Fast Food, Pitch

Arby's Bacon Cheddar Potato Cake Melt shows how far we'll go to get away from bread

Jonathan Bender — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 08:45:08 -0500

Bread is delicious. A perfect slice needs nothing else.…

What if hobbits were actually dining at Denny's?

Jonathan Bender — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 11:23:00 -0500

It wasn't just one ring to rule them all. It was an onion ring — a fact the Hobbits were soon to discover on their way through the ramparts of Kansas City.…

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Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is betting big on KC

Jonathan Bender — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 07:59:54 -0500

The spread of custard continues unabated. Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is about to significantly increase its presence in the Kansas City area.…
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Mac Lethal spits his take on Chik-fil-A (Video)

Jonathan Bender — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 07:34:00 -0500

Mac Lethal has aimed his latest fast-rapping video straight at the franchise Chick-fil-A. In his latest rhythmic opus on YouTube, he provides his recipe for how to "make your own amazing, 100 % hate free Chick-fil-A sandwich."…
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7-Eleven's mashed potato Slurpee machine is Thanksgiving on demand

Jonathan Bender — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 09:49:47 -0500

America can now eat lunch like a kid with his jaw wired shut. 7-Eleven is selling mashed potatoes dispensed via a Slurpee-like machine.…
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Burger King has a bacon sundae for you to pig out on

Jonathan Bender — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 09:00:54 -0500

America just can't stop trying to get the pig and cow into one perfect dish. Denny's thought that they had it with a maple bacon sundae, Jack in the Box was convinced it was a bacon milkshake, and now Burger King is sure its bacon sundae will provide you with your daily dose of mork or pilk.…
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Your Marriage Proposal in 30 minutes or less

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:43:00 -0600

You no longer have to just save up for the ring if you're thinking about getting engaged. Now you can save up for the ring ... and the pizza.…
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Jack in the Box has a bacon shake. We have Jack in the Box. It's your call.

Jonathan Bender — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:30:59 -0600

Hearts in Kansas City are about to be broken. No, I'm not talking about next Tuesday.…
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Americans will yield to our sugary, gordita masters

Jonathan Bender — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:30:22 -0600

We American eaters may be collapsing under the weight of our own appetites, yet up until now, we've been fat but functional. Taco Bell may be ending the gravy times, however, with its foray into breakfast, aka FirstMeal.…
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Hold on to your pancreas, the McRib is back

Jonathan Bender — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 09:30:00 -0500

Meat Christmas comes early this year. The McRib is at every single McDonald's location until November 14.…
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Could Chipotle be bringing bahn mi and noodle bowls to fast food?

Jonathan Bender — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:20:58 -0500

The Vietnamese sandwich, the banh mi, has never had its shot at mass production, until now. Chipotle founder and CEO Steve Ells debuted ShopHouse recently in Washington, D.C. It's a test franchise for a Chipotle-style take on Southeast Asian cuisine that features bowls of rice and noodles and banh mi sandwiches (priced between $6.50 and $8) with customers choosing the condiments, veggies and proteins.…
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Denny's is a great indicator of just how rough your night has become

Jonathan Bender — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:00:08 -0500

In the midst of the discussion concerning Hurricane Irene, The Wall Street Journal snuck in a new metric for measuring the severity of a storm — the Waffle House Index. In the piece, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate explained that whether a Waffle House is open and serving its full menu can be an indicator of just how hard an area was hit and the recovery effort that will be required.…
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KC ranks sixth in the country for money spent on fast food

Jonathan Bender — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:56:08 -0500

When I was wondering last year why the national burger chains suddenly seemed to be converging on Kansas City all at once, I never thought to look at the receipts of my fellow citizens.

But according to Bundle (see the full-size chart here), the proof lies in the purchases.…
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Taco Bell testing taco shells made from Doritos?

Jonathan Bender — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 10:45:33 -0500

I've had walking tacos and Frito pies. I understand that humans want to elevate corn chips into an entire meal.…
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Baconalia is now at Denny's

Jonathan Bender — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 15:20:14 -0500

If Olean gave us anal leakage, then bacon is now giving us menu leakage. The ubiquitous food is being celebrated by Denny's, as part of a 10-week promotion, "Baconalia," which launched last week.

The pork homage is encapsulated in seven dishes, including a BBBLT (eight strips of bacon), bacon meatloaf and the ultimate bacon breakfast (six strips to two eggs).…
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The five reasons that Carl's Jr. turkey burgers will be a temporary menu item

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 08:15:25 -0500

If you can't beat them, co-brand them. Carl's Jr. and Hardee's rolled out a new line of under-500-calorie turkey burgers this week designed through a partnership with Men's Health.…
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Do we need a law to stop us from eating fast food?

Jonathan Bender — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 10:45:26 -0600

Nobody likes to be told to eat their vegetables. But what if somebody ordered you not to eat those fries?

The debate over personal responsibility versus government regulation when it comes to fast-food choices is looking like the next big health kerfuffle.…
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Free Chick-fil-A spicy chicken biscuit next week, reservations required

Jonathan Bender — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 08:00:28 -0600

There's no black tie required in the drive-through, but you will have to make a reservation if you want to get your free spicy chicken biscuit at Chick-fil-A next week.

The chicken chain is introducing its next breakfast sandwich with a free promotion between January 3 and January 8.…
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The future of fast food is pad Thai in wraps

Jonathan Bender — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 10:15:25 -0600

I thought that pizza in a cone was the future of fast food back in 2008. And that is why I'm not meant to own a franchise any time soon.…
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A pancake sausage breakfast shake is the next logical step

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 08:25:26 -0600

The life cycle of fast food innovations is like a radioactive isotope. A shiny new material appears to glow brightest at the outset before beginning a spiral of rapid decay in public interest.…
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Get two free tacos at Jack in the Box today after 2 p.m.

Jonathan Bender — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 08:15:16 -0600

If you've been on the fence about whether or not to try Jack in the Box (211 South 18th Street, in the Prescott Shopping Center), maybe two free tacos can entice you to head out to Kansas City, Kansas. The offer is only for today and starts after 2 p.m.

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A guide to making your own McRib (proceed with caution)

Jonathan Bender — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 11:15:33 -0600

The nation is in the middle of a full-on McRib craze. Whether it's great brand marketing, a debate over whether it qualifies as barbecue, or offered as an enticement to get former President George W. Bush to appear on The Daily Show, there's been a lot of buzz since the McDonald's sandwich returned to menus nationwide on November 2.…
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Before the McDonald's Happy Meal meets its end, an Overland Park company fights to save it

Charles Ferruzza — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 15:01:55 -0500

I've never eaten a Happy Meal in my life. But that's only because McDonald's introduced the concept -- created by Kansas City advertising mogul Bob Bernstein in 1977 -- after I had graduated from college and had moved on to other sinful (and, ultimately, less happy) pleasures.

But if I missed out on Bernstein's creation of a gaily-decorated cardboard box containing a burger, small fries, packet of cookies and a toy, I was part of that pre-childhood obesity generation that aggressively nagged our parents for the sugary breakfast cereals that were so heavily advertised on Saturday morning TV commercials.

The lure wasn't the sugar.…
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Jack in the Box springs into action Monday

Robert Bishop — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:23:47 -0500

The wait is almost over for Kansas City's fast-food connoisseurs --

we're less than 72 hours from having a Jack in the Box. Located at 211 South 18th Street, in the Prescott Shopping Center, the restaurant

is set to open for business at 9 a.m.…
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White Castle gets a little garlicky

Robert Bishop — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:26:15 -0500

Clearly, White Castle is in league with the vampires. Why?…
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