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[UPDATE July 29: Wendy's selected Kaplan Thaler Group as it new agency of record. Other finalists were incumbent Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners; The Martin Agency; Bartle Bogle Hegarty; and Venables Bell & Partners. Wendy's said it will launch an "integrated communications campaign and a new advertising direction" during the fourth quarter.] Seeking to halt its [...]

This year’s movie-tie-in-promotion battle among restaurant chains is being waged with an intensity matched only by the Celtics-Bulls NBA playoff series. Burger King struck first when “Star Trek” –the first of three Paramount films it will promote under a new partnership­–had a $75.2 million opening weekend. BK was ready with online games, collectible glasses and [...]

If it seems like there are more and more burger restaurants every week, don’t blame the Big Three chains. Small chains (and independents) are driving the burger category’s growth. For example, while there were 13,918 McDonald’s restaurants open in the U.S. at the end of 2008, that was a net increase of only 0.4% from [...]

  It’s OK. You can admit that one time–at least–you dropped a McDonald’s french fry while driving, groped for it and, yes, ate it. But what would have happened to that fry had you not found it? This new commercial from lead McDonald’s agency DDB Chicago imagines that that one fry would have been life-saving sustenance for [...]

Last month, BurgerBusiness reviewed “Burger Bar,” Hubert Keller’s new cookbook that collects recipes from his innovative Burger Bar restaurant in Mandalay Bay resort-casino in Las Vegas. His restaurants and his cookbook are generating so much industry buzz  that we called on the French-born chef to relate the story of his transformation from fine-dining master chef [...]

Phil Roberts has been creating restaurants that respond to how we live now for more than 30 years, so it isn’t surprising that his latest–Burger Jones, which opens in Minneapolis next week–is attuned to current economic conditions. “In these rough times, people still need pleasure, and you can offer that two-hour mini vacation away from [...]

What has been overlooked in all the hoopla over McDonald’s Corp.’s $100 million campaign to steal coffee drinkers from Starbucks is that this offensive is only the beginning of a battle that’s far bigger than lattes. McDonald’s target isn’t only coffee shops, it’s also 7-Eleven and other convenience stores. McDonald’s wants to be the dominant retail location for [...]

Quick-service restaurants spent a total of $4.1 billion on U.S. advertising in 2008, up 3.8% from 2007, according to The Nielsen Co. McDonald’s alone accounted for approximately of $1 billion of that. But even though Big Mac reportedly will spend $100 million on advertising and marketing just for its McCafe coffee program, having a staggering amount [...]

Burgers are decently represented on menus of this year’s James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Award winners. No, you won’t find them at Outstanding Chef Dan Barber’s Blue Hill or Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Jean Georges, winner of the Outstanding Restaurant medal. But bless Myriad Restaurant Group’s Drew Nieporent, winner of the Outstanding Restaurateur Award. He, at [...]

Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill will announce today (May 6) that it is crossing the border that traditionally has separated burger joints and Mexican-menu restaurants by introducing its new All-American Taco. Positioned as a “burger with a Beach Mex twist,” the All-American Taco is a char-grilled beef patty topped with melted American cheese and accented with [...]