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Thread: Fast Food Nastiness

  1. #256
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    Asian Fast Food is funny

    Whopper Day is April 1. If I'm interpreting this promotion correctly, this is a cologne that makes you smell flame-broiled?

    Gene Ching
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  2. #257
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    "Soylent Green is made out of people."

    "They're making our food out of people. Next thing they'll be breeding us like cattle for food. You've gotta tell them. You've gotta tell them!"

    Report: Human DNA found in hot dogs
    USA Today Network Jessica Durando, USA TODAY Network 10:43 a.m. EDT October 26, 2015


    (Photo: Tyler Barrick, Getty Images)

    Hot dogs are considered one of the most American foods.

    However, a report uncovers some startling findings on what people are really eating when they bite into a frankfurter.

    Clear Food analyzed 345 hot dogs and sausages from 75 different brands sold at 10 retailers and found that 14% had hygienic or substitution issues, according to the report.

    (Substitution means when ingredients are added to the product that are not displayed on the label and hygienic issues happen when a "non-harmful contaminant is introduced to the hot dog.")

    The online food guide, which uses "genomic technology" to examine foods by ingredients, found human DNA in 2% of the samples, and in two-thirds of the vegetarian samples."

    Other important findings include:

    Ten percent of vegetarian products contained meat.

    Samples showed chicken, beef, turkey and lamb were found in products that were not supposed to have those ingredients.

    Sixty-seven percent of hygienic problems found in the report were from vegetarian products.

    But, it isn't all bad news. Clear Foods finds "there are a number of hot dog manufacturers, large and small, that are producing high-quality hot dogs with integrity."

    Butterball, McCormick, Eckrich and Hebrew National received the top scores for quality hot dogs among major brands. And Gardein topped the specialty and regional hot dog list.

    The report comes amid unrelated research released by the World Health Organization on Monday that finds eating hot dogs, ham and other processed meat can cause colorectal cancer.
    Gene Ching
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  3. #258
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    facing its final days?

    Wonder if the government will bail them out like the banks...

    McDonald's franchisees say the brand is in a 'deep depression' and 'facing its final days'
    Hayley Peterson
    Oct. 16, 2015, 12:02 PM


    Flickr/yum9me

    McDonald's franchisees believe the brand is in a "deep depression" and could be facing its "final days," according to a new survey.

    "We are in the throes of a deep depression, and nothing is changing," one franchisee wrote in response to the survey by Nomura analyst Mark Kalinowski. "Probably 30% of operators are insolvent."

    Another wrote, "The CEO is sowing the seeds of our demise. We are a quick-serve fast-food restaurant, not a fast casual like Five Guys or Chipotle. The system may be facing its final days."

    More than a dozen franchisees expressed frustration with McDonald's management, saying that CEO Steve Easterbrook's turnaround plan — which includes initiatives like all-day breakfast and a shift to digital ordering kiosks — is a distraction from the core issues of McDonald's, like food quality and customer service.

    "The lack of consistent leadership from Oak Brook is frightening, we continue to jump from one failed initiative to another," one franchisee wrote.

    A second wrote, "I have been in this business since the early 1970s but have not seen us this leaderless in all my time."

    The company's reaction to their frustration, one franchisee claimed, is for operators to "get out of the system" and quit the business.


    McDonald's

    Several franchisees complained about all-day breakfast, saying that it has complicated kitchen operations and goes against Easterbrook's repeated promises to simplify the menu.

    "The system is very lost at the moment," one franchisee wrote. "Our menu boards are still bloated, and we are still trying to be too many things to too many people. ... Things are broken from the franchisee perspective."

    Franchisees also criticized the "Create Your Taste" program, which allows people to customize their burgers with premium ingredients.

    "They are throwing everything they can against the wall to see what will stick," one franchisee wrote.

    Kalinowski interviewed 29 US franchisees covering about 226 restaurants for the survey. McDonald's has more than 14,000 restaurants in the US.

    In response to the survey, McDonald's said it's hearing a different story from franchisees — specifically pertaining to all-day breakfast.

    "We’re hearing from customers and the overwhelming majority of our 3,100 franchisees that all-day breakfast is a hit!" a company spokeswoman told Business Insider. "In fact, since the launch, McDonald’s has reached its highest brand score in two years according to YouGov BrandIndex."

    McDonald's is trying to revive business following seven straight quarters of same-store sales declines in the US.

    In addition to adding all-day breakfast and "Create Your Taste," McDonald's has also made some changes to its core menu items.

    The company started toasting its hamburger buns longer, making its beef patties slightly larger, and changing how the patties are seared.

    McDonald's has also announced plans to remove antibiotics from its chicken.

    There are at least a few franchisees who are on board with the changes.

    Among the myriad negative responses to Kalinowski's survey, several franchisees expressed hopeful attitudes.

    "I think our leadership is headed in the right direction," one wrote. "It will take time."

    Another said, "The CEO seems to be doing OK so far!"
    Gene Ching
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  4. #259
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    "They're making our food out of people. Next thing they'll be breeding us like cattle for food. You've gotta tell them. You've gotta tell them!"
    Where in the hell is the human DNA coming from?? Human spit? Dandruff? Poop? People's limbs or whole bodies being pulled into meat grinders? Some of the thousands who go missing each year? (I'm only partially joking with that last one).

  5. #260
    Quote Originally Posted by Jimbo View Post
    Where in the hell is the human DNA coming from?? Human spit? Dandruff? Poop? People's limbs or whole bodies being pulled into meat grinders? Some of the thousands who go missing each year? (I'm only partially joking with that last one).
    That is what happens when there is no longer any display space at those "Bodies" exhibitions. Most of us know we are looking at what used to be political dissidents.

    mickey



    Last edited by mickey; 01-12-2016 at 07:21 PM.

  6. #261
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    Hello,

    Ya, sounds like hot dogs are mystery meat. It reminds me of the old mobster films where the gangster says "we'll make mince-meat outta you!" with a laughing smirk in the face. "Uncle Louie" probably owned a meat processing plant

  7. #262
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    Meanwhile, in China...

    How do you say "starbucks" in Chinese? I remember McDonalds was something like 'ma dan lau' and Pizza Hut was like 'bi zi hai'.

    Starbucks adding 1,400 new shops in China
    by Sophia Yan @sophia_yan
    January 12, 2016: 11:39 AM ET



    Make that a venti! Starbucks is going big in China, with plans to roll out hundreds of new shops in the next few years.
    Starbucks aims to open 500 stores this year as part of a broader plan to operate at least 3,400 coffee shops in China by 2019. That's an ambitious 70% expansion from the 2,000 stores it has now in 100 Chinese cities, the company said in a statement.
    "As Starbucks' second largest and fastest-growing market globally, China represents the most important and exciting opportunity ahead of us," said CEO Howard Schultz.
    It's an ambitious move, as China's economic growth is starting to slow. Still, plenty of food brands -- from McDonald's (MCD) to KFC -- have long clamored to tap into China's ever-increasing middle class. But many firms have faltered -- picking the wrong name or getting caught up in food safety scandals.
    By comparison, Starbucks (SBUX) has done much better -- it chose a catchy name (which means "Starry Hope") that sounds much like its English moniker, and adjusted its menu options to cater to local tastes.
    Starbucks in China has all the typical cafe items like lattes and scones. But it also offers a slew of food and beverage choices with a Chinese twist: think red bean-green tea frappuccinos, sausage buns and mooncakes -- traditional sweets eaten during an annual autumn holiday.
    The Seattle-based coffee chain has long courted China -- a tea-drinking nation -- since opening its first mainland store in Beijing in 1999. Last year, Schultz even met with President Xi Jinping on his first state visit to the U.S.
    But the road hasn't always been smooth. In 2013, state-controlled media outlets accused Starbucks of squeezing higher margins out of its operation in China than in other markets.
    Related: 8 of the world's craziest fast food items
    CCTV, for example, reported then that a tall latte cost 27 yuan or $4.40 in Beijing, while the same drink cost about a dollar less in Chicago. The report also said a Starbucks coffee mug -- which is made in China -- sells for between $10 and $14 in the U.S., and as much as $18 in China.
    For many Chinese, drinking Starbucks is sometimes considered a status symbol -- in China, many consumers can have dinner for a few bucks, or what one cup of coffee costs.
    On Tuesday, Starbucks also announced that all full-time baristas and store supervisors in China will receive a stipend to cover roughly half of their housing costs.
    Shares rose more than 2% Tuesday morning.
    Gene Ching
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  8. #263
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    Following up on that post above

    Here are some links from the same author:

    What's in a brand name? In China, everything
    by Sophia Yan @sophia_yan
    September 7, 2015: 9:27 PM ET


    Coca-Cola came up with a clever Chinese name that sounds similar, and means Delicious Fun.

    If you're a well-to-do Shanghai resident, you might start a typical day with a cup of Starry Hope, and then check email on your Triple Stars before driving to the office in your Treasured Horse. After work, you might unwind with a cold bottle of Hundred Prestige.
    In case you missed it, that's actually Starbucks (SBUX), Samsung, BMW and Budweiser.
    The Chinese names of these well-known brands might sound silly in English, but they're key to helping foreign companies rake in billions in China, where a name is thought to make or break your luck.
    For companies, coming up with a name that fits the firm's image is tricky enough. But it's even more challenging in Chinese, which has multiple dialects and scores of ****phones that can lead to unintended double entendres.
    For example, in Mandarin, the word for "tall" (高) sounds exactly like the word for "cake" (糕) -- they're both pronounced "gao."
    "The wrong name will just give the wrong impression," said Tait Lawton, founder of Nanjing Marketing Group. Foreign firms have "to understand there is meaning in Chinese characters -- it's not like English where you can take letters and mash them together to make different sounds."
    Best Buy (BBY), for example, didn't have a very catchy Chinese name, using a near-direct translation from English, Lawton said. While it's hard to discern just how much the name had to do with its business prospects, the electronics retailer never caught on in China, and shuttered its namesake stores in 2011.
    Some brands have found success with names that not only sound like their English monikers, but also have significant meaning in Chinese. "Rui bu," used by Reebok, means "fast steps," while Nike (NKE) goes by "nai ke," which translates to "endurance and perseverance."
    Coca-Cola (KO) came up with a clever one, "kekou kele," which means "delicious fun," and stays true to the original English. On top of that, part of the name sounds like the Chinese word for "thirsty."
    While that kind of significance might be lost to a foreigner's ears, it's something that sticks with Chinese consumers, who are more inclined to remember the Chinese name over the English one, said Vladimir Djurovic, CEO of Labbrand, a company that helps foreign firms brand in China.
    It's important "to connect with the category ... [and] to be close to your target audience, to be accessible," he said.
    Banks, for instance, seeking to attract the rich, should consider names that give off the impression of wealth and prosperity. Goldman Sachs' name in Chinese is "gao sheng," or "highly prosperous."
    London bank HSBC went with "hui feng," which roughly translates to "gathered abundance." A direct translation for HSBC, which stands for Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, wouldn't have worked -- in Chinese, it would have sounded like every other local bank, instead of a global finance powerhouse, Djurovic said.
    Others, like French grocery chain, Carrefour, will want to appear more consumer-friendly. Its Chinese name, "jia le fu," means "happy family."
    Djurovic said that choosing a good Chinese name can take up to a year. "There is no absolute rule ... the right name will always depend on a couple of things," he said.
    CNNMoney (Hong Kong)
    First published September 7, 2015: 9:27 PM ET
    The crazy flavor experiments in Chinese fast food
    by Sophia Yan @sophia_yan
    August 22, 2014: 6:17 AM ET


    Pizza Hut in Hong Kong serves a crayfish pizza that's designed to appeal to local tastes.

    Have you ever craved pizza with mangoes and crayfish? How about a pork and seaweed flavored donut?
    Sound strange? Not if you're in China, where these Frankenstein foods are being served up by American fast food chains hoping to dominate foreign markets by catering to local tastes.
    The experimentation is endless: Pizza Hut offers Thousand Island seafood pizzas, McDonald's (MCD) serves soy milk and fried dough strips for breakfast, Dairy Queen scoops out wasabi ice cream and Starbucks (SBUX) sells red bean green tea Frappuccinos.
    Burger King (BKW), Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, Papa John's (PZZA), McDonald's, Pizza Hut and KFC are all competing for a bigger slice of China's $100 billion fast food market.
    There's just one problem: double cheeseburgers and pepperoni pizzas aren't exactly typical Chinese cuisine. As a result, the chains are constantly looking for ways to appeal to the local population, while keeping signature items on the menu.
    "The trick is, they want to keep as much of their DNA as possible in terms of having core menu items that are recognizable in any market, but also figuring out what the hero products for the specific market are going to be," said Ben Cavender of China Market Research.
    McDonald's in Hong Kong, for example, serves noodles, fresh corn and lychee punch. KFC offers rice with its fried chicken meals.
    "When we introduce the rice option, we still use a Western flavor ... [such as] mushroom or Chicken a la King," said Alan Chan, CEO of Birdland, the private company that runs KFC franchises in Hong Kong. "We still want to keep the identity of predominantly Western-style fast food."
    It's not only the menu that is different in China. The fast food chains are also going upmarket in an effort to stand out in the crowded restaurant industry.
    Pizza Hut offers lobster bisque and mussels stewed in white wine. The restaurant is a popular spot for teenagers to spend a romantic evening.
    These are "nicely-decorated sit down restaurants," Cavender said. "In most cases, people going tend to be white collar -- comparatively speaking, these restaurants are still quite expensive compared to a street corner noodle shop."
    Dreaming up the right items for the local market is not easy, and can take as long as 18 months from concept to plate, said Richard Leong, CEO of Pizza Hut in Hong Kong.
    Leong introduces new products about eight times a year. Everything from cheese fondue pots to a pizza crust stuffed with fish roe and salmon cream cheese have made the menu -- but he did once veto squid ink flambé pizza.
    Even regional preferences can vary. Leong says what works in Hong Kong might not work in other parts of China.
    "Every year, we still have to crack our heads -- we're like fashion designers," said Leong. "We have to sit and think about the next thing we have to do."
    CNNMoney (Hong Kong)
    First published August 21, 2014: 10:18 PM ET
    Gene Ching
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  9. #264
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    Mickey and Matt:
    I wouldn't be too surprised if there's a good bit of truth there.

    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    How do you say "starbucks" in Chinese? I remember McDonalds was something like 'ma dan lau' and Pizza Hut was like 'bi zi hai'.
    Gene:
    Maybe "Shi Da Buo Ke Shi"? Lol.

  10. #265
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    Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?

    First KFC is a Valentine's dinner location and now this?

    The Chinese-food chain that is routinely mocked is building an empire to compete with Chipotle
    Ashley Lutz
    Feb. 11, 2016, 12:02 PM


    Reuters
    Panda Express is trying to cultivate a healthier image.

    Panda Express trying to leave its mall-food-court image behind.

    The Chinese-food chain has recently taken stakes in trendy fast-casual restaurants like Just Salad and Pieology Pizza, which have a combined 111 restaurants right now, reports Leslie Patton at Bloomberg News.

    The brand, which has more than 1,700 locations, is also aggressively looking to invest in other hot restaurant concepts.

    Panda Express hopes the investments will help it take steps to elevate its reputation and compete with Chipotle and Panera Bread.

    The brand's current reputation is infamous in the Chinese-food world, the New York Times wrote last year.

    The "less exalted view of the company is "by people like the Korean-American chef David Chang, who estimates that he has succumbed to Panda Express a half-dozen times in the last two years. This usually happens, he said, when he’s waiting at an airport and 'it’s like I’m stuck on a desert island.'"

    Buzzfeed also made a video showing Chinese people trying Panda Express for the first time.

    The brand is using the new investments to become appealing to urban millennial consumers.

    For instance, it plans to adopt Just Salad's system for quick delivery, according to Bloomberg.

    Just Salad is a concept that makes custom salads using premium ingredients like grass-fed steak, local produce, and fresh pita chips.

    Pieology, which Technomic named the fastest-growing restaurant chain in America, lets customers build their own pizzas with options ranging from wheat crust to gluten-free crust to vegetarian pizzas to dairy-free cheese. There are 40 toppings, and a custom pizza is $8 or less.


    Pieology
    Pieology lets customers build their own pizzas using premium ingredients.

    Panda Express' motive for investing in these properties is clear.

    The American-style Chinese restaurant's reputation is struggling, founder Peggy Cherng told The New York Times last fall.

    Panda Express' food is generally seen as more of a guilty pleasure than a popular trend like going to Chipotle.

    Panda Express is notorious for selling items like orange chicken, which is deep-fried and covered in sugary sauces. The brand has responded with a new Wok Smart menu that offers entrees for 300 calories or less.

    The brand is also plagued by the idea that it uses additives in its food at a time when consumers are demanding fare that is fresh and natural.

    "We need to focus on basic execution," Cherng told The Times. "No matter what, the food speaks for itself."

    Marina Nazario contributed to this story.
    Gene Ching
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  11. #266
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    You know what this means.....

    tue mar 15, 2016 9:40am edt
    yum brands to open its first taco bell outlet in china this year


    a taco bell restaurant is pictured in paramus, new jersey july 8, 2015.
    Reuters/eduardo munoz

    yum brands inc (yum.n), the owner of the kfc and pizza hut chains, said it will open its first taco bell restaurant in china by the end of 2016.

    The first outlet of the mexican food chain would open in shanghai, chief executive greg creed said at a consumer and retail conference in new york on tuesday.

    Yum brands, which is in the midst of separating its china business into an independent, publicly-traded company this year, has about 7,000 kfc and pizza hut chains in the asian country.

    (reporting by siddharth cavale in bengaluru; editing by sriraj kalluvila)
    Nachos in China!!!
    Gene Ching
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  12. #267
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    Call a Chick

    This little news item has this particular thread written all over it.

    Chinese fast food chain disciplined by authorities for vulgarity
    By Kou Jie (People's Daily Online) 14:37, November 22, 2016


    [File photo]

    A Chinese fast food chain has been ordered to change its name and menu after its vulgar advertising campaign was bombarded with criticism on Chinese social media.
    “Call a Chick,” a Shanghai-based fast food chain that mainly sell fried chicken, has sparked controversy nationwide. The company’s branch stores across the country have been boycotted by many customers, who criticize the company for being a bad influence, as its brand name and advertising are “erotic and disturbing.”
    In order to promote their food, the chain has created a menu filled with sexually suggestive dish names, including “chick with no sex life” and “chick and booty calls.” The chain also refers to its telephone ordering service as “a hotline for calling chicks,” and advertises that Call a Chick food “will satisfy every ounce of your fantasy for a chick.”
    The chain has quickly become an online sensation, with many Internet users poking fun at its name and advertising, as the Chinese word for “chick” is commonly used as slang for a female prostitute. In response to the negative comments, the fast food chain issued a statement on Sina Weibo on Nov. 19, promising its customers that it will change the content of its menu as well as its brand name. The company’s online menu has already been removed as of press time, though the company’s name can still be found on its website.
    Call a Chick branch stores in Chengdu, Shanghai and Hangzhou have been ordered by local authorities to suspend operations, with the official explanation that they did not receive permission to use the brand name. Meanwhile, Shanghai authorities have carried out their own investigation, suggesting that the brand name may violate China’s advertisement law, which forbids obscene content from being used in advertisements, Shanghai Morning Post reported.


    [File photo]

    The incident has drawn thousands of comments on Chinese social media, with many criticizing the company for its potential impact on children.
    “My 5-year-old son keeps asking me the meaning of the dish names. It’s disturbing enough to see a menu with so much sexual connotation, let alone figuring out a way to stop my child from asking me about the filthy content,” one netizen wrote on Sina Weibo.
    On the other hand, some believe the brand name is clever and creative. Many Internet users were satirical and snarky in their tone, criticizing authorities for overreacting and “killing creativity.”
    “KFC has used the slogan ‘We do chicken right.’ If you over-analyze this [slogan], it can also mean something dirty. Those who have dirty minds will see everything through a filthy lens. I don’t understand how such a creative business idea could get banned,” commented another netizen.
    Gene Ching
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  13. #268
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    they certainly took it a step further than the "Fu Kwei" palace in my old hometown of Boone, NC did.

    Fu Kwei was nasty. The plumber I worked for back then did the service work for their kitchen. Would go in there to see all the old chinese dudes chopping chicken with cigarettes dangling out of their mouths. I saw ash fall in to the chicken and they just kept on choppin'.
    "George never did wake up. And, even all that talking didn't make death any easier...at least not for us. Maybe, in the end, all you can really hope for is that your last thought is a nice one...even if it's just about the taste of a nice cold beer."

    "If you find the right balance between desperation and fear you can make people believe anything"

    "Is enlightenment even possible? Or, did I drive by it like a missed exit?"

    It's simpler than you think.

    I could be completely wrong"

  14. #269
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    TSS Travels To: Taco Bell Shanghai

    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    Nachos in China!!!
    Gene Ching
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  15. #270
    Gene, Starbucks is xing ba ke, or 'star hopes earnestly to be able to'. Apparently, the ba ke is the same ba ke used in bakekesi, Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. In case you forget.

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