The Food Scout

Orlando and Tampa are shaping up to be the new playground for innovative food retailing. If you live in the Southeast, you know Publix supermarkets. And if you live in north Florida, you know that Publix is leveraging several sub-brands into new retail units and merchandising opportunities. Its Aprons brand, originally a cooking school, is now a meal-assembly concept, cooking demo kiosk, and a catering business. Greenwise is a brand Publix is using on its new tony Whole Foods-style units, BUT it's also a brand merchandised in most of its stores around natural foods including meats, cereals, and juices. And Sabor ...

With names like “Cocaine” and “Bawls” found on beverages these days, why would anyone think twice about potential newcomers like “Tru Blood” or “Booty Sweat.” But increasingly, consumers will have to think twice about whether a new edgy product is going to make them look cool or feel like a sucker, literally. I myself was almost fooled by a recent print ad I saw in Entertainment Weekly for a bottled red drink called “Tru Blood” with the headline “Real Blood is for Suckers.” Hardly shocking at all these days, now that we’ve used all the other drink names like “Whoop Ass” and “Dopamine: Vegas in a Can.” But the fine print ...

Last fall, when the Starbucks announced slowing same-store sales (and experienced a subsequent dip in stock price), various press reminded us of the “Starbucks Economic Indicator,” wherein rising sales at Starbucks in the past had indicated strong economic waters ahead, and lagging sales predicted economic trouble ahead for all. In fact, while Starbucks got all the press attention last fall, subsequent months showed trouble for Dunkin Donuts, Wal-Mart, and recently a slew of quickservice restaurant chains.

Several decades ago, pop culture artist Andy Warhol made big bucks screen-printing large copies of Campbell Soup cans onto canvas, and raised the question of whether food was art, or art was food (I still find it interesting that Campbell Soup Company proudly displays one of those canvases that it presumably bought, when it should have been suing the pants off of Warhol for copyright infringement). And now M&M/Mars takes us all one step closer to bridging the gap between food and art ourselves. Hopefully you already knew that it was possible to have little messages printed on M&M’s for, say, a wedding or other special occasion where one ...

It’s my birthday and I don’t have much time to work today, because I’m running around town redeeming all the free food that I’m getting for my birthday. Buffalo Wild Wings sent me a gift card for $15 (and I’ve never spent a cent there). Fortunately it’s right next door to Coldstone Creamery, where there’s a “Love It” custom creation of my choice waiting for me (if I show them the coupon with the one-week expiration date). Then just a few doors down is Qdoba, which is giving me a free burrito. I don’t think I can eat $15 worth of food at BWW and a big burrito at Qdoba at the same time, so I’m going to have to come another day. Then, somewhere I have to fit in a visit to Red Robin, which is giving me a burger for my birthday (they’re hoping I bring some people with me to celebrate, I suppose. Suckers!). Then later this week I want to stop by McAlister’s ($5 off birthday coupon), San Francisco Oven for a Buy-An-Entree-Get-The-Second-For-50%-Off (hmm, that will cost me money), and Sonic for a free medium drink (cheapskates).