McDonald’s is planning some substantial changes to its menu , according to a company memo obtained by Crain’s Chicago Business . The biggest news is that the chain will drop its Big ‘N’ Tasty burger, which was introduced in 2001 to compete with Burger King ’s (BKC) Whopper. But the Big ‘N’ Tasty has been eclipsed by the one-third-pound Angus burger, sales of which have been better than the company expected.... 

The Wall Street Journal documents the bitterness between Burger King and many of its franchisees . The company is “in deep trouble” because of its missteps, according to a letter from its biggest group of franchisees. Everything’s fine, responded the company’s board. The franchisees have no shortage of complaints, several of them backed up with lawsuits. Some of them have to…  Read More →

Starbucks (SBUX) is going full-out in its expansion of its second-tier brand, Seattle’s Best coffee . The chain plans to increase the number of locations tenfold by the end of the year to about 30,000. About half of those will be Burger King (BKC) and Subway locations, as well as AMC Theaters. The rest will be new franchise locations. Such deals help Starbucks expand without …  Read More →

There is a proposal in Santa Clara County, Calif., to force fast-food outlets to refrain from giving away toys with meals that don’t meet minimum nutrition standards . It’s being debated along predictable lines: It’s either the “nanny state” telling parents how to raise their kids or it’s a good way to get fast-food chains to stop manipulating children into badgering their parents to buy them highly caloric,... 

U.S. soldiers at the big military base in Kandahar, Afghanistan, will no longer be able to buy lunch at Burger King , Pizza Hut , or T.G.I. Friday’s once the restaurants’ concession contracts run out. As Reuters reported yesterday, Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Hall, in a blog post “earlier this year,” wrote that this is because the soldiers are in “a war zone—not an amusement park.” The undated post is on the... 

Burger King (BKC) identifies its targeted demographic as “superfans.” Until now, that has meant young guys who regularly stuff themselves with fast food. But now Burger King is redefining the term: Advertising Age reports that the company has taken to defining a “superfan” as anyone who regularly stuffs himself—or herself—with fast food. After years of creating obnoxious (and occasionally clever) ads aimed at young...