Cousins Subs Opens 9th Arizona Location

Cousins Subs recently opened up their newest spot over at 2100 W. Chandler Blvd. Chandler, AZ 85224. Franchisee Cliff Jones decided to open another location after he found his Mesa restaurant doing so well.  In addition to being the first Arizona restaurant with the company's new look and according to the Cousins Subs website, the first in the state to allow online ordering:

Not only will Jones’ newest store offer deli-style sandwiches with freshly sliced meats and vegetables, the store is the first in the area to serve-up fries and grilled sandwiches.

According to the press release, multiple other stores are in the works over the next few years.  Check out Cousins Subs menu here and other Arizona locations here.

Freddy's Opens 2 More Restaurants, Promises Mesa Location

Photo by Freddy's - Marana, AZ

Just this past November, the AZFoodDude updated you on the newest upcoming Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers locations in the state.  Now, the AZFoodDude can report that the two Freddy's locations mentioned in the previous article, one at 3476 W. Frye Rd. Chandler, AZ 85226 and the other in the Tucson area at 3725 W. Orange Grove Rd. Marana, AZ 85741 are now open. 

While still having no further news on the previously noted Scottsdale location, Freddy's has announced the opening of their first spot in Mesa.  At this time however, there are no address details.  Stay tuned for updates.

Pinkberry Coming to Arizona?

For sometime now, I have wondered aloud why Pinkberry refused to cross the California border into Arizona while managing to make it to 19 other states and 15 other countries.  You can imagine my fury then yesterday when I read this press release referring to Pinkberry expanding into the Las Vegas area.  Not that I won't want a good cup of Pinkberry yogurt when I find myself in Sin City, but I thought once again, Arizona was being gipped.

After calming myself and doing some digging however, I've found some great news, a watershed moment for those of us in the Grand Canyon State.  Pinkberry will be opening their first Arizona location at the University of Arizona's Student Union Memorial Center in Tucson.  Slated to open on February 14, 2012, the 100th anniversary of Arizona becoming a state, (yeah, and Valentine's Day), at 10am, Pinkberry will be offering six unique flavors:

...the signature flavor, a sweet and tangy yogurt; pomegranate, a bold and tangy flavor made with 100 percent California-grown pure pomegranate juice; salted caramel, a blend of salty and sweet; a rich, indulgent chocolate; mango, a fruity and light flavor made with authentic Alphonso mango puree; and blood orange, a fresh and tangy featured flavor that rotates seasonally.

Now, I haven't been to a Pinkberry in sometime and unless they have changed, the one major difference they have to other froyo shops is that they serve and top the yogurt for you since they do not charge by weight.

Whatever the case, my fury has abated for now.  If this is a peace offering from Pinkberry, I will accept for the time being, but let's hope this is the beginning of many more openings in the state, including the Phoenix metro area.  

UofA Student Union Memorial Center - 1303 E. University Blvd. Tucson, AZ 85719

El Pollo Loco Begins Offering Fish Tacos

Going on from now until mid-April, El Pollo Loco will be serving up two different fish tacos: the Classic Baja Fish Taco and the Spicy Chipotle Fish Taco.  According to QSR:

Both tacos feature lightly beer-battered Alaskan Pollock. Sustainably fished from the very cold waters of the Bering Sea, Alaskan Pollock is the freshest filet available. The light beer batter takes on an extra kick of flavor with heat from Cayenne pepper.  Beer-battered Pollock filets are tucked into warm corn tortillas and topped with shredded cabbage and fresh cilantro. The Classic Baja Fish Taco is drizzled with a Baja style Lime Crema sauce and the Spicy Chipotle Fish Taco is topped with smoky hot Chipotle sauce. A slice of fresh lime adds a burst of citrus flavor to each taco.

In terms of nutrition, the Classic Baja Fish Taco has 252 calories, 13.5 grams of fat and 7 grams of protein.  Meanwhile, the Spicy Chipotle Fish Taco has 254 calories, 13.5 grams of fat and 7 grams of protein.

With 17 locations in the Phoenix area and 1 location in Tucson, there is bound to be an El Pollo Loco near you. 

Dairy Queen's January Blizzard of the Month - Strawberry CheeseQuake

In December, Dairy Queen gave us the very appropriate Candy Cane Chill Blizzard, for January however, Dairy Queen is offering the Strawberry CheeseQuake as the Blizzard of the Month.  The Strawberry CheeseQuake Blizzard is composed of "Real chunks of rich cheesecake and strawberries blended with creamy vanilla soft serve."

If you are wondering, a medium size Strawberry CheeseQuake Blizzard has 690 calories, 28 grams of fat, 15 grams of protein and 72 grams of sugar.

Subway's January $5 Featured Footlong - Chipotle Chicken & Cheese

Subway's $5 featured footlong for January hopes to kick off your new year with a bang.  The Chipotle Chicken & cheese sub is made of "tender, juicy chicken and meltalicious cheese with a pop of Chipotle Southwest Sauce for a creamy, smoky, subtly spicy taste sensation."  While the sandwich comes with your choice of bread and toppings, it is pictured on flatbread with red onions and green peppers. 

In terms of nutrition, you can check out this Subway site and calculate how many calories, fat, protein, etc. will be in the sandwich based on how you want the sandwich made.

Wendy Takes Down The King - Wendy's to Become #2 U.S. Burger Chain

Could it be that Princess Wendy is about to overthrow Burger King?  A story that was in the Orange County Register last month was the first mention of Wendy's overtaking Burger King in terms of market-share:

The debut of contemporary prototype restaurants along with a continued focus on food quality are giving Wendy's the edge it needs to bump Burger King from its No. 2 spot, Kalinowski said during a phone interview Tuesday...In 2010, Burger King's market share in the limited-service burger segment was 13.3 percent, while Wendy's share was 12.8 percent.  McDonald's dominates the segment with a 49.5 percent share, according to the latest figures by Technomic, a market research firm in Chicago.

Now, for the first time since 1969, when Wendy's was founded, the rankings of the the top 3 are changing with Wendy's sales, according to the Wall Street Journal, expected to top Burger King's by $53 million for the year, even as Wendy's has 5,800 restaurants to Burger King's 7,200.

One of the big keys for Wendy's besides more customer visits and restaurant remodels is the higher prices they've been charging since their menu revamp:

...Out went the traditional iceberg lettuce topped with tomatoes and onions, and in came four new salad varieties featuring 11 different greens and new ingredients like apples, pecans and asiago cheese.  Wendy's then turned its attention to French fries, switching from a mixture of potato varieties to only Russet potatoes, sliced with the skin still on, and sprinkled with sea salt.  More recently, Wendy's beefed up its burgers, switching to a looser grind of beef to make its burgers thicker and juicier. The company also refashioned its trademark square burgers with softer edges after customers said those burgers looked processed, even though they were fresh.

How is Burger King responding? From the Wall Street Journal:

Burger King spokesman Miguel Piedra said speculation about market rankings in the U.S. "highlight[s] the degree of competition" in the sector, but that such projections "do not illustrate a complete picture of the industry's competitive landscape, globally." He said Burger King has nearly 12,400 restaurants world-wide, almost double the number of Wendy's around the world. Burger King is "focused on driving strong expansion in its many markets around the world," and that "will strongly position the brand" to remain the No. 2 burger chain world-wide, he said.

What do you think about that response by Burger King?  It came across as weak to the AZFoodDude.  Where is the pride in holding onto the #2 spot in your home country or at least saying you'll fight to get it back.  Unless the quote was cut and there is more to it, the spokesman's response is hardly worthy of a King.

With more restaurants in the U.S. than Wendy's and Burger King combined and nearly half the entire share of the market, what does McDonald's have to say about all this?

"As the leader in the [fast food] industry, we remain focused on our customers and our business," a McDonald's spokeswoman said.

I guess as Emperor, the fight between the new Queen and the King way below you doesn't really matter much.

Update (3-19-12): It's official, AP reports: Wendy's Takes #2 Spot From Burger King