Minnesota Restaurant Blog:
Feb 24 - Mar 1, 2008

Drive-Throughs Banned?

Since 1982, drive throughs have been banned in San Luis Obispo, California. They are a community that likes to promote pedestrians walking among small shops around town.

McDonalds recently requested a drive through in town, and they weren't even put on the city agenda.

This no drive-through policy is becoming trendy in Southern California and parts of Canada.

Drive-through business can account for over 50% of a fast food chain's sales, and cities that take this stance risk losing sales tax revenue and business investment in their communities.

www.slocity.org

Only Natural Beef In All Minnesota Chipotle Restaurants

Chipotle has announced that all of their 44 restaurants located in Minnesota now serve only naturally raised beef.

The addition of naturally raised beef means that now all the meat (pork and chicken as well) in Minnesota Chipotles are now naturally raised.

Chipotle founder and chairman Steve Ells calls the philosophy of naturally raised meat "Food With Integrity". Ells started this process back in 1999.

www.chipotle.com

The Emergency Starbucks Shutdown

Every single Starbucks coffee shop across the country shut down yesterday, Feb 26, for three hours.

Yesterday evening all 7100 stores participated in some emergency training. They learned how to make a perfect shot, how to steam milk and more.

Anecdotal evidence said that the quality at Starbucks had been slipping, and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is determined to change that.

The emergency closings also brought Starbucks something which may be equally as valuable as the training - a lot of free publicity.

www.starbucks.com

Granite City Food & Brewery Continues to Expand

The casual dining chain Granite City Food and Brewery opened it's first restaurant in St Cloud in 1999.

They just opened their 25th restaurant in Toledo, Ohio. Granite City Food and Brewery now has a presence in twelve states. Two more locations are coming soon in Indiana.

Besides the St Cloud Granite City Food and Brewery, there are four more Minnesota locations in the metro suburbs.

www.gcfb.net

New Places In Foley

Foley has a couple new established chain restaurants to offer its residents.

Local pizza chain based in Willmar Jimmy's Pizza now has a location in Foley. You can order online from the Foley Jimmy's Pizza if you go to www.jimmyspizza.com.

Also new to Foley is a McDonalds restaurant.

Both places are located just off highway 23.

www.jimmyspizza.com
www.mcdonalds.com