back
Where have you gone, Starbucks
Same-store sales are down. Layoffs and store closings are percolating. Remember when this used to be a growth stock?
In an opportunistic move to kick Starbucks while it's down, Caribou
2. It's in the Cards
It's Super Bowl weekend, a busy time for the pizza-delivery chains. All of the pie tossers are angling for the halftime order, and that means flooding media channels with sometimes-hokey press releases.
For instance, did you know that 59% of the customers at Domino's
Yum! Brands
Papa John's
3. Buffalo didn't even make the playoffs this year
Another popular item during the big game is chicken wings. So maybe it wasn't much of a surprise to see Buffalo Wild Wings
Smith went in style, taking the "Wing Mobile" to Times Square and dispensing miniature footballs. How far do you think Kurt Warner can heave one of those things?
4. Let them eat cheesecake
Cheesecake Factory
But why stop at just one promo? Cheesecake Factory will also spend the next two weeks awarding complimentary cheesecake slices for every $30 spent at the restaurant. The catch is that the free treats have to be claimed on a return visit, so the company is hoping to stir up repeat traffic during an otherwise challenging time for the industry.
Check out this week's dessert specials: