Pleasure Week 7/1 - 7/7: Matt's Guilty Pleasures 2

Okay, don't worry everybody, this post isn't going to be dirty. In honor of National Pleasure week, I am going to do some posts about my favorite guilty pleasures.

"Pleasure is commonly conceptualized as a positive experience, happiness, entertainment, enjoyment, ecstasy, and euphoria. ..."

So for day two of Pleasure week, I would like to delve into my fascination with Taco Bell. Yeah, I know, I work there, but that still explain my addiction. It's good stuff.

Damn near cocaine for the digestive system. But I do love it, I love all the good stuff. The crunchwraps, the cheesy gordita crunches, even the chalupas. If I could buy a gallon of lava sauce, I would. It's delisch!

You know, I love the stuff so much, I could walk into a store that was out of everything but cinnamon twists and leave happy. I feel guilty to admit that, but its true.

Baja blast is a blastin' good time.

Here's a secret pleasure, have you ever had a piece of flatbread fried and then sprinkled with cinnamon sugar? I have and its awesome.

What's your favorite Taco Bell item? Let me know.

Healthy and Fast...but where?

Yeah, fast food is usually equated with fatty foods, but a recent Yahoo article points to the healthiest restaurants to eat at. The top-three were Chick-fil-A, Subway, and Jamba Juice (who really eats at Jamba Juice, come on). But I wanna brag a little because Taco Bell came in fourth with a B+ rating.

If you want to eat healthy, stick to the Tacos and the Bean Burritos (as the article mentioned). Avoid the fried foods, the Taco Salads, and anything with layers. If you wanna add some ingredients add some fiesta, add some lettuce, even some tomatos and onions...is there really a need to add extra, extra nacho cheese and chili sauce to everything.

For the most healthy, use the fresco menu. That's gonna lower the fat content by taking away the milk ingredients and adding our fiesta salsa.

Check out the article for more information on Taco Bell and other restaurants.
America's Healthiest Fast Food Stops

The Unhealthiest Value Menu Items

Okay, it's been awhile since I've done a TB post. But today I came across Jessica Ashley's article on Yahoo, Lifestyles. In 'The worst of the cheap.", Ashley points out 5 fast food items that are considered very unhealthy, and TB makes the list with their surprisingly cheap (and delicious), Cheesy Double Beef Burrito. In the article, Ashley states, "The Cancer Project, a nonprofit cancer prevention organization that is linked with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, is concerned that these economic times are not just driving people to eat more fast food, but to regularly consume meals full of unhealthy ingredients. Dollar meals, they say, might not be such a good value once the health implications are factored in. Their biggest issues for low-cost fast food? All the processed meat, salt, cholesterol and fat wrapped into each meal."

***my opinion starts here***

The big issue is that people don't necessarily consider healthier items when eating cheap. TB offers several fresco options, which are a lot of healthier and taste great. In my opinion, as consumers we need to be more aware of what we put into our body, which is why TB is taking a strong initiative and listing calories along side the items on the menu board. Soon we can make a more informed (and healthy decision) when we our order from 10 taco salads and 37 cheesy double beef burritos (which seems to occur every saturday night around 2 am), to maybe a couple fresco tacos and a water.

Oh yeah, and don't forget the Cinnamon Twists!

Anyways, here's a link to the article by Ashley and some additional information on TB initiatives.

The worst of the cheap. By Jessica Ashley

Taco Bell putting health info on menu board.

Fresco Menu

Steal a Base - Steal a TAco

Taco Bell is giving away tacos. As a promotion tied into the 2008 MLB World Series, Taco Bell is giving free tacos for everyone in America. Here's a quick break down of how it works:

One taco per person/ per day, as long as the game features a stolen base. The tacos can only be redeemed on 'redemption day' (October 28th for games 1 thru 4 of the World Series) and (November 3rd for games 5 thru 7).

So if Chase Utley steals a base in game 1 of the World Series, be sure to visit your local Taco Bell on the 28th for your free taco. If he steals a base in game 2, tough luck because you only get one taco. Either way, its still free food, and you can't beat free food.

For more information click here.

Taco Bell - Volcano Tacos

Today, I got to try the new Volcano Taco. I don't want to give to much information on it becuase it doesn't go on sale until the end of the month. From my first impression, I am starting to see Taco Bell trend to a menu with a little kick. The volcano taco is very similar to the Queso Crunchwrap, as far as taste goes.

What I am really looking forward to is the new box meal? This will feature the Volcano Taco, a burrito (likely a Burrito supreme), a crunchwrap, twist, and a large drink all for just 5.99. You can't beat that combo.

Taco Bell - Why Pay More Menu

Things are expensive. So why pay more on you fast food, TB has now put out their WPM menu, featuring all the items we love, plus a few new ones.

Although, I'm not a big fan of the new products, its still a good idea. Here's the new commercials and a link to the menu, but take my advice, if you gonna buy a lot of bean burrito's, make sure you get them at the grande meal price ($0.89) or just save a nickel and get the Cheesy Double.

Taco Bell WPM Rap 1


Taco Bell WPM Rap 2




Taco Bell WPM Commercial


'Why Pay More' Menu
http://www.tacobell.com/valuemenu/

Taco Bell Frutista Freeze Review

Well, I've been selling the frutista's like hotcakes. So far Taco Bell has struck gold with this product, and I would like to introduce it to you. Both strawberry and mango-strawbery flavors are available.

If you haven't tried it yet, you this link to get your free frutista. The coupon is available in the bottom right corner of the link. It's redeemable at any Taco Bell, so get yours today.
Free Frutista.
http://www.tacobell.com/frutistafreeze/

Second, TB is having a promotion featuring a complimentary 5 day vacation. Register here for your chance to win.

Choose your own escape. Win a free 5 day vacation.
https://www.timecmg.com/frutistafreeze/

Finally, here's some other reviews on the web about the new frutistas. From what I hear, this is going to be a regular on the menu, although the flavors will change with the seasons.

Serena from Yahoo! says "I loved it. It tastes so fruity and mostly organic."

Sarabelle from Idaho says "We just tried these, they weren't too bad. Kind of reminded me of a "slurpee""

Or check out the blog " Diary of a Picky Eater: Taco Bell’s Fruitista Freeze"

This is pretty cool, too. This is the Taco Bell Surf Cam.

Here's a Fave - Chicken Grilled Taquitos from Taco Bell (commercial)

I love these things, and I have always been a fan of this commercial.

Club Chalups: It's Back!!!

This is probably one of the worst Taco Bell commercials out there. It's got that new 'groovy' feel but I really don't find the 'clubbin' scenario very interesting.




See....I told you so!

Craziness!

My first full day was overwhelming, exiting, and very fulfilling. I had a lot to do...all day. No lunch, no breaks, barely time to think. Initially, the RGM thought we would be able to have a little time to ease into things, but it was literally a non-stop workday. While I don't feel that I was a able to manage operations as well as I expect myself too, I was able to embrace the role of manager. Most importantly, I have a good feel for the business at Franklin. Be able to run shift during such a busy period, including making adjustments, solving problems, motivating, coaching, has gave me such a great awareness of ways I can effectively manage.

Okay, so I ran out of beef (and chicken, nacho cheese, nachos, cinnamon twists, 32 oz lids, 42 oz cups), however, the business still stayed open and everyone was still served. Most of all, CHAMPS was still delivered, and that's the most important factor.

Also, I was honored with a great complement. An elderly man, which I had served earlier in the afternoon told me that I did an excellent job and that I will make a great manager.

Thank you!

Taco Bell Commercial - Johnny Cash Special

In the early 90's, Taco Bell aired the Johnny Cash commercial. It's a classic.

Today's the Day: Transitioning to Franklin

So today's the day, I'm now in my home store located in Franklin, Indiana. We've got a great staff and a great core crew, I look forward to this opportunity. Also, look for Taco Bell to unveil there Frutistas soon.

A fruitista is a fruit slushy drink that TB is looking to start selling in early summer. From what I understand, it will be available in Strawberry and Mango. Here's a quick review from Back Yard Blogger's Journal, "Taco Bell is relieving hell with the hottest freeze in this freaking 100 degree town. I'm talking about the smack-your-lips-and-take-another-sip Frutista Freeze. Who knew some much flavor and coolness could be handed to you with a spoon straw through a drive-thru window while at the same time rhyming with "Mista." I had the mango. It made me feel like a fool for attending parties & showers just for the sherbet punch. From now on, it's down the street and to the border for cold, fruity, carbonated, tiny ice-ridden juice with real strawberries on top. We can spike this stuff, too....I originally thought it was the "Fruitista Freeze," but then I realized it was the "Frutista Freeze." Apparently, others are making the same mistake. If you google the Frutista Freeze, guess who has the one and only entry that pops up?"

(picture available at Back Yard Blogger's Journal)

Also, I want to put out a big thanks to all of the crew at the Madison & Hanna Taco Bell. During my training, they allowed me to make the mistakes a 'rookie' makes and learn the lessons a beginner learns. Most of all, everyone was a CHAMPION!!!

Working Late Nights

So I've started my late shifts, 7pm to 4am, and it makes for a long evening. Working this shift makes for a lot of ups and downs, but it does deliver a lot of fun moments. Yesterday, or rather, this morning, I learned the primary closing procedures. I also learned the importance of deck scrubbing. For those of you who are not in the know, deck scrubbing is the tasks of scrubbing the floor tiles in very thorough wipes, then mopping, and scrubbing again. It was pretty tough work. To efficiently get the tiles cleaned you can only due about 3ft x 3 ft area, which takes about a half hour.

Also, my pick for favorite customers are the late-nighters who visit us through the drive through. If your a reader, and your reading this, then congratulations because you are awesome. You ask the best questions like "Do you have Tacos?" or "Can I get a million packets of mild sauce." You make the best product suggestions such as "You should put sour cream and tomatoes on your tacos?" We do, its called a supreme. So thank you, Mr or Mrs Late-nighter for making my evenings fun.

Well, I'm 'fittin' on getting ready for my second close.

Yum Brands make stock of the week

From Fool.com and found on LinkedIn.com

Stock of the Week: Yum! Brands
By Jim Mueller March 14, 2008

If you knew that the KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell fast-food chains -- pardon me, quick-service restaurants (QSRs) -- were all owned by the same company, give yourself a brownie point. And if you also know that they're owned not by PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), but rather Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM), you might be up for the coveted Floppy Chicken Award.

Just about everyone is familiar with Colonel Sanders and the big red Pizza Hut roof. But not everyone realizes that KFC and Taco Bell, with three other chains, are controlled by a company spun off from Pepsi 11 years ago. Originally called Tricon Global Restaurants (memorable, huh?), the company gave itself its yummy current moniker in 2002.

A taste of the fast-food business
The fast food industry is saturated, and the competition is fierce. Counting the total number of units, Yum! Brands is the largest QSR company, with more than 35,000 locations at the end of 2007. For comparison, McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) had 31,000-plus restaurants, and Burger King (NYSE: BKC) had a bit more than 11,000. With a market cap in the neighborhood of $17 billion, though, Yum! is only about one-quarter the size of McDonald's.

The crowded competition for customers' dining-out dollars requires Yum! and its rivals to advertise heavily in order to keep their brands fresh in diners' minds. Ultimately, Yum! strives to get consumers who crave fried chicken thinking of KFC first and foremost, rather than a rival like AFC Enterprises' (Nasdaq: AFCE) Popeye's Chicken & Biscuits. Yum! may have accomplished that mission, since two of its brands -- KFC and Pizza Hut -- are ranked No. 2 and No. 3 for restaurants on Interbrand's list of most valuable brands. (McDonald's holds top honors.)

Yum! has a two-pronged business model. First, it operates its own restaurants, bringing in sales and paying for food costs and other expenses. Second, it licenses its brands, letting franchisees operate the stores in exchange for a portion of those locations' sales.

While license fees and royalties aren't QSRs' largest revenue source, they're definitely the most profitable element on the top line, sending most of the revenue they generate down to the bottom line. Yum! had $1.3 billion in 2007 revenue from 26,406 franchises. Those franchises generated a whopping 97% gross margin, compared to a mere 21% on company-owned stores.

A scrumptious investing opportunity
Yum! Brands' investing story is centered around growth, primarily internationally, and especially in China, which grew revenue 31% in 2007. Though China hosts just 10% of the company's total stores, the country's revenue provided 20.5% of Yum!'s 2007 sales and more than 27% of its operating income. Meanwhile, the 18,000 stores in the U.S. contributed half of Yum!'s revenue and operating income. With more than half a billion people in China, it's easy to see the possible growth the company can tap there.

But Yum!'s not just banking on Chinese opportunities; the company is also aggressively returning money to shareholders. Yum!'s buybacks reduced share count by 5% in the last quarter alone, and by nearly 20% over the past five years. While its recently announced plan to buy back another $4 billion worth of shares will pile on more debt, those repurchases will certainly help the company easily meet CEO David Novak's goal of annualized 10% growth. Beyond trimming its share count, the company also pays a growing dividend that currently rewards shareholders with $0.60 per share (a 1.7% yield).

Unappetizing risks
I see three major pitfalls for Yum! Brands:

1. Political perils. In 2007, Yum! opened a net of 455 stores in China, for 17% growth, and 463 elsewhere internationally, for 4% growth; domestically, the company closed a net 143 locations. With the company placing so much emphasis on foreign locations, a change in China's laws could badly hurt Yum!'s fortunes. Except for lobbying, this is mostly out of the company's control.
2. The rising cost of food. As more corn is diverted to produce ethanol, the corn used to make food, and to feed chickens, cattle, and cows becomes more expensive, raising the prices of chicken, beef, and cheese. The company must either pass those costs on to the customer or shrink its margins.
3. Food safety and general cleanliness. At the end of 2006, an E. coli outbreak grievously harmed Taco Bell's sales, and an attack of rats caught on film at a New York City location in early 2007 further tarnished the chain's reputation. Such incidents had short-term negative effects on sales, since it takes time for people to trust the food again. Besides using reliable suppliers and high internal standards, this factor is also mostly out of Yum!'s control.

Delicious cash flow growth
Yum! has generated mouthwatering 20.3% growth in annualized free cash flow over the past five years. While analysts anticipate a much slower 11.6% earnings growth rate for the next five years, the company has historically grown free cash flow more quickly than net income. Applying Yum!'s historical 20% growth rate in a three-stage model for five years, discounted at 12%, offers a little more than 20% upside potential.

Like Starbucks, I think Yum! Brands might be undervalued -- poised to grow more quickly than the assumed rates that Wall Street's already baked into its share price. But when I reduce my estimated free cash flow growth rate to analysts' expected earnings growth rate of 12%, I get an intrinsic value of roughly $30, which would make the stock more than 20% overvalued. Yum!'s current price of nearly $37 implies that investors expect 15% growth.

Growth potential is always tough to predict, and as you can see, various growth expectations create wide swings in Yum!'s intrinsic value. Still, given the enormous potential in China, and the rejuvenation of Yum!'s domestic brands, I'd be willing to order up a small position in this company near its current prices, and add further on any weakness in the shares.

Further yummy Foolishness:

* Fourth-quarter results.
* A shot at best of 2008.
* You know competition is fierce when the eggs are colored.

View complete article here

The new treat...the cheesy beefy melt

I'm not a big fan of the Cheesy Beefy Melt. It's a steamed tortilla filled with 3-cheese, beef, rice, and sour cream. Steamed sour cream is not my choice for delicious, but a lot of people like this Taco treat. Also, the commercial makes me gag a little...***Grph***

Here's the latest commercial...

Jon Stewart Commentary: Taco Bell in Mexico, What?

Funny stuff.

Taco Bell Raid - Operation FTB

This is pretty crazy. In 2006, several people raided a Taco Bell in Indiana and dumped 25,000 plus packets of hot sauce in which they had accumulated over a 3 year period. The raid, dubbed Operation FTB, caught the attention of local media and a video was soon released by the group. Here's the video:




Overall, the best part of the whole ordeal is Taco Bell's statement. The 'reply' in a statement from Rob Poetsch, a spokesman for Taco Bell, state, "We do appreciate this person's passion for Taco Bell. We don't encourage people to take out our sauce, but we appreciate them being so forthcoming. We're not sure what we will do with the sauce, but we will NOT be serving it to customers."

Restaurant News: The Growth of Quick Casual Dining

Okay, so where do you eat lunch? Do you grab a couple burgers from Burger King? Do you stop for an hour or so and get a good meal at Applebee's? Or do you prefer, to have a little of both? Quick casual dining is different. Places such as Panera or Qdoba have implemented this idea to success. The customer orders at the counter and picks the food up at the counter, but instead of dining on pre-made food like at BK or Mickey D's, they meal is prepared to order.

Can we really consider this segment a new prospect, or is the growth due to a consientious shift in consumer thinking? In my opinion, it's unlikely that a clear difference can be seen between these restaurants and an quick-service experience like the one delivered from Taco Bell. Throughout the industry, food preparation is similar.

For more information on quick service dining, check out this article from Calkins Media.
Quick Service Dining

Hot! Sauce...new Taco Bell Campaign

Wow, talk about spicy. Taco Bell has recently teamed up with Sports Illustrated to promote the website www.directdaniella.com. If your eyes have seen the new purple Hot Sauce packets, then you've got an idea of what I'm talking about.

So what are we promoting, besides the body of swimsuit model, Daniella Sarahyba, I would venture to guess the Fiesta Platters. I'm no expert, so let's just listen to what Taco Bell, CMO, David Owens says, "Direct Daniella.com is a fun way to engage our customers online."

Taco Bell Press Release

Classic Taco Bell Commercial (1997)

Classic Taco Bell Commercial (1997)