Yesterday I read that McDonald's is exiting the so-called home-meal replacement market with its sale of Boston Market to Sun Capital. Heck, I didn't even know they owned it.
To my credit I do know that Boston Market started in Colorado, just like Chipotle, which McDonald's sold its interest in a while back. At one time Mickey D's had its greasy fingers in a lot of pies, including Donatos Pizza and the Aroma coffee chain. It still owns one-third of Pret a Manger, but that, too, may soon go on the block since Pret itself is shopping around for a buyer.
Specifics of the deal, which should close in a few weeks, have not been divulged. A McDonald's spokesman had this to say: "This is consistent with our successful strategy to focus on brand, a strategy that continues to deliver results." Well, duh. I can't even begin to understand why McDonald's bought into a chain that presents itself as an alternative to an old-fashioned turkey dinner.
I don't know how many of you folks out there have noticed that it isn't just the perfume makers who are using those scented ads in magazines. Pepsi did the same when it released its Black Cherry / Vanilla flavored Diet Pepsi Jazz. Scratch and sniff ads have been around for awhile but for dog food? Pedigree tried them at supermarkets and pet stores. Have you walked into a bakery and smelled that warm and comforting aroma of just baked bread? My local bakery has an electronic dispenser that sprays an artificial baking scent into the store every few minutes. Mars has been scenting its M&M World retail stores with a chocolate smell to make the experience more enveloping. Verizon recently did the same in its stores with the release of LG Chocolate phones. Do you remember smellavision from old TV cartoons? Well it's here. ScentAndrea has an 8,000 scent dispensing, flat panel screen monitor available in stores like Kroger's and Wal-mart to help make sales.
Scent is the most powerful of the human senses, and the most primitive. This is something I first learned when I was studying psychology in college. The right scent can trigger deep and long forgotten emotions and bring up feelings of every type. Marketers have known about this for a long time, which is why scent is starting to play a bigger role in many products advertising budgets. The best part about it from the sales perspective is that smell can help nudge you in a certain emotional direction without the person even noticing it. Sort of like a nasal version of Vulcan mind control. To boldly go, where no one has smelled before. Keep your eye's out... Uh, nose, for a lot more scent marketed advertising to come.
It appears that this time it wasn't a K-9 unit, but rather a police officer, that did the nose work. After a pizza delivery woman reported being robbed at knife-point, Bartholomew County Sheriff's Deputy Jimmy Green canvassed the Columbus, Indiana, neighborhood to investigate. Green apparently noticed the distinct aroma of sausage and pepperoni at one residence. A search of the house turned up the missing pizzas and cash, a knife, and a phonebook still open to the pizza section, according to The Associated Press. Two young men believed to be the robbers were arrested at the house.
While browsing del.icio.us the other day I came across a link to WikiHow page on tasting dark chocolate. There are 11 suggested steps to getting the most out of your chocolate tasting experience. The first encourages you to "mute all kinds of background noise, such as television, music, a crying baby, etc." (Will someone please mute the baby?) After that comes palate cleansing and several tips for taking in the aroma, visual appearance and texture of the chocolate. There is also a list of suggested brands, in case you want to do some side-by-side comparisons.
While the smell of waffle cones from Ben & Jerry's is alluring, I'm not sure how long that appeal would last once you invite it into your home. For $15, you can find out. The Ben & Jerry's online store also sells sprays that mimic their Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Chocolate Fudge Brownie flavors. I'm not sure if this stuff is edible, but part of me worries that people will start using them like other food sprays. I suppose they could also be used as perfume. I know that the friends of mine that worked at Ben & Jerry's always smelled like waffle cones when they got off work. It wasn't terrible, but I think they got sick of it pretty quickly.
Sure, the smell of apple pie is comforting and welcoming, but when I heard that some Sheraton Four Points Hotels were going to use the scent of cinnamon apple pie as a way to make guests feel welcome, I was a little skeptical. Luckily, it appears they're also using plenty of real pie as well. A Four Points exec has even joined the board of directors of the Pie Council of America (yes, it exists). Other hotels use food smells as well, including green and white teas, fig and bergamot, according to USA Today. Coincidentally, a recent episode of Good Eats also talked about how smell relates to memory and emotion.
From Grateful Palate, the brilliant folks that brought us the Bacon of the Month Club, come these bacon, lettuce and tomato scented votive candles. Justifying the need for the smell of bacon in one's home seems unnecessary, but nevertheless, the Grateful Palate offers this pitch: "You may want to light them in your kitchen, office or bedroom or wherever you seek sensual pleasure and enlightenment; by yourself or with someone special." I'd say that "someone special" is an understatement. If anyone responds favorably to your setting the mood with a bacon candle, then you're talkin' soul-mate. I still don't quite understand the "Bacon=Freedom" part, though. The set of three, which sells for $33.95, would seem to go against the hunger-quelling candles that Sarah posted about last month.
The audience at Monday night's Japan premiere of the Johnny Depp film "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" got a special treat. Attendees of the movie at the Virgin Toho Cinemas also enjoyed the aroma of chocolate. Aromatrix, a device manufacturered by a U.S. environmental air quality management company provided the scent during several scenes in the movie. Apparently this also happened during some screenings in the U.S. I wonder if this sent people scurrying to the concession counter for Wonka bars.
Yesterday I read that McDonald's is exiting the so-called home-meal replacement market with its sale of Boston Market to Sun Capital. Heck, I didn't even know they owned it. 
I don't know how many of you folks out there have noticed that it isn't just the perfume makers who are using those scented ads in magazines. Pepsi did the same when it released its Black Cherry / Vanilla flavored Diet Pepsi Jazz. Scratch and sniff ads have been around for awhile but for dog food? Pedigree tried them at supermarkets and pet stores. Have you walked into a bakery and smelled that warm and comforting aroma of just baked bread? My local bakery has an electronic dispenser that sprays an artificial baking scent into the store every few minutes. Mars has been scenting its M&M World retail stores with a chocolate smell to make the experience more enveloping. Verizon recently did the same in its stores with the release of LG Chocolate phones. Do you remember smellavision from old TV cartoons? Well it's here. ScentAndrea has an 8,000 scent dispensing, flat panel screen monitor available in stores like Kroger's and Wal-mart to help make sales. 
It appears that this time it wasn't a K-9 unit, but rather a police officer, that did the nose work. After a pizza delivery woman reported being robbed at knife-point, Bartholomew County Sheriff's Deputy Jimmy Green canvassed the Columbus, Indiana, neighborhood to investigate. Green apparently noticed the distinct aroma of sausage and pepperoni at one residence. A search of the house turned up the missing pizzas and cash, a knife, and a phonebook still open to the pizza section, according to 
While browsing del.icio.us the other day I came across a link to WikiHow page on 
While the smell of waffle cones from Ben & Jerry's is alluring, I'm not sure how long that appeal would last once you invite it into your home. For $15, you can find out. The Ben & Jerry's online store also sells sprays that mimic their Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Chocolate Fudge Brownie flavors. I'm not sure if this stuff is edible, but part of me worries that people will start using them like other 
Sure, the smell of apple pie is comforting and welcoming, but when I heard that some Sheraton Four Points Hotels were going to 
From Grateful Palate, the brilliant folks that brought us the 
10 More Dirty Restaurant Tricks
5 Things You Didn't Know About Turducken
10 Catchiest Food Jingles We Love to Hate
