You Can’t Be Full Yet
Yo quiero that franchise. Taco Bell, Burger King and Applebee’s are the most popular concepts with the country’s 200 largest multi-unit franchisees, according to rankings released by the Restaurant Finance Monitor. Franchises in the Monitor 200 increased their sales to $19 billion in 2005; the total domestic restaurant industry generated sales of nearly $330 billion last year. The largest franchisee in the U.S. is Pittsburg, KS-based NPC International Inc, which operates 785 Pizza Huts.
That’s a lot of dough. And burgers and pizza and… Restaurant sales are projected to hit $511 billion in 2006, according to the National Restaurant Association. There are 925,000 dining locations in the U.S., employing 12.5 million people, the association reports. These establishments will serve up over 70 billion meals and snacks this year. That’s not surprising, considering that daily 130 million individuals are food service patrons.
Dialing for donuts. Or more accurately, texting for donuts. In his book “Branding Unbound: The Future of Advertising, Sales, and the Brand Experience in the Wireless Age,” Rich Mathieson reported that a two-month SMA-based advertising campaign in Italy resulted in a 9% increase in sales for Dunkin’ Donuts stores in Rome. The interactive promotion — designed to increase sales at seven retail locations — enabled consumers to respond to print, outdoor and broadcast advertisements by entering five-digit short codes into their Web-enabled mobile phones. In return, they received a downloadable coupon for a free cup of coffee with the purchase of a pastry. Once in stores, consumers could enter a drawing for a free Piaggio motorbike.
No soup for you, mate! Al Yeganeh, who inspired the Original Soup Nazi character on “Seinfeld,” is planning to open a chain of SoupMan franchises in the United Kingdom, according to published reports. Fifty locations are set to debut during the next year, including shops in London, Manchester and Birmingham.
BAM! Take that, Emeril! Can’t get to one of celebrity chef Todd English’s restaurants? Then play the home game in your own kitchen. English has become the latest chef to introduce a line of seasonings. Produced by Givaudan and sold on the Home Shopping Network, Flavor Perfections come in five blends: Todd’s Teriyaki Glaze, Toscana Garlic Rosemary, Puttanesca Sauce Seasoning, Pesto Genovese and Bonfire Barbeque.
