When I hear locals say Louisville is worthy of being counted among the nation’s great food cities, I have to bite my tongue. I’ve learned the hard way that arguing that the city has a long way to go to being anywhere near comparable to New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles or Dallas, etc., gets […]
From manager to owner: Restaurant baron gives Davis a hand in buying Martini
(Author’s note: Yes, this is two stories in a row about Martini Italian Bistro, and I don’t normally do such things. But I just learned this chapter of the restaurant’s change of ownership last night–while actually at Martini–and thought it too good to pass up. Call it a warm and fuzzy for the holiday.) Jim […]
Martini Italian Bistro’s Gruver mixes up win in GQ national cocktail contest
Gary Gruver likes bartending contests, and they like him. For the second time since 2009, Gruver, who tends bar at Martini Italian Bistro (4021 Summit Plaza Drive), has notched a category victory in a nationwide cocktail contest sponsored by GQ magazine and Bombay Sapphire Gin. Two years ago, his Sapphire Rio (a combination of gin, […]
Govt. not working: Yum! Brands pitch to accept food stamps blindly refused by USDA
Health advocates are happy about this week’s USDA refusal to allow Yum! Brands restaurants to accept food stamps (technically known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP) in four eastern U.S. states, and I agree with them. Nutritionally speaking, fast-food such as that sold by KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell is not the […]
Recommended Bite: The Brown Hotel’s Hot Brown — yes, really, I’m serious
I don’t like the “Man vs. Food” show. I mean, really, in a country suffering from a swelling obesity problem, must we watch an already heavy Adam Richman stuff his gob with absurd portions of fatty, cheesy, salty and spicy food? Yes, when the reason is good enough. And that excuse arrived this past summer […]
What will KFC’s new marketing chief do that his predecessors haven’t?
KFC announced today that chief marketing officer Barry Westrum is done pimping the world’s largest chicken chain after just 10 months in the coop. According to the company, Westrum left “to pursue broader innovation opportunities,” which is the most convoluted phrase I’ve ever heard to describe someone getting his walking papers. I guess the innovative […]
Despite my love for indie eateries, a Gordon Biersch downtown is a good idea
I’m a huge fan of local restaurants and patronize them about 99 percent of the time I eat out. But as a pragmatic businessman, I’m not at all disappointed by the news — broken by Insider Louisville’s Terry Boyd — that Gordon Biersch will set up a brewery and restaurant in the Fourth Street Live […]
The discovery tale of the Colonel’s cookbook is finger-lickin’ questionable
Is it just me or does this story seem a bit questionable? In an Associated Press story on the Washington Post’s website, KFC claims that Amy Sherwood, Yum! Brands’ vice president of public relations, recently discovered a cookbook manuscript written by Colonel Harland Sanders — nearly 50 years ago — among stacks of old documents […]
Papa John’s scores big Q3 with help of NFL sponsorship
By STEVE COOMES | Published: NOVEMBER 2, 2011
Papa John’s Pizza’s far better than expected third quarter for 2011 is leaving some analysts surprised and smiling.
In his Nov. 2 report, Mark Kalinowski of Janney Capital Investment pointed to the world’s third largest pizza chain’s “better-than-expected same-store sales” and “a lower-than-expected tax rate” as combining to raise Papa John’s quarterly profit and forecasted earnings per share slightly higher for the year.
For Q3, Papa John’s logged an impressive 5.3 percent increase in North American same-store sales — a full 3.1 percent above consensus estimates.
(My input, not Kalinowski’s: I don’t expect Pizza Hut to produce results anywhere near this in Q3, though industry watchers expect big things from Domino’s Pizza, as it rolls out its new line of Artisan pizzas.)
Such strong momentum for the period is highly encouraging for the chain as it heads into Q4: its busiest season traditionally, and now with the tailwind of its NFL sponsorship.
“It looks as if the brand’s positioning as the official pizza sponsor of the NFL is helping Papa John’s generate enviable same-store sales growth,” Kalinowski wrote in his brief.
Kalinowski is not the only one inspired by that performance. The chain itself raised its EPS target range for 2011 to $2.08 to $2.15 from $2.02 to $2.12. Janney raised its full-year estimated EPS by 8 cents and its Q4 projection 4 cents. Read more by clicking here.
Comfy Cow and Pie Kitchen fans wage chilly word war over Clifton ice cream locations
From Steve’s Words to Chew On blog at InsiderLouisville.com.
Who knew the sweet business of ice cream could get so bitter in the space of a week?
Well, if you buy into the acrimony of the catty-chatty cacophony on the restaurant forum of Louisville HotBytes, you might imagine the relationship between those two ice creameries has already curdled.
A summary of the silliness: The highly regarded Comfy Cow opened its highly anticipated third ice cream and desserts shop this month at 2211 Frankfort Ave. on the site of the lowly regarded Genny’s Diner — whose loss isn’t even remotely lamented. (OK, I’ve had my alliteration fix.)
Also in October, Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen opened its 9th site at 2233 Frankfort Ave. — a distance so close, you couldn’t eat a single scoop walking from one to the other on July 4th.
On Oct. 26, the day Comfy Cow opened, LHB forum founder and host, Robin Garr, posted this comment:
“I’m sure the guys (Comfy Cow owners Tim and Roy Koons-McGee) are proud that they got open before the new Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen that decided to open across the street.
“I ran into co-owner Tim at Heine’s the other day, and he mentioned – with a big wink – that this Comfy Cow will be the only one in town that has homemade pies and cakes. I think they’re probably going to wipe out HIC&PK at that location.”
That last line brought out the HIC&PK defenders in full force and the serious mooing began.
“What do you have against the HIC& PK?” wrote Allison Hanover.
“But you don’t think it was a bit underhanded for HPIC to decide to open a store across the street from Comfy Cow immediately after CC announced their plans?” responded Mike Hardin.
“I don’t see it as underhanded on anyone’s part. It seems like good ol competition to me,” Bill P volleyed back.
And on it’s gone for days now with accusations of rude business practices levied against HIC&PK and comments about how both Koons-McGees are good guys who shouldn’t be treated so meanly and how it’s all just capitalism and competition.
It took four days before Adam Burckle, owner of HIC&PK, finally weighed in, explaining in a 794-word reply to the nattering nabobs of negativism that his business had planned a new ice creamery in that spot in 2007, well before Comfy Cow was even a cuddly calf in the creative womb of the partners Koons-McGee.
To read more, click here.
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