The Food Scout

When it comes to quantifying environmental savings, the impact just from the biggest QSR chains already boggles the mind: Domino’s has saved about 13 million trees—or 800,000 tons of cardboard—since cutting off the corners of its pizza boxes nearly 20 years ago. McDonald’s prevented about 80,000 pounds of pollution from hitting the air last year through its enviro-conscious building efforts. And Starbucks has not only saved more than 62,000 pounds of carbon-dioxide emissions via wind power, but is single-handedly saving village economies and ecosystems from collapse in South America with its ethical coffee-buying policies! These numbers impress not everyone, however. Whereas in recent years a restaurant’s carbon-reduction efforts were ...

Picture this would-be health-conscious business traveler, wandering aimlessly through Dallas Forth Worth airport from one smoothie bar to another over the years in search of a smoothie that’s not made with ice cream or frozen yogurt, and which has more than 2 grams of protein in it. After riding the Skywalk from terminal to terminal looking at menu boards and nutritional cards for The Grove, Smoothie King, Freshens, ICBY, Frulatti, and Camille’s, he finally settles on Smoothie King’s The Hulk Chocolate smoothie with 29 g of protein and a whopping 846 calories—but not without guilt feelings afterwards. The playing field for smoothies in the average market is not much better: Jamba ...

When Starbucks hit a same-store sales wall last fall, industry pundits and analysts launched a wave of theories and explanations as to why Starbucks deserved to be in this situation. No one was more critical of the company’s situation of course, than the company’s own chief, Howard Schultz. In the wake of its fall from Wall Street grace, Starbucks has been launching wave after wave of innovations, from advertising, to promotions, to new products and menu items (mostly publicized courtesy of the press) including a blog site that invites fans to submit ideas (more cathartic for the fans than useful to Starbucks, I would expect).

I was impressed with Ruby Tuesday’s makeover when I ate dinner at one of its recently rehabbed units a few months ago. But I had lunch at another one for lunch this week, and I’ve decided it’s my new favorite (chain) restaurant. So much so, that I’m revising my prejudice that casual dine restaurant chains require compromise when it comes to freshness, healthiness, contemporary flavors, and other quality cues.

I'm still recovering from the shockwaves I felt in my wallet this weekend. No not gasoline, but food. I just decided not to think about the $3.35 per gallon price tag when I fueled up, even though a month ago I was paying $2.79 a gallon. That's probably because I'd been driving around for days (on a tank of $3.05 gas) watching the price go up to $3.15, then $3.25 and even $3.35 in places. So I'd been bracing for the hit at the pump.