Minnesota Restaurant Blog:
Dec 16 - Dec 22, 2007

Trouble at The Dam in Sartell

In what was hopefully an isolated incident, two men were charged with assault after an incident at The Dam Bar in Sartell.

According to the criminal complaint a woman was asked about her underwear by two men she knew. When she said it wasn't their business she was held against the bar and her underwear was cut off with a pocket knife. Calls for help were not heeded by other customers or the bartender, who was female.

One of the accused called the incident a 'joke'. The other said it was 'her time to take one for the team'.

Both men were sent to Stearns County Jail with bail set at $100,000 each.

www.sctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007112190037

Chick-Fil-A Founder Writes Another Book

S Truett Cathy, founder of the successful Chick-Fil-A chain, has penned several books and his latest is called "How Did You Do It, Truett?".

This book provides inspirational advice for entrepreneurs on starting and running a business as well as thoughts on the importance of living your life to the highest standard.

Cathy took a mom and pop diner and built it into a chain of over 1300 locations in 37 states with over $2 billion in sales.

According to the Chick-Fil-A web site, the only restaurant location in Minnesota is on the U of M campus in Minneapolis.

www.chick-fil-a.com

No More Free Beer?

A company called US BeverageNet has developed a product which can monitor how much beer is poured from tap lines. This helps bar owners keep much better tabs on how much beer is flowing.

It is estimated that about 7-8% of all tap beer is wasted from spilling, giving too much change, or bartenders saying 'this one's on me'. The system brings the waste down to 1-2%.

The monitoring software is installed on the tap lines and synced to the register. The info then goes to a secured web site where bar owners can see if the amount of beer poured matches the money in the register.

Does this signal the end is near for free beer?

www.usbeveragenet.com

New Noodles & Company by Crossroads

A new location for Noodles and Company has openened by Crossroads Center in St Cloud.

Noodles & Company founder Aaron Kennedy used to pass all kinds of noodle shops in Greenwich Village, NY and decided to put all those dishes in one restaurant.

Before the St Cloud Noodles & Company, the prvious closest locations had been in Maple Grove and Coon Rapids. There are many other metro locations, as well as a location in Mankato.

www.noodles.com

Starbucks Recalling Coffee Mugs

Starbucks is undergoing a voluntary recall of coffee mugs due to a potential burn hazard.

About 167,000 Starbucks Fusion Coffee Mugs were distributed to consumers. Aparently the plastic handle can detach from the mug potentially causing hot coffee to spill on the user. There have been 23 reports of handles detaching, nine resulting in minor burns.

The mugs are white with black plastic handles and a stainless steel base with Starbucks artwork. They were sold for $11 at Starbucks locations throughout 2007.

Consumers should stop using the mugs and contact Starbucks for instructions on returning the cups for a full refund. Customers returning the mugs should also get a free beverage.

www.starbucks.com
www.cpsc.gov