Saturday, July 18, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Starbucks Trying Out a New Strategy...yet again
(Though I wouldn't consider eating at McDonald's "smart," I would consider this ad campaign "genius.")Is Starbucks finally seeing the error of its ways? Well, not exactly. After lukewarm receptions to its Pike Place roast, instant coffee, and new line of health-conscious food, Starbucks is embarking on a more extreme strategy to confront the decrease in foot traffic it has been experiencing as of late (and subsequent store closings and layoffs): According to a Seattle Times article, the Beyoncé of coffee chains is reinventing some of its stores, marketing itself under a new name and feel:
The ubiquitous coffee-shop giant is dropping the household name from its 15th Avenue East store on Capitol Hill, a shop that was slated to close at one point last year but is being remodeled in Starbucks' new rustic, eco-friendly style.
It will open next week, the first of at least three remodeled Seattle-area stores that will bear the names of their neighborhoods rather than the 16,000-store chain to which they belong.
The new names are meant to give the stores "a community personality"...In the spirit of a traditional coffeehouse, it will serve wine and beer, host live music and poetry readings and sell espresso from a manual machine rather than the automated type found in most Starbucks stores.
Hm, attempting to capture that cozy feel of the locally owned independent coffee shops it had nearly driven to extinction. Oh, the irony.
Well, I'm glad Starbucks is finally recognizing the value of uniqueness and diversity, even if it was only driven to this out of financial concern. But you know what else will help them in the long run? Good coffee. And reasonable prices.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
NJ Turnpike Inspires New Beer Series
The Flying Fish Brewing Co. recently unveiled a new beer series (their newest brew, Exit 11 Hoppy American Wheat Ale, hit bars today) that has the NJ Turnpike Authority and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.) on edge.
The Exit Series™ of beers is a multi-year brewing experiment to brew a series of beers as diverse as the great state of New Jersey. These big beers–in size as well as flavor–will celebrate each exit of the state-long artery that connects us. Each beer will focus on a unique aspect of an individual exit.
M.A.D.D. raged against "Exit Series," telling the AP: The combination of a roadway and advertising for any kind of a beer doesn't make any kind of sense...This is almost a mockery.
The NJ Turnpike Authority had a calmer reaction, ensuring that Flying Fish made no mention of the Turnpike on the web site (besides the disclaimer at the bottom).
The rebuttal?
In an interview with NY Magazine's Grub Street, owner Gene Muller said:
We all agree that drinking and driving is a bad thing. But we thought a lot about it and made sure that there wasn't anything about the beer would give the impression that is was about that. I mean, there are Budweiser billboards on highways and there's a Budweiser logo on a NASCAR racecar going 200 miles an hour. We're a little company and if someone wants to beat someone up, it's going to be the little guy.
Hm, playing the "little guy" card. Ok. Maybe he has a point. But still. While I'm sure this will merit many fist pumps from in-staters, it's going to take a lot more than a decent beer to make me disassociate the NJ Turnpike from the traffic congestion horrors, foul smells, and asshole drivers that plague it.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Demystying food expiration dates
Live or die by Use by/Sell by/Best if used by labels? I know I do. (It's hard not to after you've encountered sour milk in your cheerios.) But this video shows that, like people, processed food shouldn't be confined to a label.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLgUhyRYkVo
Most of it is common sense, but the egg-in-the-water trick is pretty neat. Not sure why you would freeze lunch meat, or who would actually call the manufacturer to inquire as to a food's freshness/safety, but, after reading some of the viewer comments, I realize that I tend to overestimate normalcy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLgUhyRYkVo
Most of it is common sense, but the egg-in-the-water trick is pretty neat. Not sure why you would freeze lunch meat, or who would actually call the manufacturer to inquire as to a food's freshness/safety, but, after reading some of the viewer comments, I realize that I tend to overestimate normalcy.
grahamulax
yesterday I was making chili cheese fries and after I ate the delicious meal I realized the chili I used were from 2004. It tasted like heaven.
ELIOZD (3 weeks ago)
thats crazy??i throw yogurt 5 days before itsexpiry date and it smells like farting:)
A friendly warning: Do not eat or open Mac n Cheese 3 years after the expiration. It's disgusting. Really. When I opened one last,the macaroni was greenish and foul smelling...
LondonGuysVids (2 months ago)
The powdered cheese that comes with Kraft Dinner(Mac n Cheese to everyone else outside of Canada eh), is pretty safe to use after the expiration date. Only thing is, it will taste like ass. The noodles will be perfectly fine however.
What I'm wondering is this. Is it safe to eat Campbell's "Cream of" soups about a year after the expiration date? I have several cans that expired 8 months to a year ago.
What I'm wondering is this. Is it safe to eat Campbell's "Cream of" soups about a year after the expiration date? I have several cans that expired 8 months to a year ago.
iwreckdotcom (2 months ago)
you can smoke egg shells and get throwed
hackerhell900 (2 months ago)
Really? How much do you freak out?
you ever drop acid well its kind of like that lol
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