RISE - Menu Monitor

Personnel |
Cheryl A. Bachelder, CEO
Mel Hope, CFO
Derek Waldrep, V.P. of Purchasing
Bob Melberth, V.P. of Operations
Sue Harwell, V.P. of Marketing
Kirk Waisner, V.P. Research & Development
News & Other |
Trans fats will be reduced or eliminated from some menu items at several chain restaurants. Popeye’s Chicken & Biscuits is
eliminating trans fats from its biscuits and will introduce reducedtrans-fat french fries by year’s end. Burger King will test a
trans-fat-free frying oil within the next 90 days. IHOP is also testing a trans-fat-free oil at its restaurants in the U.S. and
Canada. KFC is using a trans-fat-free soybean oil at its units in New York and Chicago and will roll it out systemwide by spring
of 2007. Souper Salad plans to be trans-fat-free by early December. McDonald’s units in Australia have switched to a frying oil
that is nearly free of trans fatty acids. McDonald’s European units will cut the level of trans fats in frying oil to 2% by 2008.
McDonald’s will use a blend of canola oil and high oleic sunflower oil at these locations. The company did not say whether or
not it would roll out the oil to its U.S. locations. (Los Angeles Times 11/07/06; Reuters 11/07/06; NRN Daily NRN Daily
NewsFax 11/01/06, 11/08/06, 11/10/06)
Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits has opened a prototype called Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. The new restaurant offers menu items
such as Voodoo BBQ Ribs, Bayou Blackened Catfish and New Orleans-style bread pudding. The unit is also allowing
customers to pay for their meal at self-service kiosks or customers can place their orders by phone and pick them up. The
restaurant opened on December 12 in Norcross, GA. (NRN Daily NewsFax 12/13/06)
Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen is a new quick-casual hybrid from AFC Enterprises, parent company of Popeye’s Chicken &
Biscuits. Louisiana Kitchen outlets offer a menu of authentic Cajun and Creole recipes and a wider variety of items than the
original Popeye’s chain. While Popeye’s fried chicken remains a signature offering, Louisiana Kitchen also lists New Orleansstyle
shrimp, ribs, Cajun burgers, blackened catfish and red bean & rice soup served in a bread bowl. Its exterior recalls
classic Louisiana architecture with stucco, brick, awnings and balconies. Its interior features colorful murals and jazz music in
the background. Indoor and patio seating are available. The first Louisiana Kitchen unit is located in Norcross, GA, and a
second location in Fayetteville, GA, is due to launch in March 2007. (Company Website)
Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits’ owner AFC Enterprises has filed a $20-million lawsuit against Church’s Chicken and a former
Popeyes franchisee for the recent purchase of 10 Popeyes outlets in Rio Grande Valley, TX. The lawsuit claims that former
AFC franchisee CVI Co. Ltd. broke its contract with the company when it sold the restaurants to Church’s late last year.
Church’s says that the lawsuit is without merit and that it was approached by an unidentified party for the sale. (The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution 3/01/07–3/05/07; NRN Daily NewsFax 3/01/07; Company Release 2/28/07)
Popeye’s Chicken & Biscuits parent AFC Enterprises said that its full-year, per-share profit would reach only the lower end of
its previously announced expectations of 81¢–85¢. For the second quarter ended July 15, the company reported net earnings
increased 29.4%. Revenue rose 11.3% to $38.3 million. Systemwide domestic same-store sales at Popeye’s dropped 2.1%.
(Nation’s Restaurant News 9/3/07)
Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits parent AFC Enterprises has reported third-quarter results and lowered its annual outlook. The
company now expects per-share earnings for the year to total between 78 cents and 80 cents, down from the second-quarter
projection of 81 cents to 85 cents per share. Third-quarter same-store sales were down 2.5% from a year ago, which the
company blames on lower-than-expected results from limited-time offerings and weaker lunch and dinner daypart traffic.
(NRN.com 11/15/07)
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