Press Release – Big Boy Names New CEO

26 01 2009

From a Big Boy Restaurants Interntaional, LLC press release…..

WARREN, Mich. –  Keith E. Sirois, a food service industry leader with 35 years of experience, was selected as chief executive officer of Big Boy Restaurants International, LLC. Sirois, 57, begins his new role Monday, Jan. 26, at company headquarters in Warren, Mich.

The appointment, announced today by chairman Robert Liggett Jr., completes a national search and four-month transition while board member Jim Jensen served as interim CEO.

Big Boy strategic planning and operating responsibilities now will be overseen by a business veteran whose career spans multiple restaurant concepts — including family dining and QSR. His most recent positions were at Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, where Sirois was president and CEO of the publicly owned franchisor and owner-operator of an 800-store dual brand system.

“We’re very fortunate to add Keith Sirois, a seasoned, successful restaurant chief executive to our leadership,” Liggett says. “He brings hands-on knowledge of franchise and company-owned restaurants, as well as a strategic vision and leadership for continuing our growth initiatives at Big Boy. Keith has an impressive record of sales growth, franchise development and team-building.”

Big Boy is an enduring icon of Americana with a widely recognized brand symbol holding a double-decker cheeseburger. The company is pursuing aggressive growth in new and existing markets. In California, where the first Bob’s Big Boy opened in 1936, a location with a drive-through lane is planned in the Los Angeles suburb of Downey — a prototype for a new customer service option. Read the rest of this entry »


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Kellogg Testing New Box Design

26 01 2009
The new boxes Kelloggs is testing in the Detroit market

The new boxes Kellogg's is testing in the Detroit market

I got an e-mail about a pilot program taking place in Detroit.  Battle Creek based Kellogg is conducting a six month test with a redesigned box at Kroger’s and Walmart’s in the Detroit area designed to save shelf space.

Kellogg Co., the largest U.S. cereal maker, has reconfigured the size of its boxes in an effort to sell more Froot Loops and Special K at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Kroger Co. stores in Detroit.

Kellogg is replacing cereal at 40 Wal-Mart and Kroger stores with shorter, deeper containers that hold the same amount, Kim Miller, vice president of morning-foods marketing, said in a telephone interview. The six-month test starts today.

[snip]

After several years of research, Kellogg reduced packaging by 8 percent for the test, wagering that consumers who lack kitchen storage will buy cereal in smaller boxes, Miller said.

Consumers put cereal boxes “on top of refrigerators, on countertops, lying down and on their sides,” Miller, 43, said today from Battle Creek, Michigan, Kellogg’s hometown. “Retailers are taking a similar direction, trying to optimize shelf space.”

They’re not shrinking the amount of cereal you get, they’re just shrinking the box and getting rid of all that empty space.  The interesting thing is Walmart is encouraging companies to come up with new packaging ideas that save space and are rewarding companies that do so with premier display space.  The new packaging won’t cost you anything more…at least yet..


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What’s Up With the Smoking Ban?

26 01 2009

A few weeks ago, I posted a press release fromincoming Representative Paul Scott (R-Grand Blanc).  In that release, he said he was going to introduce a smoking ban on the first day of session which was on January 14.  I had been checking the Legislature website looking for the bill, but hadn’t been able to find it, so I e-mailed Rep. Scott to find out what the hold up was.  I got an answer today.

I am going to introduce the smoking ban bill as soon as possible. The legislature hasn’t read in any bills yet but hopefully I will be able to during session on Feb. 3rd. 

If you would like to look up what I’m going to propose you can go onto the legislature website and look up Bill Number 4163 for the 2007-2008 session.  The bill proposed by Brenda Clack is the same one I am introducing this year.
OK, so hopefully we’ll see something filed next week.  Then the legislature can sit on it again two years until election time.

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Name Change Doesn’t Hurt Biggby’s Growth

26 01 2009

The State News did a profile on Biggby founder and MSU Grad Bob Fish.  The only real newsworthy thing is almost an after thought in the lead. 

Fortunately, the name change didn’t stunt the growth of the company. Biggby has doubled its store numbers every two years since Fish began franchising stores in 1999. The company had its best year ever in 2008, opening 35 new stores across the Midwest and Southeast.

I know how hard change is for people.  I still don’t like to call Comiskey Park US Cellular Field.  It’s just not right.  To me, Beaner’s is an obvious reference to coffee.  It was the only thing I thought about when I heard the original name of the coffee franchise.  J actually had to clue me in as to why Beaners could be offensive.  Then, just last month, I figured out where the new name came from.  Duh…

Anyway, the thing I really wanted to write about today was Biggby’s ability to adapt.  The thing I absolutely LOVE about the franchise is that there is no set model on how the stores have to look.  I love the store in Holt that’s put in an old building or the store in downtown Lansing.  Biggby doesn’t have to go into the same, boring, building every time.  Outside of major cities, all the Starbucks look exactly the same.  What will help Biggby grow is being able to use existing buildings.


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Slows Bar-B-Q

25 01 2009
  • 2138 Michigan Avenue
  • Detroit, MI 48216
  • (313) 962-9828
  • Website
  • Menu
Slows Bar-B-Q on Michigan Avenue in Detroit.

Slows Bar-B-Q on Michigan Avenue in Detroit.

My biggest complaint about the food here in Mid-Michigan is that there’s no good BBQ.  After a rant one day, I was told by more than one person to eat at Slows Bar-B-Q the next time I was in Detroit.  That was probably six months ago, but we’ve only been to Detroit once.  J and I were in town for the North American International Auto Show and we wanted to do both lunch and dinner in the Detroit area.  We were too early for lunch at Slows, so we settled on BBQ for dinner.

Slows Bar-B-Q is on Michigan Avenue in the shadow of what’s left of Tiger Stadium.  There’s no parking lot that we could see, but we were able to find street parking around the corner.  The area looks a little rundown and not some place I would really want to be at night, but Slows stood out as a diamond in that rough.

Our first challenge was getting in the place.  We couldn’t find the door!  There are two doors that actually look like doors, but both are looked and not an actual entrance.  We stood looking at the store front trying to figure out how to get in!  Fortunately, someone came out.  The door is blended in to the facade.  It’s has the same wooden slats the cover the building.  No windows or even a handle.  There’s a hole cut out of the wood to pull the door open.  It’s actually a really cool look and once we figured out how to get in, we had a little chuckle and could appreciate the design.

We made it to Slows just after three o’clock.  Not a prime dinner time.  We thought we’d be ok, but when we got in, there’s was actually a wait.  There were two large groups in front of us as well as a couple normal size parties.  We gave our name to the host who told us it would be about twenty minutes.  A twenty minute wait at three in the afternoon!  Again, that’s usually a good sign, so we stuck it out.  Turns out, the wait was about ten to fifteen.   Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : BBQ, Detroit, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

The Fly Trap

24 01 2009
  • 22950 Woodward Avenue
  • Ferndale, MI 48220
  • (248 ) 399-5150
  • Website
  • Menu
The Fly Trap on Woodward Avenue in Ferndale.

The Fly Trap on Woodward Avenue in Ferndale.

When I started watching Diner’s, Drive In’s, and Dives, one of the first restaurants I saw was a little joint in Ferndale, MI called the Fly Trap.  At that point, J and I weren’t even dating and I had no idea that I would one day move to Lansing.  Still, the diner looked awesome and I knew if I ever made it to Detroit, I had to find this place.

J and I got up and got going this morning.  We figured since we live in Michigan, we have to go to the North American International Auto Show.  My parents were going to drive up from Eastern Illinois last weekend and go with us, but the weather kept them home.  They weren’t able to make the drive this weekend, so J and I decided to go on our own.  One of the things we really want to do is see as much and do as much in Michigan as we can.  We always took things in Illinois for granted and there are a lot of major events I’ve never been to.  Would you believe I have never been to the Taste of Chicago?  Me!  A guy who blogs about food has never been to one of the premier food events in the country that takes place in my backyard.  We didn’t want to do that in Michigan and the NAIAS is the equivalent to the Taste.

Before heading in to Detroit, we decided to stop and eat first.  I have a short list of places I want to eat at in Detroit and the Fly Trap in neighboring Ferndale was one of them. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : breakfast, Detroit, Diner, Ferndale, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Taco’s E Mas

23 01 2009
  • 1850 Cedar Street
  • Holt, MI 48842
  • (517) 699-TACO
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Tacos E Mas on Cedar Street in Holt

Taco's E Mas on Cedar Street in Holt

A few weeks ago, J and I were going to Mason for dinner when we passed what used to be an abandoned building.  I always thought it was an old drive thru coffee shop, but the business I found on Google was called Hot ‘N Now Hamburgers.  Dig a little deeper and I find Mocha Mac’s which is the coffee shop I was thinking of.  It was all lit up and the windows were painted for the first time since we moved here.  I didn’t catch the name, but Corky pointed out in comments that it was now called Taco’s E Mas. 

J had made tentative plans to go out with co-workers for dinner which would have left me on my own.  I never got around to thinking about dinner.  Her plans fell threw and she was now coming home for dinner like she always does.  I got up around 5:30 to start on dinner and I just didn’t feel like it.  I was tired and not in the mood to cook.  I sent her an e-mail to see if tacos would be ok for dinner.  She was on board, so we went to check out the new taco stand in Holt.

Taco’s E Mas sits on Cedar Street on the way out of town when you’re going to Mason.  It’s a small drive thru operation that just opened at the end of November.  There was one car at the window when we pulled in a little after seven on a Friday night.  We drove around to the back where the first menu board is located.  On that board, they only list the eight combo meals.  I spotted the taco meal right away and was ready to pull forward.  The menu by the speaker had a lot more details about the combos and they included the ala cart and dessert options there.  There was no one else in front of us and J wasn’t quite ready so we asked the speaker for a few more minutes. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Holt, Local Flavor, Mexican, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Olympic Broil Restaurant

22 01 2009
  • 1320 W. Grand River Avenue
  • Lansing, MI 48906
  • (517) 485-8584
  • Website
  • Menu
Olympic Broil on Grand River Avenue in Lansing.

Olympic Broil on Grand River Avenue in Lansing.

Not too long ago, someone noticed in comments that J orders chicken strips a lot.  For the most part, chicken strips are chicken strips.  It’s a safe choice because it’s hard to screw them up.  Most places just open a bag and dump them in the fryer.  “Rachel” suggested in the comment section of another post that we should try Olympic Broil because they have “the best chicken strips in town.”  I’m always up for the challenge when someone throws that phrase out there.

Olympic Broil is an old drive-in near the corner of Grand River Avenue and Willow Street.  The business started in the mid-70’s and has been a local favorite ever since.  We pulled in to the parking lot around one o’clock and parking was at a premium.  Most of the old car stalls were full and parking on the outside edge of the lot was scarce as well.  We found a spot out near the road and made our way inside.

Inside, Olympic Broil resembles most fast food restaurants.  There’s a dining room near the front as well as one around the corner from the counter.  The booths are the same plastic type booths you see in the chain restaurants.  The menu board is above the counter and you can see into the kitchen area where workers put your meals together.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Fast Food, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Vallarta Supermarket

22 01 2009
  • 312 W. Willow Street
  • Lansing, MI 48906
  • (517) 267-9999
  • No Known Website
Vallarta Supermarket on Grand River Avenue and Willow Street in Lansing.

Vallarta Supermarket on Grand River Avenue and Willow Street in Lansing.

I’m still amazed by all of the neighborhood grocery stores that have managed to survive with so many big box stores in Lansing.  I was driving around today looking for a restaurant for lunch while J was at a hair cut appointment.  I drove down Grand River after leaving the Aunt Millie’s Bakery Outlet and came across Vallarta Supermarket. 

I just left Walmart and didn’t need anything, so I didn’t really have a reason to stop in, but the name got me thinking.  I use a lot of ancho chile powder in my BBQ rubs and it’s not a spice you can find very easily in the mega marts.  I used to buy it at a Mexican grocery store in Bloomington, IL.  Since moving to Lansing, I’ve been grinding some dried ancho chile’s I bought for a mole with my coffee grinder.  It works just fine, but takes a while and can get pretty messy if I’m not careful.  I’d like to find a place to buy it in powder form.  The name Vallarta gave me hope that I would find the chile I needed.

Vallarta sits on the corner of Grand River Avenue and Willow Street in Lansing.  Like most of the other neighborhood markets in town, Vallarta carries Spartan products on their shelves.  You walk into the store behind the cash registers.  As you walk into the sales floor, you end up in produce and the first display in the middle of the aisles had a number of chiles and Mexican spices.  At this point, I had pretty high hopes that I’d be able to get my chile powder.  I started looking through the bags and found a number of different ground chile’s, but no ancho.  They had arbol which is another spice I use in my BBQ rub, but I don’t use as much and still have plenty of that in my cabinet.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Grocery, Lansing, Mexican, Michigan, Reviews

Press Release – New Coffee Line at Panera Bread

22 01 2009

I’ve been told all three Lansing area Panera Bread will be participating in this and the funds they raise will go to the Mid-Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross…..

Panera Bread® to Celebrate Breakfast
With Free Cups of its New Coffee and Samples of New Products
Panera Bread to Support Local Communities by Raising Funds for Operation Dough-Nation® Recipients

Richmond Heights, MO, January 22, 2009 – Something big is brewing at Panera Bread and everyone’s invited. On Wednesday, January 28, Panera Bread bakery-cafes throughout the country are inviting customers to celebrate Panera’s new breakfast experience by sharing free cups of its new Light and Dark Roast coffees, as well as samples of its three grilled breakfast sandwiches and new Strawberry Granola Parfait.

To Share the Warmth with the local community, Panera Bread will also be inviting customers to donate a dollar on January 28 to help support its Operation Dough-Nation Community BreadboxTM program. Participating bakery-cafes will join the celebration by matching customer donations made on that day. Donations to Panera’s Community Breadboxes support local programs that address community needs. Through its Operation Dough-Nation effort, Panera Bread bakery-cafes collectively donated a retail value of more than $40 million worth of bread and baked goods in 2007 to charitable organizations helping to address the need for food distribution in its local communities.
“We are very proud of what we have achieved at breakfast at Panera,” said Ronald Shaich, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Panera Bread. “We’re looking forward to celebrating breakfast with our customers and joining them in supporting our local communities.”

Panera Bread has been working for more than two years to perfect its two unique new coffee blends — a Light Roast and a Dark Roast. The Light Roast Coffee is a new blend of some of the finest South and Central American beans, roasted lighter for a smooth, classic taste. The Dark Roast Coffee is a new blend of top Costa Rican beans, created for customers who prefer a robust, balanced, full-bodied coffee. All Panera Bread bakery-cafes will continue to carry its current Hazelnut and Decaffeinated coffee blends, as well as a selection of specialty Espresso and Espresso-based drinks expertly prepared by trained baristas.
Read the rest of this entry »


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