Press Release – Save-A-Lot Opens in Jackson

27 01 2009

From a Save-A-Lot press release….

SAVE-A-LOT CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING OF JACKSON STORE

Edited Assortment Grocery Store Will Save Consumers Up to 40 Percent

St. Louis, Missouri – December 22, 2008 – Save-A-Lot, the nation’s largest edited assortment grocery chain, celebrated the grand opening of its store in Jackson, Michigan, located at 3525 O’Neil Drive on September 17. The company is committed to offering local shoppers high quality groceries at savings of up to 40 percent.

“Save-A-Lot’s edited-assortment retailing model and nationwide buying power allows us to offer the best quality groceries at a significant savings,” said Jaime Powers, company spokesperson. “We’ve had a tremendous success at our other stores in Michigan, and look forward to bringing another Save-A-Lot to the area.”

Save-A-Lot stores deliver savings of up to 40 percent over conventional grocery stores. The new stores will carry about 1,250 of the most frequently purchased grocery items, including fresh meat, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, canned goods and packaged items, frozen foods and more, plus non-food products like health and beauty care items. Save-A-Lot stores are open seven days a week and employ approximately 15 – 20 employees. Read the rest of this entry »

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Categories : Food News, Grocery, Jackson, Michigan, Press Releases

Pepsi Max = Diet Cola for Men?

27 01 2009

So, apparently, Pepsi is using one of the Super Bowl commercials to make a big push for Pepsi Max.  They’re branding it as “The first diet cola for men.” 

New ads that reposition Pepsi Max as the diet cola for men also will likely be a part of the Super Bowl. Execs debuted 30- and 15-second “I’m good” spots. The ads show men getting hurt — hit with a golf club or electrocuted, for example — and then saying “I’m good.” A voice-over at the end of the spot says, “Men can take anything except the taste of diet cola — until now. Pepsi Max the first diet cola for men.”

OK, here’s my problem with that.  Coke Zero has been out for a few years.  I am a lifelong Pepsi drinker.  I crave the crap.  J always thought it was the caffeine I crave, but it’s not.  It’s Pepsi.  It’s the sugar…it’s the taste.  I’ve gotten myself to a can every other day as long as we don’t eat out.  I don’t keep it in the house anymore.  The way I’ve gotten off Pepsi is by drinking Coke Zero.  It’s zero calorie and tastes enough like Coke that I learned to put up with it.

This weekend, we stopped in Howell to get gas.  I went in the store to get something to drink.  I was going to grab a Pepsi, but I stopped mid-reach when I saw Pepsi Max.  I had been wondering if Pepsi Max was going to be as close to Pepsi as Coke Zero was to Coke.  I took one drink and damn near threw it out the window.  It was awful.  It tasted exactly like a diet pop.  Even worse, J said it tasted worse than Diet Pepsi which she actually prefers over Diet Coke. 

Pepsi Max has been around since 1993 in the UK.  Pepsi Co wasn’t able to introduce the product in the US because of the ingredient acesulfame potassium hadn’t been approved by the FDA.   The drink is incredibly popular overseas outselling Pepsi in some countries.  In 2007, the drink was finally introduced in the US as Diet Pepsi Max, but it wasn’t the drink that was so popular overseas.  They reformulated it for the US launch. 

I love Pepsi.  Until recently, I had been a loyal Pepsi drinker and I still prefer it over Coke, but after tasting Pepsi Max, this ad campaign almost pisses me off.  All I read is Pepsi Max is the first diet cola for men because women who already drink Diet Pepsi won’t drink it.  I hope, someday, they come up with something that tastes as good as Pepsi does…..Pepsi Max isn’t it.


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Categories : Food News

Employees Work for No Pay to Help Restaurant

27 01 2009

Here’s a neat story from Muskegon.

A week ago, 17 restaurant employees — servers, cooks, busboys, dishwashers, cashiers and hostesses — worked exclusively for tips, so owner Dave Barham could trim the payroll.

“Isn’t that something?” he asked.

When the last customer left on what employees dubbed “Donate A Day,” they’d saved the boss about $700 in wages. The restaurant employs 31 people.

Wow.  How many of us would give our bosses a free day of work to help them out?  Honestly, in an office setting, I don’t think I would.  The deal here was everyone worked for tips.  Once patrons got word of what they were doing, they started leaving bigger tips.  By the end of the day, they had made over $800 in tips which was then split evenly between everyone. 

Interesting story.  I’ve never worked at a place where I liked or respected the company I worked for that much that I would consider that.  I think this story not only says a lot about the employees but a lot about the owners as well. 

On the Web: Mr. B’s Pancake House

 


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Categories : Food News, Michigan

GM Cuts Could Close Don’s Windmill

27 01 2009

I just noticed this story in my RSS feeds.   The ripple effect of GM cutting employees trickles down to the businesses around the plant.

Don’s Windmill Restaurant is one of those establishments, and manager Alexis Millisor describes business as slowly dying.

“With an additional 1,200 people being laid off that’s another 1,200 that won’t be able to have money to go out to eat,” Millisor said.

Millisor says she’s worried about the future of the restaurant since much of her business comes from GM workers at the Delta plant along with truck drivers who supply parts to the factory.

They’ve been in business 55 years and it may be the end of the line. Don’s Windmill was one of the first restaurant recommendations we got from one of J’s co-workers.  It was good, greasy diner food.  Nothing great, but somehow comforting.   Losing Don’s Windmill would be sad.


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Categories : Dimondale, Food News, Michigan

Press Release – Meijer joins Generation With Promise To Provide Tours

27 01 2009

Got this from a press release…..

Meijer Teams Up With Generation With Promise to Provide Grocery Store
Tours
Program Aims To Educate Families about Making Healthy Food Choices

Navigating the aisles of a grocery store can be an overwhelming
experience when families are confronted with the number of food choices,
let alone reading food labels. Michigan-based retailer Meijer wants to
take the fear factor out of grocery shopping for parents and their
children in underserved areas.

Meijer, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is partnering with
“Generation With Promise” (GWP) by providing grocery store tours
as part of a nutrition education class called “Side by Side.” The
class, offered by the Share Our Strength Operation Frontline Program,
involves an educational field trip to Meijer that aims to empower and
educate families about making healthy food choices. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Food News, Press Releases