By Claudine Zap
Fast-food chains made big news this week — and saw big searches on the Web. Check out tasty new and nixed offerings, as well as the return of an elusive sandwich with a huge fan base. Dig in.
BK brings on free coffee
Here's some news that should give you a jolt: Burger King is handing out free cups of coffee every Friday in November. Word of the good news sent searches for "burger king free coffee" buzzing up Yahoo!
Customers who stop by the fast-food chain during breakfast hours will get a 12-ounce cup of joe on the house. The company hopes to take a bite out of the morning-meal competition with its new breakfast menu and Seattle's Best Coffee.
Patrons will also be treated to coupons for a free iced coffee drink on a future visit. BK says it expects to giveaway between 2 million and 4 million cups of coffee during the promotion. Bottoms up!
San Francisco bans Happy Meal toys
Sorry, kids: Turns out a happy meal is not a healthy meal, at least according to the standards of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. The board approved a preliminary ban that would strip toys from fast-food meals loaded with calories, salt, sugar, and fat.
News of the fast-food change caused a feeding frenzy on Yahoo! for "happy meal ban," "san francisco bans happy meals," and "mcdonalds happy meal toys."
The ban has its critics — San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom for one, McDonald's for another. But the ban backers argue that the legislation aims to give parents a fair shot when convincing junior to go for the healthy — or at least healthier — choice without being tempted by a Shrek toy. A report from the Federal Trade Commision ranked food marketing to kids under 12 — the prime target for Happy Meals — as an $870 million business.
A McDonald's franchise owner accused the ordinance of taking the happy out of their meals. Other critics pointed out that the ban would be bad for business: What would stop Happy Meal fans from driving to the next town over to get their fix. McDonald's denounced the decision as one that parents did not want. And a dietitian weighed in on an admirable effort, but ultimately not one that will cure the epidemic of child obesity. If the final vote is approved next week, the ban would begin in December 2011.
McDonald's McRib is back
The porky, fatty, salty McRib sandwich, a delicacy that teases its fans with only occasional appearances at select restaurants, is back. But get out your napkins and your fork and knife, because the appearance of the mythic sammy won't last long.
The fast-foodie favorite has 300 groups on Facebook and has seen a feeding frenzy on Yahoo! searches on the Web. Hungry lookups included "mcdonalds mcrib sandwich," "mcrib locator," and "mcrib nutrition facts."
The McRib isn't the first sandwich to capture followers on the Web: Back in April the KFC Double Down, a breadless option held together by two slabs of fried chicken, stuffed with bacon and two kinds of cheese, was a hit, at least on Yahoo!: "kfc double down," "kfc double down sandwich," and "kfc double down calories" all saw large gains.
While it looks like the Double Down is here to stay, the McRib's limited availability keeps demand for the elusive menu item high. Maybe part of the fun is the chase? If that's so, die-hard fans will not like to hear this: In an effort to hook a new generation on the McRib, McDonald's will be serving the boneless pork patty nationwide. If you're worried it's too much of a good thing, take heart: It's only here for a month.
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