Pollo Campero Launches 505-Calorie Meals

Pollo Campero today introduced a menu of three complete meals with 505 or fewer calories. The promotion will be in stores beginning Jan. 18.

Pollo Campero's new 505-calorie meals include:

• Quarter Grilled Chicken Meal (total calories: 460 to 504)


• one-quarter of a grilled chicken (340 calories)


• an individual side of either Campero beans (160 calories) or black beans and white rice (120 calories)


• water, unsweetened tea or Diet Coke (1 to 4 calories)


• Grilled Chicken Sandwich Meal (total calories: 456 to 460)


• grilled chicken on Cesaro bread with sauce, lettuce and tomato (336 calories)


• an individual side of black beans and white rice (120 calories)


• water, unsweetened tea or Diet Coke (1 to 4 calories)


• Grilled Chicken Bowl (total calories: 445 to 449)


• filled with grilled chicken, Campero rice and beans, and pico de gallo


• water, unsweetened tea or Diet Coke (1 to 4 calories)

"We're taking healthy eating a big step forward by offering our customers three fast, complete, low-calorie meals," said Roberto Denegri, Campero USA president and chief operating officer. "These meals feature our signature Latin chicken, plus our unique and delicious sides. They may be low in calories, but they are full of the same fantastic ingredients and Campero flavor our customers have always enjoyed."

Pollo Campero launched its first restaurant in the United States in 2002. For years prior to that, visitors to Latin America were known to stuff their carry-on luggage with Campero chicken for the flight home. As stores have opened in new cities like Los Angeles and Boston, Pollo Campero fans have lined up for hours to experience their first taste of Latin chicken on U.S. soil.

Campero's chicken is marinated with lime and orange juice, red bell peppers, and a proprietary blend of Latin herbs and spices. Side dishes include a mix of Latin and traditional American dishes, including Campero beans, black beans and white rice, yuca fries, sweet plantains, cole slaw, french fries and mashed potatoes. Customers can choose from soft drinks, iced tea or specialty Latin drinks including horchata and tamarindo.

The world's largest Latin chicken restaurant chain, Pollo Campero serves more than 85 million customers each year at more than 300 restaurants in 12 countries around the globe. This includes more than 50 locations already open in the United States, with additional stores slated for this year. For more information, visit www.campero.com.

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Jamba Juice Now Selling Food

Jamba Juice announced today that they're adding food "real food" to their menu.

The company is rolling out a line of "Grab and Go" food, consisting of salads, sandwiches and wraps...

• Asian Style Chicken Wrap
• Chimichurri Chicken
• Greek Goodness (vegetarian)
• Greens and Grains Wrap (vegan)
• Gobble'licious Turkey Sandwich
• Caesar the Day! (salad)
• CousCous & Produce (salad)
• Four Cheesy Flatbread Sandwich
• Smokehouse Chicken Flatbread Sandwich
• Tomo Artichoko Flatbread Sandwich
• MediterraneYUM Flatbread Sandwich

Previously, the only food Jamba Juice offered was oatmeal, aside from snack bars and nut mixes in some locations.

The new food menu will open up Monday, June 15, 2009, throughout California locations, and eventually make its way across the USA over the summer.

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Jack in Box - Mini Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwiches

Jack in the Box announced this week the launch of their Mini Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwiches.

It's an expansion to their Mini Sirloin Burgers, which according to the company, has proven popular.


The new sandwiches come with homestyle chicken fillets topped with Frank’s RedHot sauce, ranch sauce and shredded lettuce on toasted mini buns.

The Mini Buffalo Ranch Chicken Sandwiches are available now for the suggested price, excluding tax, of $3.89 for three sandwiches at all participating Jack in the Box restaurants.

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Schlotzsky’s New Bacon Smokecheezy Line

Schlotzsky's, a deli chain of 220 locations worldwide, announced this week the launch of a new line of sandwiches called, "Bacon Smokecheezy", consisting of three offerings...

• Turkey & Bacon Smokecheezy - smoked turkey breast, smoked cheddar cheese, crispy bacon strips and fresh lettuce, tomatoes and red onions, topped off with tangy chipotle mayonnaise on sourdough.
  
  
• Ribeye Steak & Bacon Smokecheezy - strips of Angus ribeye steak, smoked cheddar cheese and crispy bacon strips, finished with tangy chipotle mayonnaise and roasted red bell peppers, on sourdough.
  
  
• Chicken & Bacon Smokecheezy - shaved chicken breast, smoked cheddar cheese, crispy bacon strips, and fresh lettuce, tomatoes and red onions, blended with tangy chipotle mayonnaise and served on sourdough.

The sandwiches are available for a limited time beginning now until August 30.

Visit Schlotzsky's online for locations...
http://www.schlotzskys.com/

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Chick-fil-A Offers New Peach Milkshake

Chick-fil-A announced today that it is adding a new peach flavor to its line of Hand-Spun Milkshakes for the summer. The Peach Milkshake will be offered as a limited-time flavor from June 1 through Aug. 22 at the chain's mall and stand-alone restaurants nationwide.

The new peach flavor is made with real peaches and is hand-spun with Chick-fil-A's "Icedream", and topped with light whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.

It's fitting enough the company come out with a peach flavored shake, being Chick-fil-A is based in Georgia, the "Peach State".

Coinciding with the Peach Milkshake rollout, Chick-fil-A will also introduce a smaller milkshake option that will remain on the menu permanently. Chick-fil-A Milkshakes will be offered in 14 oz. or 20 oz. cups and priced at $2.49 and $2.89, respectively (at most locations).

Since Chick-fil-A first introduced its line of Hand-Spun Milkshakes in May 2006, the desserts have proved to be one of the most popular products on the menu. Building upon its increasing milkshake momentum, the chain has added limited-time flavors to its milkshake menu annually. Chick-fil-A offered a Mint Cookies and Cream Milkshake in 2007, followed by a Coffee Caramel Milkshake last spring and a Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshake during the holidays last year.

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Quiznos Launches New Turkey Subs

Quiznos, the chain of fast-food sandwich shops, announced today the introduction of two new turkey sub sandwiches to its menu, beginning June 1, 2009...

• Cool Turkey Caesar: lettuce, diced tomatoes, peppercorn Caesar dressing and a blend of cheeses paired with oven-roasted turkey and creamy mozzarella cheese.


• Crisp Turkey Bacon Swiss: lettuce, diced tomatoes and creamy ranch dressing paired with oven-roasted turkey, smoked bacon and creamy Swiss cheese.

The two new sandwiches are part of Quiznos' "SummerTastes" promotion, which are designed to offer cool, crisp, fresh, sandwiches to combat the hot, sweltering heat of the lunch hour.

The new subs start at $4.39 for a small, $5.39 for a regular and $6.89 for a large.

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Fazoli's Introduces New Menu

Fazoli's, the chain of fast-food italian fare, is introducing a new menu to better compete against the on-slaught of burger and mexican food joints.

Tortellini & Sun-Dried Tomato Rustico, pictured below, is made fresh with sun-dried tomato sauce, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes, topped with a basil pesto drizzle.



They also have a new Chicken Piccata, described as linguini with creamy marinara, sliced grilled chicken, capers, broccoli and a lemon wedge.

The new entrees start are priced at $5.49, and come with Fazoli's signature unlimited breadsticks.

Also in the new line up is their Fire-Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Submarinos, their Cranberry & Walnut Chicken Salad, and new dessert items, Chocolate Chip Cannolis, and Choco-Lato Mousse.

To encourage fast-foodies to try its new menu, Fazoli's is offering some money-saving deals at a special website, http://www.freespaghetti.com.

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Carl's Jr. Portobello Mushroom Burger is Back

Carl's Jr. announced today that it's bringing back the Portobello Mushroom Six Dollar Burger, permanently starting right now.

The fan-favorite burger was originally introduced in 2005 for a limited time, and then again in 2007.

The burger is just a standard Six Dollar Burger, but with slices of portobello mushroom sauteed in garlic-butter sauce, along with swiss cheese.

During its initial appearance on the Carl's Jr. menu in 2005, The Portobello Mushroom Six Dollar Burger won the product award for excellence from Produce Business Magazine, and was among a handful of menu items profiled by USA Today for a trend story on fast-food going gourmet.

Carl's Jr. is also offering a coupon for a free Portobello Mushroom Six Dollar Burger with the purchase of a $20 Carl's Jr. gift card. Gift cards can be purchased in restaurants or online at http://www.carlsjr.com/giftcards/.

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Carl's Jr Kentucky Bourbon Burger - Review

Last March, the Carl's Jr chain of fast food joints introduced their newest burger, the Kentucky Bourbon Burger.

They had sent me a coupon for a free burger, and today I finally got around to having one for lunch.

The inspiration for this burger starts with the fact that burger joints today are in a rat race over finding new and usual burger recipes to attract impulse junk foodies like me. But this particular idea for a Kentucky Bourbon comes from all the bourbon and whiskey infused BBQ sauces that many steak houses and rib joints utilize.

The burger itself doesn't have any alcohol in it, the company notes that it's "0 proof". Rather, it's just the unique sauce that makes this burger. Aside from that, it comes with crispy, seasoned onion straws, a slice of pepperjack cheese, and bacon.

The burger comes in three sizes, single ($2.99), double ($3.99), and Six Dollar Burger ($4.89).

Taste

I got the Six Dollar Burger variety.

To sum it up, the sauce is very tasty. It's very sweet, but tangy, and spicy. It does indeed have that "bourbon" flavor, with a caramel character, and that spicy bite that create a light burn on the tongue. But mostly, it's a very sweet sauce.

Unfortunately, the Carl's Jr location (Menifee, CA, Newport Rd) that built my burger forgot to add the crispy onion straws. I think that would have really made the burger better.


Otherwise, I thought it made a for a tasty burger. I would have been happier with more sauce however. Since that's really what makes this burger, they need to put more, enough so that it runs all down my hands and arms.

I'm probably a littled miffed I didn't get the crispy onion straws, but then again I got this burger for free. The coupon said that I would still have to pay sales tax, but the girl working the drive-thru didn't ask me for it.

I suppose a rash of mediocre help at fast food joints is what prevents companies like Carl's Jr from gaining more traction with the general populace. They come up with great burger ideas, but have to rely on apathetic teens to put it together.

By the way, I didn't have a bottle of Kentucky Bourbon to go with the burger, but I did have a bottle of Tennessee Whiskey.

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Pastrami Burgers at The Hat

Ask a Southern Californian where to get the best pastrami, and chances are likely they'll say "The Hat".

The Hat is a small chain of restaurants in SoCal that got started in 1951. I'm told their Alhambra location was the first, and I think their Lake Forest location is the newest.

Yesterday, I went to their Pasadena location.

One thing the The Hat is known for is large portions. Order a pastrami sandwich, or a pastrami burger, or get the chili fries, and more than likely you won't have room for much more.

If you order a side of fries, they take a brown bag about the size of a lunch bag, and fill it up. After eating your sandwich, you'll maybe only have room for a three of four pieces of french fries. The same is true when you order onion rings.

If you get about four of you going to The Hat, then only order ONE side of fries, and split it. That's what we did yesterday, and we still could not finish off the fries.







Visit The Hat online, and try their Pastrami Burger:
http://www.thehat.com/

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Man Has Eaten 23,000 Big Macs

Don Gorske, the man who claims to have eaten 23,000 McDonald's Big Macs since 1972, could very well be the nagging thorn in the side of health food proponents...

A 54-year-old man says his obsessive-compulsive disorder drove him to eat 23,000 Big Macs in 36 years. Fifty-four-year-old Don Gorske says he hit the milestone last month, continuing a pleasurable obsession that began May 17, 1972 when he got his first car.

http://www.fdlreporter.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880908073

That works out to an average of two Big Macs every day.

The article goes on to say that's he physically fit.

That's good news for all of us, because it tells us it's possible to live at least 54 years eating nothing but Big Macs, and only Big Macs.

Touche! All you health food fanatics!

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McDonald's and Gays

Good as You writes about McDonald's coming under fire (what tiny little fire it might be) from the American Family Association, because the company took action that made it appear as if they support gay rights...

...Mickey D's has become the latest American corporation to suffer at the baselessly extremist, rabidly anti-gay hands of Don Wildmon Inc. The McNugget company's "sin"? The refused to shun Vice President of Communications Richard Ellis for his decision to serve on the Board of Directors of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC).

Read on...

http://www.goodasyou.org/good_as_you/2008/07/exlcusive-afa-t.html

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Carl's Jr Endorsed by Drycleaners

Carl's Jr, this week, announced that it received an endorsement from the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute (DLI), because of the increased business that drycleaning businesses have received since the launch of Carl's new chili cheeseburger.

"People have been ordering a lot of Chili Cheese Burgers and Chili Cheese Fries from Carl's Jr. Clearly, people don't mind getting a little messy for a great burger," said Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing for Carl's Jr. restaurants.

Seizing the opportunity, the execs at Carl's Jr are now supplying drycleaning bags emblazioned with the Carl's Jr chili cheeseburger to participating drycleaners, as well as Carl's Jr branded window signs. These have been distributed to some 1,250 drycleanners around the country.


Additionally, Carl's Jr. has teamed up with cleaning guru Jeff Campbell of The Clean Team to give television viewers additional tips on how to get chili cheese stains off clothing and any items which may have been sullied in the "drip zone" of Carl's Jr. chili menu items. Mr. Campbell will appear on morning programs throughout the Western states to provide his expert stain removal tips.

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Frispos - Original Carl's Jr. Fries

Most people have never heard of "Frispos", but they were quite popular in Orange County, CA, when they were the original french fries that Carl's Jr. served up during the 1970s and 1980s.

The french fries were crinkle-cut in shape, and had a consistency like mashed potatoes on the inside, with the crispy outer shell formed during deep frying. They were quite delish.

Actually, I've learned that Pup-n-Taco used to have them too.

Anyways, a few days ago when Carl Karcher passed away, I posted an article here on JFB announcing his death. Well, I also happened to post a similar article on another blog I write, "OCThen", but more geared to Orange County readers. (Link to that article).

Today someone posted a comment on that article that explained the secret of those unusual french fries, and the process by which they were made. He also gave the name, "Frispos"...

That french cry product was called "Frispos". My recollection is that the Frispos pellets came in a large bag, not unlike a bag of oats. We poured the dry Frispos into the top of the machine. When you pushed the button, it measured an amount of Frispos into a tube, injected warm water to form a paste and then it was pushed through a grate (think squeezing play doh out of one of those play doh machines) and as the Frispo "dough" came out the grate, a cutter went back and forth shaving off the "fries", which were then put into the fryer.

So with the name, I did a Google search, and found an article in the Riverside Press Enterprise, which also explained why Carl's Jr. stopped using Frispos. Basically, it was a logistical problem...

"Every step of the process was conducted in the kitchen (mixing, forming, cooking), which made it operationally labor-intensive and too difficult to sustain during times of heavy volume, which ran the risk of degrading the quality of the food presentation.

The crinkle-fries were phased out in favor of the conventional, shoestring French fries you find in our restaurants now."

So there you have it all you Carl's Jr. fanatics! The story of those fantastic crinkle-cut fries.

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Carl Karcher, 1917-2008

Carl Karcher, the founder of Carl's Jr., perhaps one of the most well-loved fast-food chains in Southern California, passed away today.

Carl Karcher Enterprises was based in Orange County, and if you grew up in "The OC" as I did, no kid could ever escape the Happy Star. In junior high, the company awarded me with a free lunch for outstanding school attendance.

My favorite menu item was the California Roast Beef, much like a roast beef sandwich you'd get at an Arby's, except with a whole green chile, and monterey jack cheese. They don't make it anymore.

They also used to serve up the crinkle-cut french fries that were more like strips of mashed-potatoes than cut potatoes. I wish they'd bring those back too.

Carl actually started out selling hot dogs. I remember for Carl's Jr's 50th anniversary, they brought back the dogs.

My co-worker and I used to eat lunch at a corporate owned Carl's Jr in Anaheim, where Carl would often visit and meet with the patrons.

After succeeding with his hot-dog stand business in the early 1940s, he opened up his first restaurant in 1945 in Anaheim as "Carl's Drive-In Barbecue". Later on he opened up smaller versions of the restaurant and named them "Carl's Jr" for obvious reasons.

Carl Karcher Enterprises went on to open Carl's Jr. restaurants all throughout the western USA, and then purchased the Hardee's chain in the east. He also tried to get in on the fast-food mexican business with his "Taco De Carlos" in the 1970s, but floundered.

Carl himself was also well loved in Orange County, a man who gave back to his community through his charitable contributions. He was respected as a tireless worker, a believer in himself and in his employees. This was a guy who dropped out of school in the 8th grade, and made it to the top because of hard work and determination. He was devoutly patriotic, leading the Pledge of Allegiance before every board meeting.

The Happy Star logo will be his lasting legacy.

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McDonald's Expands Coffee Business

Reuters reported today that McDonald's is looking to expand its coffee sales by offering cappuccinos, lattes and other drinks, hoping to cash in an additional $1 billion to its sales.

The fast-food chain is already offering espresso-based drinks in 800 of its stores across the USA. McDonald's has 14,000 locations in the USA, compared to 10,700 Starbucks locations in the USA, and 5,300 Dunkin' Donuts locations in the USA.

Dunkin' Donuts lays claim to the most coffee sales in the USA.

So certainly, McDonald's is in a position to lay some hurt on Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts.

However, Starbucks is pretty safe the way I see it. People go there for the in-store experience, their coffee is secondary.

Dunkin' Donuts, on the other hand, is a different story. People typically just drive up, get a coffee and a maple bar, and they're on their way. No one goes to a Dunkin' Donuts for the in-store experience.

The same holds true for McDonalds.

McDonalds is seeing its core-competency reduced to its Big Mac. It tried to reposition itself as a health-food chain with its Premium Salads line, but instead just farted. On top of that, their McGriddles lineup failed to generate any staying power in the fast-food breakfast phenomenon.

Even though the company is still making a lot of money from these products, they've lost branding power. Today, McDonald's is not known for much more than its Big Mac and Egg McMuffin. And if that's all the company has, it's going to get pushed out of the market.

The coffee market is a very cheap and easy way to create some new customers. If they're just going to sell the "garden variety" coffees, capuccinos, and lattes, they'll do really well. But they'll never compete against the Starbucks of the world. Even if they sell gourmet-quality stuff, people will still regard them as McDonald's and treat them as such.

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Wendy's New Stack Attack

Wendy's today announced the launch of their newest hamburger, the "Stack Attack", which puts an aggressive name on what's otherwise a diminuitive burger.

It's basically a double cheeseburger, with no added rabbit food, which could be a good thing for some people.

It's primary purpose for existence is its low price point, at just 99 cents, putting it squarely within Wendy's "Super Value Meal", for those consumers that want the same artergy-clogging performance as a full-blown Wendy's Hot-n-Juicy, but are trying to curb their appetite.

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Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Burrito - Carl's Jr.

Carl's Jr. today announced their newest burrito, the Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Burrito. It's available beginning today.

The Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Burrito contains refried beans, scrambled eggs, shredded jack and cheddar cheeses, and Carl's own Ranchero sauce, topped with corn tortilla strips.

The company states that they wanted to take the traditional Mexican breakfast of Huevos Rancheros and put it into a portable form.

Being that Carl's Jr. is a prominent fast-food restaurant in south western states, where Mexican immigrants have high concentration, it makes sense for the company to better position itself for America's future voters.

The Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Burrito sells for $2.39, or $3.89 as part of a breakfast combo meal.

Visit Carl's Jr. online at...
http://www.carlsjr.com

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The Whopper Gets Waxed

Burger King's famous offering, The Whopper, is 50 years old this year (as of March 4, 1957).

And if you thought it tasted kinda stale the last time you bit into one, now you know why.

But to celebrate a piece of American fast-food folklore, The Whopper was immotalized in wax at Madame Tussauds wax attraction in New York City's Times Square. Also getting waxed is the "King" character of famous chain.

The Whopper becomes the first food product to have its likeness honored by Madame Tussauds.

Source: Burger King

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McDonald's McSkillet Burrito - Now Nationwide

McDonald's today formally announced the nationwide launch of its new breakfast burrito, the McSkillet Burrito.


While it's been selling in various markets across the country for the past year-and-a-half, it's never been "rolled" out nationwide.

McDonald's describes it as follows...

The McSkillet Burrito combines scrambled eggs, sausage and skillet potatoes with savory flavors and ingredients including a medley of cheeses, red and green bell peppers, onions and salsa roja. Available today for $2.49 each.

The world's largest fast-food burger chain says it's been seeing a 42% increase in breakfast sales since 2002, a statistic that seems to be driving new breakfast concoctions across all fast-food chains.

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