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| Burger King Double Cheeseburger. Photo: sjeemz, Flickr. |
But Nation's Restaurant News reports that the $1 promotion is just the fast-food giant's latest attempt to boost sales following a 4.5-percent drop in the last quarter.
Posts with tag recession
Burger King to Sell Quarter-Pound Double Cheeseburger for $1
But Nation's Restaurant News reports that the $1 promotion is just the fast-food giant's latest attempt to boost sales following a 4.5-percent drop in the last quarter.
Continue reading Burger King to Sell Quarter-Pound Double Cheeseburger for $1
Is Bologna the New Bacon?
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| Photo: Hardee's. |
Hardee's is having startling success with a humble Appalachian lunch meat long considered too provincial for nationwide tastes, and nobody's more surprised than the fast-food chain's top brass.
"We were concerned it would be too regional," Executive Vice-President of Marketing Brad Haley says of Hardee's new Oscar Mayer Fried Bologna Biscuit. "But sales have increased every week we've had it."
While bologna is a staple of lunch counters and school cafeterias across the South, Hardee's found inspiration for its menu item at a few roadside diners that sandwiched grilled bologna between biscuit halves for breakfast. For Hardee's, the preparation stood seductively close to the final meat frontier.
"We've done virtually every other meat you can think of on a biscuit," Haley concedes. "We've had country ham, chicken, pork chops, smoked sausage. We even had turkey."
More Grocery Savings Tips From Food Maven
Rachel, of the wonderful Coconut & Lime blog, has a new entry on cost-saving tips on her Food Maven blog, which is dedicated entirely to food tips. We've written about how to save on the food bill before here at Slashfood, but there are a few entries on Rachel's list we hadnt thought of. Here are two of my favorite tips:I pay attention to cycles in sales, baking stuff goes on sale in December, yogurt about once a month, roasting chickens in the winter etc and stock up the best I can.
I plan meals around what is on sale rather than rushing out and buying (full price) ingredients for a specific dish.
Check out the blog for the full list of ten tips.
What are your favorite grocery cost-saving tips?
Are You Growing a Recession Garden?
There's one sector of the economy that's growing because of the recession: Seed-sellers. The number of homes with vegetable gardens will jump more than 40 percent this year compared with two years ago, according to projections from the National Gardening Association, reports USA Today.
At W. Atlee Burpee, the world's largest seed company, seed sales are projected to jump 25 percent this year. This boom is spawning some good deals for the home gardener. Burpee recently unveiled its "Money Garden" package, a collection of tomato, bean, red pepper, carrot, lettuce and snap pea that sells for $10 and can produce up to $650 worth of vegetables.
"As the economy goes down, food gardening goes up," says Bruce Butterfield, research director at the National Gardening Association. "We haven't seen this kind of spike in 30 years."
Have you decided to grow your own fruits or veggies to save money?
News Flash - Split Food, Save Money
I've always split food at restaurants, not only because of cost concerns, but because of room-in-stomach considerations: a person my size does not need her own entree, appetizer and dessert. Or, given the portion sizes at many American restaurants, even her own entree. Now, an article in Raleigh's The News & Observer discusses how, because of the recession, splitting food is becoming ubiquitous even in the kind of upscale restaurants where hamburgers go for $18. David Pogrebin, general manager of the French restaurant Brasserie in New York, says he's even seen three people splitting an ice tea with free refills. The owner of a Raleigh barbecue restaurant says he'll often have two people come in to split a $3 dollar, four wing appetizers. And drink water. Some restaurateurs will assess a small splitting fee, to recoup some of their losses.
I sometimes do feel a little guilty if I come in to a restaurant during dinner and just want an appetizer or to split a single entree with my companion, but I usually assuage my guilt by leaving a decent tip.
Do you split dishes more often these days? Do you ever get static from wait staff?
Hard-Hit Restaurants Offer All Kinds of Deals
According to a Zagat survey, 28 percent of diners are switching to cheaper restaurants and 20 percent are cutting out appetizers, dessert, and alcohol. What can restaurants do to keep business?All kinds of things, says this MSN article on recession-era restaurant tricks. Upscale restaurants are offering more reasonably priced prix fixe menus or having special promotions, like Tom Colicchio's "Frugal Fridays" at Craft, where diners can have anything on the menu for less than $10. Others are bringing their ultra-pricey tasting menus down a notch, so diners can enjoy a multi-course special occasion meal for $40 rather than $100. Sure it won't be as elaborate, but who's eating "caviar staircases" these days? Other restaurants are turning to cheaper offerings, with luxe takes on classic comfort foods like grilled cheese or meatballs.
How have your eating out habits been affected by the recession? Have you noticed your favorite restaurants changing their prices or menus?
Recession Ramen
For about 3.7 seconds today, I was asking myself if I have, perchance, been spending a tad too much time on Twitter lately. But, seeing as how said dallying then led to a deftly jazzed-up ramen recipe, courtesy of the author of one of my favorite food memoirs of the recent past, I don't see how any of us could afford not to. Kathleen Flinn is no stranger to the tireless, if sometimes penniless, pursuit of the delicious; The Sharper Your Knife The Less You Cry chronicles her loss of a lucrative corporate lifestyle and subsequent savings investment in a degree program at Le Cordon Bleu. While the the corner shops of Gay Paree may not have been chock-a-block with student budget-friendly ramen bricks, Flinn picked up a flavor trick or ten between puff pastry and boning lessons and shares her method for infusing the noodles with the brightness of miso, green onions, fresh herbs, Sriracha and citrus, as well as other light-wallet recipes.
Clearly, at-home ramen can be a reward rather than a last resort. How are you gussying them up, or are you hooked on the packet? Please share with the rest of the (broke...oh, so painfully broke) class, why don'tcha?
Kathleen Flinn's Quick Miso Ramen with Shrimp, Chicken or Tofu
Goodbye (Some) Albertson's
Add Albertson's to the roll call of companies shutting doors due to the recession. The grocery chain has announced that they will be closing multiple stores in economically slammed locations like Florida, Texas, California and Nevada. Albertson's will still be the second-biggest supermarket chain in the U.S., but a bit of the bloom will be off the rose (or, if you prefer, ripeness off the tomato or mayo off the macaroni salad).Of course, this means that there are bargains to be had at stores that are being terminated, with discounts of 10-90% off. I myself have picked up bags full of Indian specialties for 75% off (thus, my normally overpriced $4 jaipur vegetables are now a solidly discounted dollar), as well as staples like soup and beans for less than a buck and stacks of disposable foil baking pans for a dime apiece. I also scored some Bumble & Bumble hair products for under $10, but you can't eat those.
If you see an Alberston's with a "Store Closing" sign, it's worth checking out.
Recession White - What Took Them So Long?
Well, what do you suppose popped up at the liquor store next to the Recession Red?Recession White!
Ladies and gentlemen, it's $3.99, it has a plastic cork, and it's totally decent. It's a mild, dry California chardonnay; gentle oak without too much vanilla (why do all the chardonnays I'm tasting lately have so much vanilla?). I would recommend pairing Recession White with bold, stinky cheeses or, you know, ramen noodles if you're in this for the price tag.
Between Recession Red and Recession White, I'd say the red is the better value. I'd pay more for that wine -- but I don't have to. This chardonnay is definitely acceptable, though, and mild enough to please a crowd. So bring it to a dinner party. I did on Monday and was met with smiles all around.
I've had a number of inquiries about where in New York I've found this delightful duo of Recession wines for $3.99 so I'm gonna go ahead and say it: Adel Wines & Liquors on Columbus Avenue between 105th and 106th Street.
I'll see you there.
Your Second Career: Bartending?
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Last week, I wrote a piece about David Herr, an engineer who followed the ultimate foodie dream and pursued a second career as a chef. Oddly enough, I subsequently discovered that the bartending industry is currently seeing a major spike in new employees and trainees. Over the last few months, bartending schools have seen a 20-25% growth in enrollment, as traditional jobs evaporate and the newly unemployed begin to explore their next career move. Given the fact that we're facing a long, cold winter with limited resources, it seems likely that a lot of people will be headed out to the bars.In all likelihood, the next year or so will see a significant change in the bar environment. Instead of cold nightclubs and cocktail palaces with high-priced frothy drinks, there will probably be a spike in neighborhood joints where the beers are generous and the well whiskey is cheap. Still, although per-person bar expenditures will probably drop, the increase in new customers should make bartending a reasonable career choice for the foreseeable future.
At their best, bars are comforting places where one can take shelter from the cold, converse with one's community, strike up conversations with total strangers, and huddle for warmth. While it may be too soon to draw conclusions about where America's communities are headed, it seems reasonable to expect that cocktail-making skills will continue to be in vogue, at least for the next few years.
Hard Times? Spam's There For You
Spam, that most mocked of foods, is apparently experiencing an upswing thanks to the recession. People may not be able to afford steak, but they can always dig up some change for a $1.99 can of putty-pink goodness. So the industrious workers at the Hormel factory in Austin, Minnesota are cranking out the Spam 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, according to the New York Times. That equals about 150,000 cans of Spam daily.
Spam is just one of the many cheap, filling foodstuffs flying off the shelf across America. Others include pancake mixes, instant mashed potatoes, and Jello-O. While I'm not opposed to the occasional fried Spam sandwich on white bread with mayo and tomatoes, when it comes to budget food I'll stick to lentils and tuna, thanks.
Wine for hard times
With the economy taking a nosedive the past few weeks (months? years?), plenty of wine drinkers are wondering whether they'll be able to afford their Bordeaux and Burgundy with retirement accounts shrinking and daily living more expensive than ever. Dr. Vino, a wine author and blogger, did a poll this week to find out if and how wine drinkers will cut back.
Not all winemakers are responding by dropping prices (a BBC news report says chocolate and Champagne have steady sales even in times of economic distress), but one company is embracing the socio-economic situation and turning lemons into lemonade (or, technically, grapes into wine). Recession Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon from California sell for around $5 a bottle. The company says they taste like $10 wines, explaining that the value comes from using lighter-weight glass bottles, saving on shipping costs, and using a recycled synthetic closure instead of cork, which costs $1 per bottle.
I tried the wines recently and really liked the Merlot, which was smoky on the nose, not too flabby like most cheap Merlot from California, and a little green peppery, like it had some Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. The vegetal aspect could definitely fool you into thinking you're drinking a much more spendy wine. My husband and I rated what we thought the prices would be if we didn't know they were $5, and here's what we came up with: Chardonnay, $9; Merlot, $14; Cabernet Sauvignon, $6.
The wines are currently available all over New York and will roll out nationally soon--unless our lawmakers can get it together and save the economy.
Spending too much on your beer budget? You're not the only one
We've all been there: You save 20¢ buying generic at the grocery store only to blow $10 on two beers at your favorite bar. Or even more guilt-inducing, you forgo a first-rate happy hour special in favor of a pint of your favorite imported or craft brew. Such examples are especially apt during the U.S.'s recent economic downturn when saving money has become top priority for many Americans.
But don't worry. You're not the only one. As reported by the AP, people are saying: "Recession? Eat, drink, and be merry." Jane Wardell reports that Anheuser-Busch turned a profit despite the rising costs of things such as barley, wheat and fuel. "The company is so confident that consumers won't abandon beer," she continues, "that it plans to increase prices for popular brands like Budweiser and Bud Light to stay ahead of the higher costs." Yikes.
File beer under "affordable luxuries" -- those mini-spending sprees we all occasionally need to keep us feeling sane. Milwaukee's Kate Brozovich said: "I'd rather spend $4 or $5 on quality beer than $3 on hopped up water. It's worth the extra buck or two to get quality." Hear, hear!
Long story short: No need to feel guilty about your beer splurging. Turns out you're just normal. (But feel free to read the long story too.)
Interesting side note: I read a study last year about "jet-setters" (people who own their own jets) that concluded that the average jet-setter spends more on alcohol each year than the median American income. Now THAT is splurging!
[via the Associated Press]
Are the increasing sales in candy the sign of a recession?
Is a sweet tooth strong enough to withstand the rising prices of basic food necessities, such as milk, eggs, and bread? Apparently so - according to an article from the Associated Press, retail sales in candy have gone up by three percent in the past year. Despite the fact that people are cutting back on driving long distances and buying certain grocery items, they are still willing to pay a premium for candy. Do we have an unhealthy addiction to candy?Why am I spending more money on candy when I am economizing on just about everything else?
It's psychological. Consumer Analysts at the Nielsen Co. explain that the candy business is "recession-proof." Besides having the feel-good factor, candy is easily accessible and cheap. Since people are reducing their shopping trips further from home to save gas, they are ending up at drug stores where there's lots of candy. Chocolate bars are probably one of the cheapest foods that seems to fulfill your appetite and simultaneously put a smile on your face. In fact, during the Great Depression, nickel chocolate bars practically served as meals.
Is there a solution?
While it's not a problem for the candy business, an increase in candy consumption cannot be a good thing for our health. Are there ways to encourage people to follow a more nutritious diet during economic recessions? What are your thoughts?
Seattle Times in 60 seconds: Savvy shopping, scratch cooking, and stretching food dollars
This week, the Seattle Times devotes the entire food section to stretching your food dollars in anticipation of tight financial times:
- An excerpt from Nancy Leson's blog, All You Can Eat, with a bulleted list of tips
- Tips for savvy shopping at the grocery store
- How to figure out which is better: cooking from scratch or buying prepared
- Save with bargain wines
- Chicken Alfredo Boboli
- Cashew Chicken Salad with Broccoli
- Fusilli with Chicken and Pesto
- Chicken & Olive Salad Sandwiches
- Chicken & Mozzarella Quesadillas
- Italian Chicken Soup
- Cashew Chicken Salad with Broccoli
- Chicken & Mozzarella Quesadillas
- Chicken & Olive Salad Sandwiches
- Fusilli with Chicken and Pesto
- Italian Chicken Soup
What Can I Get You Folks? - Server Revenge
Reality-Show Celebrities Serve Up Chef Curtis Stone's 'Hundred-Dollar Burger'
Foods Celebrity Chefs Hate
