Text 23337, 143 rader
Skriven 2009-04-15 06:59:00 av Dave Drum (1:124/311)
     Kommentar till en text av MICHAEL LOO
Ärende: Franchise Venues
========================
-=> Michael Loo wrote to Dave Drum <=-

 DD> I suspect that it is a local option to the franchisee.

 ML> I wonder how much leeway the corporate offices give to the
 ML> various kinds of franchises. Cookie-cutter consistency may
 ML> appeal to those who look at things globally, but individual
 ML> variation makes sense for those who act locally. I remember
 ML> an A&W stand in Concord, NH that used to offer a terrific
 ML> thin-crust pizza.

I sub-spect it varies from company to company. And likely changes from time to
time within the same company with control of the franchisee getting tighter as
the overall company becomes financially healthy. Or is sliding toward the pit.

A local LUM'S franchise was doing a breakfast buffet and a salad bar and doing
quite well - back in the day when Lum's was about beer cooked hot-dogs,
Lumburgers and Weinerwald chicken. The Lum's people objected to the
"non-standard" additions, threatened action and were told to take their signage
and franchise agreement when they left ... and not to let the doorknob hit them
in the arse on the way out.

BTW - when is the last time anyone has seen a LUM'S restaurant? And are they
still connected to the mothership ... or has that crashed.

LATER: Google found three ... Davie, FL, Plattsburgh, NY, and Bellevue, NE. And
no connections (other than name, etc.) found to any remaining franchisor. Quite
a fall from the heady days when Uncle Milty was their spokesmodel.

 ML>   I also mentioned in a reply
 DD> to you (or someone else - probably Dave the Other) that my local
 DD> Hardee's is currently featuring the "Big Shef" from the now defunct
 DD> Burger Chef chain ... something else that is unique to this franchisee
 DD> - as the stores in the Bloomington and Peoria areas have neither fried
 DD> chicken nor the Big Shef sarnie.

 ML> Now Hardee's is a Hardees's is a Carl's Jr., to misquote the great
 ML> Bard of Oakland.

Except that all the Hardee's around here that got re-branded as Carl's Jr. are
now Payday Loan, Title Loan, Jose's Tacos, etc. venues. Those who kept the
Hardee's name but with the Carl's "thickburger" menu have pretty much remained.

 ML>   I'm not a huge
 DD> fan of their chicken because it is waaaaaay to salty for me. And, I'm
 DD> used to the Popeye's "bite you back" stuff.

 ML> Can't speak for that, as most prepared stuff is a little salty
 ML> for me, including Popeye's. I did go to a Carl's Jr. the other
 ML> day (being in Carl's territory) - here's my note on the burger:

I am somewhat salt sensitive, too. But, this stuff is waaaaay salty.

 ML> Carl's Jr. "six dollar burger" - okay, it's $4, but the $6
 ML> is a marketing thing - it's supposed to taste like something
 ML> you'd pay $6 for at a restaurant. Maybe it is - real $6 burgers
 ML> these days cost $7.95 or so. It was okay I guess, a very thin
 ML> 8-oz patty on a big bun with some pretty good lettuce and tomato.
 ML> The aroma was good, but the meat itself was steamed-tasting and
 ML> mealy and didn't really satisfy.

Hardee's standard thickburger is a 1/3 pound (pre-cooked) patty. They
advertised the snot out of the Six-dollar burger when the changeover first took
place. It was more or less like you describe ... and with half a salad bar
loaded on to the meat. I still maintain that the Hardee's/Carl's burger is one
of the best in the fast food/burger snatcher field. One of the main criterions
for that judgement is the lack of binders used to hold the patties together. 
Bv)=

No one on a burger snatcher back line is going to cook a fast food burger to
suit either of us. But, Hardee's (and Rally's/Checker) do manage to be
palatable with their efforts.

 ML> I didn't see chicken on the menu, but I did get a coupon on my
 ML> tray for a buck off burritos, valid for the next 12 hours.

 DD> as I wasn't kidding about the  adjustments (mostly
 DD> for heat).

 ML> Plus or minus? Plus, I imagine.

Well, yeah. Bit more garlic, too. Hell, you've had my chilli - you know how I
do things.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Hoot Owl Chilli
 Categories: Beef, Chilli, Stews, Chilies
      Yield: 5 servings
 
      1 ts Paprika
      1 tb Onion powder
      2 ts Garlic powder
      1 ts MSG (opt)
      1 ts Cayenne
      1 tb Ground cumin
      1 ts White pepper
      5 tb New Mexican red chile
           Powder
      2 tb Cooking oil
      3 lb Chuck tender; in 1/4" cubes
      2 c  Water
      1 c  Tomato sauce
  1 1/2 c  Beef broth
      1 md Onion; fine chopped
      4 md Jalapeños; stemmed
    1/2 ts Ground cumin
 
  This is prize-winning chilli -- namely First Prize at the 1988
  Original Viva Terlingua International Frank X. Tolbert-Wick Fowler
  Memorial Championship Chilli Cookoff -- and the honors went to Maxine
  Reed.
  
  In a medium bowl, combine the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder,
  MSG (if desired), cayenne, cumin, white pepper and red chile powder.
  Mix the spices until well blended. Set aside.
  
  Coat a heavy 4-quart saucepan with the cooking oil, and sear the meat,
  stirring briskly. Add the water, tomato sauce, beef broth and onion.
  Make a slit in each of the jalapeños with a knife, and add to the
  saucepan, together with half of the spice mixture. Cover, lower heat
  and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
  
  Remove the jalapeños after 1 hour and set aside. Add the remaining
  spice mixture and 1/2 teaspoon cumin. When the jalapeños are cool
  enough to handle, press them through a strainer and add pulp to the
  chilli. Discard the skins.
  
  Cook an additional 30 minutes, or until meat is tender.
  
  Makes 4 to 6 servings.
  
  FROM: Texas Cooking Online's Weekly E-mail
  
  MM Format by Dave Drum; 14 February 2009
  
  Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives
 
MMMMM

... "A chocolate sundae!...how did you know?" - D. Troi
--- MultiMail/Win32 v0.49
 * Origin: FidoTel & QWK on the Web! www.fidotel.com (1:124/311)