Dress like a cow for free food at Chick-fil-a

For Chick-fil-a's "Cow Appreciation Day," on Friday, July 11, Chick-fil-a will be giving a free combo meal to anyone who comes in dressed as a cow "from head to hoof."

Visit Chick-fil-a's Cow Appreciate Day site (www.cowappreciationday.com) for more info.

McD's Big Mac chant remix promotion

McDonald’s USA has launched a national casting call inviting all consumers to submit a video or audio remix of the popular Big Mac chant. The winning remix will be featured in a new McDonald’s Big Mac commercial that will air at the end of July. Semi-finalists will be selected by a panel of judges and the winner will be chosen through an online voting system July 22.

The only requirement is that you use the famous phrase “Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.” They have even prepared an audio kit with beats, loops and sounds you can download and use.

Visit MySpace.com/BigMacChant to learn more and get started.

Here's an example of one by Christina Milian:

Christina Milian - Big Mac Chant

Dunkin' Donuts Southwest Chicken Flatbread

Dunkin' Donuts has introduced a new Southwest Chicken Flatbread Sandwich.

This is an addition to their Turkey, Cheddar & Bacon; Ham & Swiss; and Grilled Cheese flatbread sandwichs.

First it was gourmet coffee, now Dunkin' is continuing to expand their all-day food menu.

Dunkin' Donuts also has personal pizzas and hash browns available.

The Southwest Chicken Flatbread Sandwich has 400 calories, 90 calories from fat, 10 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 1130 mg sodium, 51 carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber 7 grams sugar and 29 grams protein.

Devo sues McDonald's

The 80's New Wave band Devo is suing McDonald's over a Happy Meal Toy. The toy, New Wave Nigel, is part of McDonald's American Idol-related line of give-aways based on various genres of music.

From AAP: "We are in the midst of suing them," (Devo's Jerry) Casale told AAP.

"This New Wave Nigel doll that they've created is just a complete Devo rip-off and the red hat is exactly the red hat that I designed, and it's copyrighted and trademarked.

"They didn't ask us anything. Plus, we don't like McDonald's, and we don't like American Idol, so we're doubly offended."

Devo (left), New Wave Nigel (right)

from Stuff UK via BoingBoing

Wild BK Triple Whopper Ad from Japan

Check out this wild television commercial from Japan for Burger King's Triple Whopper.

The guy who covets another guy's Triple Whopper slithers across the restaurant floor like a snake to get it... and then eats it like a snake!

Hardee's/Carl's Reality TV Ad Campaign

Hardee's and Carl's Jr. has a new ad campaign that's more creative (but less hot) than watching Paris Hilton wash a Bentley.

They set up a fake restaurant called "Grade A Restaurant." The 'bistro burger' restaurant, complete with hidden cameras, had staff and customers that were all actors. The "target" was brought to the restaurant by an "accomplice." The "target" was told about the high-quality bistro burgers on the menu ranging in price from $14 to $20. After enjoying their burger it was revealed to them that they had just eaten a burger from Hardee's.

In the video below, the "target" even says how much she hates Hardee's commercials!

More videos can be found at www.fakerestaurant.com or on their YouTube channel.

Hardee's counters McDonald's chicken biscuit promo

Hardee's has a promotion of their own to counter McDonald's Southern Style Chicken Biscuit promotion yesterday.

The folks at Hardee’s are pretty cocky about their Chicken Fillet Biscuit. Confidant enough to announce that they will give every customer who doesn’t agree that their Chicken Fillet Biscuit is the best a full refund of the purchase price. The “Chicken Biscuit Challenge” runs until June 30 and was announced today in full-page newspaper ads throughout Hardee’s markets.

”Hardee’s was the first fast-food chain in America to offer Made From Scratch™ buttermilk biscuits way back in 1972 and we have been selling a Chicken Fillet Biscuit in all of our restaurants in the South for almost as long,” said Brad Haley, EVP of Marketing for Hardee’s. “So, when some ‘Johnny-Come-McLately’ tries to tout the goodness of their much smaller chicken biscuit, we thought it was appropriate to let the consumer decide who makes the best one,” Haley added. “We’re confident that we won’t be paying out on very many money-back guarantees because our Chicken Fillet Biscuits aren’t just ‘Southern-style’ like the other guy’s, they are real Southern biscuits.”

The Chicken Fillet Biscuit features a 4 oz. seasoned and buttermilk-battered chicken breast fillet served on a fresh, Made From Scratch buttermilk biscuit. It is sold at participating restaurants for $2.99 alone or $4.59 for a small combo with crispy hash rounds and a beverage. Prices may vary.

Free Southern Style Chicken at McDonald's

This Thursday, May 15, McDonald's is offering a free Southern Style Chicken Sandwich to everyone who purchases a medium or large drink.

You can get a free Southern Style Chicken Biscuit at breakfast (7am - 10:30am) and then you can come back and get a Southern Style Chicken Sandwich for lunch or dinner from 10:30am to 7pm.

Arby's buying Wendy's for $2.3 billion

Actually, the owner of Arby's, billionaire investor Nelson Peltz, is doing the buying, but he also owns Arby's (through a company called Triarc).

Dave Thomas started Wendy's in 1969.

Thomas' daughter Pam Thomas Farber said the family was devastated by the news.

"It's a very sad day for Wendy's, and our family. We just didn't think this would be the outcome," said Farber, 53.

If her father were alive to hear news of the buyout, "he would not be amused," she said.

Associated Press

Pizza Hut's 580-calorie slice

Yes, that's right, a single slice of Pizza Hut's new Double Deep Meat Lover's Pizza has 580 calories! 330 of those calories are from fat.

Touted by Pizza Hut as an "innovation," the Double Deep "features so many toppings that Pizza Hut needed to use a specially folded crust to hold them in."

Brian Niccol, Pizza Hut CMO admits, “Double Deep Pizza is abundantly topped for big appetites.”

Here's the rest of the nutritional stats for a single slice of Pizza Hut's Double Deep Meat Lover's Pizza: 580 calories, 330 calories from fat, 36 grams total fat, 14 grams saturated fat, 1.5 grams trans fat, 100 mg cholesterol, 1990 mg sodium, 31 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, 3 grams sugars, 31 grams protein.

Jack's Sirloin Steak Melt

Jack in the Box has a new sirloin sandwich called the Sirloin Steak Melt.

The Melt features slices of marinated sirloin steak and American, cheddar, and Swiss-style cheese topped with grilled onions and peppercorn mayo on grilled sourdough bread.

"Our new melt has everything our guests crave – sirloin steak, lots of cheese and our grilled sourdough bread," said Teka O'Rourke, director of menu marketing and promotions for Jack in the Box. "It's an incredibly satisfying, indulgent sandwich with very broad appeal."

The Sirloin Steak Melt sells for $3.99 at participating Jack in the Box restaurants.

Jack's Sirloin Steak Melt has 640 calories, 360 calories from fat, 40 grams total fat, 13 grams saturated fat, 2 grams trans fat, 100 mg cholesterol, 1490 mg sodium, 34 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 4 grams sugars, and 36 grams protein.

UK McDonald's parking fee

From the Guardian Unlimited in the UK, it appears that McDonald's restaurants are fining customers who stay in their parking lot too long.

And it is no small fine either: £125 (about $255). Cameras in the parking lot take photos of license plates and a bill is sent to the car's owner.

(The sign shown isn't an actual one. We made it at Ronald McHummer.)

"The question of just how long it should take to eat fast food is being answered by the burger giant McDonald's, which is making customers finish within 45 minutes or face a charge of £125.

"Motorists who care to linger over their McMeals for any longer at some drive-throughs are receiving demands from a private company that manages car parks for the burger chain."

from Guardian Unlimited via BoingBoing
custom McDonald's sign made at Ronald McHummer

Carl's Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Burrito

Carl's Jr. has added a staple Mexican dish to their breakfast line up and wrapped it in a burrito.

There new Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Burrito has features refried beans, scrambled eggs, shredded jack and cheddar cheeses, and Ranchero sauce, topped with corn tortilla strips, and wrapped in a warm flour tortilla.

"While originally starting out as a traditional Mexican breakfast, Huevos Rancheros has become a menu favorite at diners and sit-down eateries throughout the western states," said Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing for Carl's Jr. "However, eggs, beans, melted cheese and Ranchero sauce don't make for a very portable breakfast. At Carl's Jr., we rolled it all up in a flour tortilla so it can be eaten as a burrito when you're on the go."

Carl's Jr.'s Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Burrito has 660 calories, 34 grams of fat, 10 grams saturated fat, 490 mg cholesterol, 1550 mg sodium, 60 grams carbohydrates, 30 grams protein.

The Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Burrito is priced at $2.39 or $3.89 as part of a breakfast combo meal, but you can save a dollar with this coupon.

T-shirt: How Hamburgers are Made

Another great fast food related t-shirt from our favorite t-shirt shop, Threadless.

This one is called How Hamburgers are Made:

Wendy's customer wins burger build

In May, Wendy’s challenged America to create and vote for its next great burger. Seven months and 15,000 entries later, the people have chosen a winner: The Philly Style Hoagie Burger, created by Ian Van Camp, a screenwriter from Los Angeles.

Wendy’s announced the winning burger today to mark the 38th anniversary of the founding of the hamburger chain by Dave Thomas in 1969.

Upon winning the $25,000 prize Van Camp said, “I knew if I got too crazy with the ingredients it wouldn’t be possible for Wendy’s to make – but it had to be unique,” said Van Camp. “The fact that Wendy’s tested my burger in their food kitchen and that people liked what they tasted – how cool is that? Not many people can say that.”

More on Van Camp's burger at www.thisismyburger.com

Cows flee McDonald's

8 cows escaped from their trailer when the driver pulled in for lunch at a Utah McDonald's on Monday.

Did they glimpse their future?

It took a couple hours to round them up.

The round-up was quickly dubbed "Operation Hamburger Helper."

Yahoo! News via BoingBoing

Chick-fil-a calendar and video contest

Calendar:
Chick-fil-a's 2008 Cow Calendar will feature "One-Hit Wonder Cows" in 2008.

This will be the 11th year that Chick-fil-a has produced their Cow Calendar. One-Hit Wonder Cow highlights include Junior Double-Cheese Jr. singing “Chicken Ain’t Cheatin’,” Spicy Skirtsteak’s hit “Gimme Chicken One More Time,” and Veal Medallion crooning “Chickens in the Night.”

The calendars will cost $5 and will include more than $30 in Chick-fil-A food coupons. Chick-fil-A is also offering a free calendar to customers who purchase a re-loadable Chick-fil-A Card in the amount of $20 or more. In addition, four plush toy versions of the One-Hit Wonder Cows will be available for purchase at $4.99 each.

Video Contest:

Chick-fil-a has a video contest to celebrate their 40th anniversary. Starting tomorrow (November 13) Chick-fil-A is launching an online video contest to find the brand’s greatest fan in the country. Chick-fil-A fans can submit a video – up to one minute in length – "that creatively pleads their case as to why they believe they are the brand’s most passionate fan."

The prize is 40 months of free Chick-fil-A Combo Meals, a trip for two to Atlanta to visit the corporate headquarters, and Chick-fil-A merchandise.

You can watch Chick-fil-a's President, Dan Cathy, explain the contest here:

Quizno's nutritional information... finally!

At long last, Quizno’s has revealed the nutritional information for their toasted subs, salads, soups and bread bowls.

We wrote about Quizno’s lack of nutritional data back in March of 2006. Until this week they were the largest fast food restaurant chain that did not publish their nutrition data.

Quizno’s doesn’t make it easy or convenient to find the nutritional information on their website. (see Note below for instructions on finding it on their site.)

To make it a bit simplier we’ve posted Quizno’s nutritional information all in one chart.

Some noteworthy discoveries in Quizno’s nutrition data:

• Quizno's Tuna Melt has the highest calorie and fat totals of any of their sandwichs! The large Tuna Melt has over 2,000 calories and 175 grams of fat!! (The regular size has 1,420 calories and 118 grams of fat, the small 770 calories and 60 grams of fat!)


• 2 of the 5 salads Quizno's serves have 1,000 calories. The Roasted Chicken with Honey Mustard Flatbread Salad has 1120 calories and 76 grams of fat!


• Quizno's large Prime Rib Cheesesteak Sub has 1,770 calories and 116 grams of fat (that's 1030 calories from fat). It also has 2.5 grams trans fat.


• Quizno's Turkey Bacon Guacamole Sub with reduced fat Buttermilk Ranch dressing has a whopping 4530 mg of sodium! The US FDA recommends less than 2,400 mg of Sodium per day for adults. Quizno's has 31 items with over 2,400 mg of Sodium.


• Quizno's also has 34 items with over 50 grams of fat.


• Oh, and about the 'healthy' stuff... Quizno's large Veggie sub has 1,220 calories and 75 grams of fat!

If you suspected that Quizno’s didn’t publish this data sooner because the calorie, fat and sodium counts were high, you were right.

Note: Most fast food restaurant chains have a full nutritional data chart available; Quizno's only offers the data 1 sandwich at a time... it makes for lots of clicking. And the sauce and cheese data is only added to the totals after you do some more clicking.

To find the data on Quizno’s website, go to Quizno’s menu page and then click on a food category (like Subs), then find “Show Nutrition Information” at the bottom. This will cause a link to “Nutritional Information” to appear under each food item. Click one of these links will open the nutritional information in a new window. Then you’ll have to check the boxes next to things like dressing and cheese to get the grand total for the item.

I don't know exactly how long the Quizno's data has been available. I discovered it after a tip from a Fast Food News reader. You can bet Quizno's won't be promoting it. US Food Policy has also written about the new Quizno's data, too.

BK's Homestyle Melts

Yesterday Burger King introduced their new Homestyle Melts for a limited time. BK is billing them as "delicious melted sandwiches just like mom used to make."

There's a Homestyle Melt designed for breakfast and another for lunch and dinner.

For breakfast, the Honey Butter Homestyle Melt, has sausage, egg, honey butter sauce and melted American cheese between two pieces of "buttery flavored" sourdough bread. It costs $2.39.

For lunch and dinner the Bacon Double Homestyle Melt (shown above) has four half-slices of bacon, three slices of melted Swiss cheese and two hamburger patties with a garlic cheese sauce on "buttery flavored" sourdough bread. It costs $2.79 and has 810 calories and 58 grams of fat (more nutritional info below).

"Homestyle Melts are comfort foods Burger King style, with great, robust flavors and textures people associate with home," said John Schafulberger, senior vice president of global product marketing for Burger King Corp.

BK describes the television advertising campaign for these new sandwiches: "three vignettes that feature four moms who are angry at the King for encroaching on their turf by offering melted sandwiches served on soft buttery bread. The moms try to defend their territory, but the King and his new Homestyle Melts are ultimately victorious."

Burger King's Bacon Double Homestyle Melt with Buttery Spread has 810 calories, 520 calories from fat, 58 fat grams, 20 grams saturated fat, 2 grams trans fat, 135 mg cholesterol, 1370 mg sodium, 34 grams carbs, 1 gram fiber, 5 grams sugars, 39 grams protein.

Jon Stewart on Taco Bell in Mexico

The Daily Show's Jon Stewart talked about Taco Bell opening their first store in Mexico and wonders if Taco Bell will use their slogan, "Run for the border," in Mexico, too. He also shows us what a television ad in Mexico for Taco Bell might look like. Watch it below (or here)...