http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/story/2012-01-12/burger-king-delivery/52604104/1

At first I thought Burger King delivery was a dumb idea.  But, after thinking about it a while, it may prove to be a smart move – in the right locations and for the right premium.

Burger King is using custom packaging for the fries that won’t trap steam to make them soggy, but it will trap the emitted heat.  The delivery bags probably have a heating element too.

I could see delivery being a surprise hit with customers. There no reason pizza should be the only popular delivery food.  Jimmy Johns owes a lot of its success to delivery.

How close are fast food advertising pictures to the real thing?  I’m sure everyone accepts that the food is “prettied up” for pictures, but by how much?   Below is an example, you decide if it is a fair representation.

If burger ads are enhanced, what about the materials and representations you get as prospective franchisee?  Is that material “prettied up”?

for more humorous analysis of ads, see here.

Taco John’s, a “West-Mex” fusion fast food restaurant, held voluntary workshops in most of its territories for franchisees to learn ways to reduce their food and labor costs with a goal of 1% reduction. They were in the form of interactive round tables and discussion about how to streamline operations, and there was lots of networking between unit manager.  Also discussed were ways to better advertise locally.

It sounds like a great way to reach out to franchisees.  Hopefully it will help.