It’s April, and the spring party season is here. Last weekend, I had a party for my nephew and his wife, who were in town on spring break, and what started as a quiet dinner grew into quite a party that included his high school buddies, old neighbors, friends and family. Along the way, I […]
March 26, 2010 – 11:36 pm
Yes, we are still in a deal-driven environment, but more and more, the deals I see are increasingly strategic. Think about Denny’s free Grand Slam or Chick-fil-A’s March Mania Friday where customers save their receipts and get their exact order for free before the end of March. These are what I call “strategic freebiesâ€â€¦very different offers […]
March 19, 2010 – 11:39 pm
Since it’s Lent, the Catholic schoolgirl in me couldn’t resist a trip to McDonald’s today for a fish sandwich. (It brought back a flood of school cafeteria memories for me.)
March 15, 2010 – 11:40 pm
The list is long. From product quality to adherence to core values, Chick-fil-A is replete with best practices. But the thing that most recently impressed me is this: When the going gets tough, the smart get strategic.
I just read an article about Twitter that used the phrase “useful immediacy.†(Ironically, a new microwave–the granddaddy of useful immediacy–is being installed in my kitchen as I type.)
February 26, 2010 – 11:44 pm
Am I the only one who’s getting sick of winter? Every time I see the TV commercial featuring Travelocity’s “Roaming Gnome†sitting in front of a television screen filled with palm trees and sandy beaches while a storm fills the window behind him, I almost chant along with him…
February 19, 2010 – 11:50 pm
I just saw an interview with Olympic gold medal snowboarder Shaun White, whose snowboarding stunts are almost mind-boggling. When interviewed, he explained, “I can see what I want to do before I do it.â€
February 12, 2010 – 11:53 pm
OK, I admit, burgers have been on my mind lately. But the other night, Bob Costas even broached the topic while he was doing Jay Leno’s final “10 at 10 List.†He admitted, “If I have $10 in my pocket, no offense to In-N-Out, I’m going for a Carl’s Super Star with Cheese.â€Clearly, people love […]
February 10, 2010 – 12:02 am
In a presentation at a culinary conference years ago, my menu maven friend announced that we are all motivated by “our culinary heritage.â€
February 8, 2010 – 12:10 am
The buzz on burgers seems to be at a fever pitch these days. After splitting a perfect burger with a friend at Bandera a couple of weeks ago, followed by a Happy Hour visit for Fleming’s cheeseburger, I was talking with an industry menu maven who noted that, right now, the “downscaling of fine dining†is […]
