"fast-food" news and stories

Our ears pricked up when we heard Paul Shapiro, senior director of the factory farming campaign for The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) say he'd actually be excited to eat at new quick-serve concept Lyfe Kitchen. After all, most fast-food joints aren't exactly known as bulwarks of humanely raised beef, pork or chicken.

Lyfe Kitchen (Lyfe stands for "Love Your Food Everyday") seemingly has a lot going for it. At its helm are two former McDonald's executives, including Mike Roberts, former president and chief operations officer of the fast-food chain. Art Smith, Oprah Winfrey's former personal chef, and chef Tal Ronnen, both known for making healthy food taste good, are in the development kitchen.

Seems the soon-to-be Mr. Jessica Simpson is looking to be more than red-carpet arm candy for his world-famous fiancée, and word is that he's set his sights on the restaurant biz. His pitch? A chain of fast-food vegan restaurants.

It's all a bit surreal: an ex-pro-football player dating a pop princess/reality TV queen, deciding what the world needs now is short-order tofu sticks. But hey, it's L.A.

Almost as soon as Simpson and former NFL tight end Eric Johnson announced their engagement, gossip blogs began carping about Johnson's lack of a job. The Yale grad played for the San Francisco 49ers for six seasons from 2001 to 2007 (though he was sidelined for two seasons with injuries), and then ended his career in 2008 after a single season with the New Orleans Saints.

Over the past few years, fast-food joints like McDonald's and Burger King have cashed in on nutritionists' advice that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. At this point, they all have a breakfast value menu. So, it's no surprise that food service businesses, such as Denny's and IHOP, which built their restaurants on the fact that they provide breakfast, are getting competitive with fast-food alternatives. An article from the Baltimore Sun explains that Denny's is going to offer breakfast skillets for $5.99. IHOP is now selling more to-go breakfast meals.

Restaurant analysts state that Denny's and IHOP will have to compete with the convenience, speed and low prices available from their fast-food competitors. Nevertheless, they should probably also realize that they may be targeting a different demographic alltogether.

Would you sign up for Denny's Real Breakfast Club? Signing up means that they'd send you emails with promotions, news, and offers.

It makes sense that NYC would follow LA's desire to ban fast-food. Just this past March, a report from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene revealed that in just two years obesity and diagnosed diabetes increased by 17 percent while the rest of the nation experienced just a six percent increase. An article from New York magazine reports that, according to the Sun, NYC Councilman Eric Gioia wants to impose a one-year ban on new fast-food restaurants. Considering the gravity of this health crisis, this desired measure hardly seems as puritanical as New York magazine describes.

The BBC explains that local policians in LA want to implement laws that would ban fast-food businesses from opening up in South LA where 32 percent of adults are overweight. In cities with high rates of obesity, these measures seem crucial. Personally, I think these bans would encourage businesses to offer affordable healthy food. At the same time, it would bring back the traditional ways of enjoying and cooking food.

What do you think?

Not wanting to be outdone by their competitors, Wendy's has announced that they will be improving the flavor and quality of their coffee in the near future. The fast-food chain plans to launch the new product, to be marketed as Wendy's Custom Bean, along with their new breakfast menu in select markets later this year.

Apparently the chief exec and president of Wendy's, Kerri Anderson, wants to make Wendy's "a destination for coffee". I do have to wonder - is yet another place to go drink coffee what we, as consumers, really need or want?

I suggest improving the fries, instead.

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