Slashfood

Slashfoodhttp://www.slashfood.comSlashfoodhttp://www.slashfood.com/media/feedlogo.gifSlashfoodhttp://www.slashfood.comen-usCopyright 2010 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Ingrid Hoffmann's Latin Burger Food Truck Rolls All Over Miamihttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/03/09/ingrid-hoffmanns-latin-burger-food-truck-rolls-all-over-miami/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/03/09/ingrid-hoffmanns-latin-burger-food-truck-rolls-all-over-miami/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/03/09/ingrid-hoffmanns-latin-burger-food-truck-rolls-all-over-miami/#commentsFiled under: Business, Chefs

Courtesy of Ingrid Hoffman

While food trucks are a dime a dozen in cities like Los Angeles and New York, the trend is relatively new to Miami. Food Network personality and cookbook author Ingrid Hoffmann saw the void in the marketplace and recently debuted her Latin Burger mobile kitchen in Miami.

Since Hoffmann of Simply Delicioso fame is known for her Latina-style cooking, her food truck has a decidedly ethnic flair to it. The hot-pink-and-black customized truck serves up gourmet tacos (pulled pork, chicken mole and chicken tomatillo) and a signature burger with a chorizo and sirloin filling. This marquee patty also features Oaxaca cheese, caramelized onions, jalapenos and red-pepper mayo. "It's street food," she acknowledges, "but it's quality street food. We use Latin influences in a modern way." All of the ingredients used on board the renovated UPS truck are fresh and never canned.

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]]>food networkfood truckIngrid Hoffmanningrid hoffmanns latin burgerLatin Burgerlatin burger and tacoJacquelynn D. PowersTue, 09 Mar 2010 12:00:00 ESTGun-Control Debate Brews at Starbuckshttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/03/05/gun-control-debate-brews-at-starbucks/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/03/05/gun-control-debate-brews-at-starbucks/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/03/05/gun-control-debate-brews-at-starbucks/#commentsFiled under: Business, News

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Gun owners and gun-control advocates are duking it out in an unlikely place these days -- Starbucks.

Bearers-of-arms have begun gathering at Starbucks in Northern California after Peet's Coffee & Tea and California Pizza Kitchen put policies in place to ban firearms on the premises, CNNMoney.com reported.

Several gun rights groups have been holding monthly meetings at San Francisco-area Starbucks, but gun-control groups want the coffee chain to ban guns in its stores, ABC News reported in January.

"While we deeply respect the views of all our customers, Starbucks long-standing approach to this issue remains unchanged. We comply with local laws and statutes in all the communities we serve," a Starbucks company spokesperson told Slashfood in a statement.

"In this case, 43 of the 50 U.S. states have open carry weapon laws. Where these laws don't exist, we comply with laws that prohibit the open carrying of weapons."

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]]>starbucksstarbucks gun controlstarbucks gun warsJennifer LawinskiFri, 05 Mar 2010 15:00:00 ESTDanny Meyer Launches Service Consultancyhttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/24/danny-meyer-launches-service-consultancy/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/24/danny-meyer-launches-service-consultancy/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/24/danny-meyer-launches-service-consultancy/#commentsFiled under: Business

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For those keeping score, Danny Meyer has found yet another way to capitalize on his famous customer-service skills. The king of the Union Square Hospitality Group, which includes New York classics like Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern and Eleven Madison Park, has long been revered for his ability to make his guests feel uniquely appreciated. So why not leverage his reputation? He's calling the new venture Hospitality Quotient, and his reps have dubbed it a "learning business focused on helping individuals, corporations and organizations to understand and apply the transforming power of hospitality."

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]]>danny meyerdanny meyers hospitality quotienthospitality quotientunion square hospitality groupNichol NelsonWed, 24 Feb 2010 13:00:00 ESTFast-Food Breakfast Declines as Unemployment Riseshttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/22/fast-food-breakfast-declines-as-unemployment-rises/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/22/fast-food-breakfast-declines-as-unemployment-rises/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/22/fast-food-breakfast-declines-as-unemployment-rises/#commentsFiled under: Business, Fast Food

Photo: iirraa, Flickr

Dr. Oz is always lecturing us not to eat fast food and Suze Orman is always nagging us to save more. Turns out the ghastly recession is forcing people to heed their sound advice.

Breakfast sales at fast-food chains have plummeted in the last couple of years due to the poor economy. Think about it. If you don't have a job there's really no reason to get up early and balance an Egg McMuffin while driving, and if you're worried about job security one way to save some extra cash is to have breakfast at home.

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]]>burger kingfast food breakfastfast food breakfast salesfeaturedmcdonaldsunemployment rateNicki GostinMon, 22 Feb 2010 15:30:00 ESTFood Porn or Regular Porn?http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/17/food-porn-or-regular-porn/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/17/food-porn-or-regular-porn/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/17/food-porn-or-regular-porn/#commentsFiled under: Business, Food Politics, Features

It's pretty obvious, ladies: The 30-second spot with Kim Kardashian lolling around in bed with a Carl's Jr. chicken salad isn't meant for us. And it's not really about that salad, either. This is full-on food porn, but let's be honest -- in fast-food ads these days, the porn is more like, well, porn. The Kardashian commercial has all the staples of the genre -- the smooth, sexy soundtrack, plenty of cleavage shots, and even an eye-opening close-up of glistening drops of dressing on her lips and falling down between her breasts. Hungry yet?

Another recent gem comes courtesy of Burger King, this time a print image that was released in Singapore of a woman seconds away from deep-throating a sandwich called the "seven-incher." (Burger King was also responsible for that bizarre spot advertising Sponge Bob Square Pants kids meals with scantily clad women dancing to "Baby Got Back.")

Not for women. Got it. But are men really buying what they're selling? Evidently, yes. The Kardashian ad comes courtesy of CKE Restaurants, the parent group of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's. The campaign actually started in 2005, with a spot featuring bathing-suit-clad Paris Hilton arching, crawling and posing her way around a wet Bentley to the tune of "I love Paris in the Summer." Oh yeah, and at some point therein, she eats a Carl's Jr. burger. (Seductively, of course.)

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]]>carls jrcarls jr commercialfood commercialsfood pornkim kardashianNichol NelsonWed, 17 Feb 2010 14:00:00 ESTEat Your Greens - Kale Chipshttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/16/eat-your-greens-kale-chips/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/16/eat-your-greens-kale-chips/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/16/eat-your-greens-kale-chips/#commentsFiled under: Business, Features

kale chips Photo: New York Naturals

Every day we're bombarded with encouragement from nutritionists and health food experts to eat more leafy greens, especially the dark green varieties. Low in calories, high in fiber, packed with vitamin A, blah, blah, blah -- not exactly the kind of stuff you get excited about.

But Amy Hamberry may have found a way to change your mind: The Brooklyn, N.Y., mom is selling her own kale chips.

The former commercial illustrator and one-time kindergarten teacher stumbled into this new, unexpected profession when she married the owner of a neighborhood health-food store, New York Naturals.

The store's California kale chip supplier was always running out of stock (um, who would have guessed there was such high demand?), so Amy decided to start making them herself. It took three months of daily experiments before she was satisfied with the results.

"We had to figure out a consistency," Hamberry explained to Slashfood. "It was hard because the kale is different each time we get it. There are a lot of variables involved."

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]]>brooklynchipshealth foodkalekale chipsraw foodNicki GostinTue, 16 Feb 2010 12:00:00 ESTPop-Up Restaurants Let New Chefs Take Chanceshttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/12/pop-up-restaurants-let-new-chefs-take-chances/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/12/pop-up-restaurants-let-new-chefs-take-chances/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/12/pop-up-restaurants-let-new-chefs-take-chances/#commentsFiled under: Business, Restaurants

Photo: linecook, Flickr

With the high cost of opening a restaurant, what's a young chef with a clever idea to do?

In San Francisco, the answer is to set up a temporary restaurant in an existing space a few nights a week, the New York Times reported.

Pop-up restaurants like Mission Street Food, which take up residence in the Chinese eatery Lung Shan Restaurant on Mission Street, are sprouting up all over the Bay Area, giving chefs with lots of creative ideas -- but little funding -- a way to show off their skills without breaking the bank.

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]]>featuredmission street foodopening a restaurantpop-up restaurantsJennifer LawinskiFri, 12 Feb 2010 14:30:00 ESTRestaurant Workers Suffer as Industry Thriveshttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/12/restaurant-workers-suffer-as-industry-thrives/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/12/restaurant-workers-suffer-as-industry-thrives/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/12/restaurant-workers-suffer-as-industry-thrives/#commentsFiled under: Business, Restaurants

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Be kind when tipping your waitress next time you dine out. A new report shows restaurant workers around the country may be getting a raw deal from employers, the Washington Post reported.

While restaurants may have bounced back from the economic slump, the industry's workers are still suffering from low wages and a lack of benefits, according to a new report from the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC), a nonprofit organization that advocates better wages and work conditions for restaurant workers, the paper reported.

The average restaurant worker made $12,868 in 2008, compared with $45,371 for employees in the general private sector, according to labor bureau statistics.

The report said 90 percent of restaurant staffers don't get health insurance or sick days, 67 percent go to work sick and 38 percent are forced to work off the clock.

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]]>restaurant opportunities centers unitedrestaurant workersrestaurant workers salariesJennifer LawinskiFri, 12 Feb 2010 10:30:00 ESTDel Monte Cultivating Vending Machines?http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/11/del-monte-cultivating-vending-machines/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/11/del-monte-cultivating-vending-machines/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/11/del-monte-cultivating-vending-machines/#commentsFiled under: Business

Credit: Corbis

There's been an unexpected spike in vending-machine news this month (yes, Slashfood counts two noteworthy changes in that industry as a "spike" ). Last week it was about touch-screen technology on the outside, now it's about the snacks contained inside.

College students at Notre Dame have another weapon in fending off the notorious "freshman fifteen": Del Monte fresh fruit and vegetables are currently available in vending machines all over campus, offering a healthier alternative to the usual corn-syrup and salt-laden options. The machines will also be introduced at The University of Miami and Miami-Dade College.

The snack packs -- which are specially packaged to ensure you don't bite into a limp veggie or soggy piece of fruit -- include bananas, pineapple chunks, apple slices, grapes, baby carrots, celery and tomatoes (and some include low-fat dips as well). All of them are 120 calories or less.

"We are excited about the launch of Del Monte Fresh Produce Company's fresh fruit and vegetable vending line at Notre Dame," said Dennis Christou, Vice President of Marketing, N.A. at Fresh Del Monte to Slashfood. "With the rates of obesity among children and adults rising, and the increasing emphasis on the benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables, it is important to give consumers healthier options in as many venues as possible."

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]]>del montedel monte fresh produce companydel monte notre damedel monte vending machinesNicki GostinThu, 11 Feb 2010 15:30:00 ESTBeef Processed in Minnesota Wears 'Kentucky Proud' Labelhttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/10/beef-processed-in-minnesota-wears-kentucky-proud-label/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/10/beef-processed-in-minnesota-wears-kentucky-proud-label/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/10/beef-processed-in-minnesota-wears-kentucky-proud-label/#commentsFiled under: Farming, Business, Food News, Food Politics

steak Photo: What You Like..., Flickr

Some local food advocates in Kentucky are questioning a new Department of Agriculture program that will slap "Kentucky Proud" labels on beef processed in the upper Midwest.

A Business Lexington columnist reported there was an "outcry" from readers after learning of the state's plans to partner with Minnesota's PM Beef to overcome economy of scale issues that have prevented beef from becoming a major component of Kentucky's nine-year-old homegrown foods initiative. The situation's familiar to many cattle-farming southern states: Consolidation in the meatpacking industry has left Kentucky without the processing facilities it needs to keep its citizens supplied with affordable red meat.

"If we assume everyone in Kentucky eats an average of 80 pounds a year, with the processing capacity we have in Kentucky, we can provide only four percent of that consumption," Kentucky Department of Agriculture spokesman Bill Clary explains.

Under the new program, Clary says, PM Beef will purchase certified Kentucky-raised Angus cattle through Kentucky markets.

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]]>agriculturebeeffeaturedkentuckykentucky proudmeatHanna RaskinWed, 10 Feb 2010 16:00:00 ESTCampbell's Gets a New Executive Chefhttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/09/campbells-gets-a-new-executive-chef/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/09/campbells-gets-a-new-executive-chef/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/02/09/campbells-gets-a-new-executive-chef/#commentsFiled under: Business, Chefs

Culinary Institute of America

We're pretty sure that when you hear "Campbell's soup" an image of a bowl of steaming tomato soup or chicken noodle soup with a side of crackers being slurped down by some cherubic kid on a blustery winter afternoon instantly comes to mind. (And through the window you can catch a glimpse of the snowman that above mentioned angelic child built. Okay, okay, we're willing to concede that Campbell soup conjures up Rockwellian fantasies for us).

It's pretty safe to say that Campbell's soup does not invoke images of haute cuisine or fancy-schmancy dining. But might change in the near future.

The giant soup company just appointed Thomas W. Griffiths, 49, to a newly created position as senior executive chef and director of Campbell's Culinary Institute.

Griffiths is no slouch in the culinary world. He was the associate dean for culinary arts at the C.I.A. (No, he wasn't whipping up dishes for cunning secret agents. It's the other C.I.A - the Culinary Institute of America). His extensive and impressive resume includes medals at the International Culinary Olympics, a stint at Le Cirque in Manhattan, and the prestigious post of executive pastry chef at the United Nations.

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]]>cambells culinary institutecampbellscampbells executive chefcampbells new chefthomas w griffithsNicki GostinTue, 09 Feb 2010 17:30:00 ESTWhole Foods Offers Steeper Discounts to Leaner Employeeshttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/28/whole-foods-offers-steeper-discounts-to-leaner-employees/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/28/whole-foods-offers-steeper-discounts-to-leaner-employees/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/28/whole-foods-offers-steeper-discounts-to-leaner-employees/#commentsFiled under: Business, Health & Medical

AP Photo/ Harry Cabluck

Being fat will cost you if you work at Whole Foods.

In an effort to trim its health insurance costs and promote healthy living for its work force, Whole Foods is offering employees who have lower body mass indexes, cholesterol and blood pressure and who refrain from smoking greater discounts on its products, the New York Daily News reported.

"The program is designed to provide tools and incentives to encourage healthier lifestyles, and it is completely voluntary," Whole Foods spokeswoman Libba Letton told Slashfood.

"It directly supports two of our company's core value: supporting team member happiness and excellence and the second one is promoting the health of our stakeholders through healthy eating education," Letton said.

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]]>whole foodswhole foods discriminationwhole foods insurance costswhole foods promotes healthy livingJennifer LawinskiThu, 28 Jan 2010 16:30:00 ESTWhole Foods CEO Donates His Bonus to Animal Welfare Grouphttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/26/whole-foods-ceo-donates-his-bonus-to-animal-welfare-group/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/26/whole-foods-ceo-donates-his-bonus-to-animal-welfare-group/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/26/whole-foods-ceo-donates-his-bonus-to-animal-welfare-group/#commentsFiled under: Business, Stores & Shopping

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In 2007, Whole Foods' controversial and colorful CEO, John Mackey, reduced his salary to $1 a year, and has continued to keep his salary low. The value of his total compensation (including bonuses), however, shot up from $33,831 in fiscal 2008 to $653,671, according to the Associated Press. (The large increase over last year's bonus is mainly the result of Mr. Mackey being paid out in 2009 for assets that were frozen in 2006 when he announced his salary reduction.)

Mackey donated the after-tax proceeds of his 2009 compensation -- $379,636 -- to Global Animal Partnership, an animal welfare group that's "committed to working collaboratively to improve the lives of farm animals," according to a statement on the organization's website. Wonder how Mackey chose the group? It turns out that he's on the board.

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]]>John MackeyJohnMackeywhole foodsWholeFoodsNicki GostinTue, 26 Jan 2010 17:30:00 ESTKroger's Selling Food and The Dining Table, Toohttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/21/krogers-selling-food-and-the-dining-table-too/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/21/krogers-selling-food-and-the-dining-table-too/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/21/krogers-selling-food-and-the-dining-table-too/#commentsFiled under: Business

Scott Olson, Getty Images

If you happen to live in the vicinity of Frisco, Texas, and feel like picking up some staples like milk, bread, eggs and a sofa, you're in luck. Tomorrow Kroger Marketplace is opening up a new 123,000-square-foot store that greatly expands upon the products the supermarket typically sells.

Not only will it house the usual food products and pharmacy, this Kroger's will also sell home furnishings like dining room sets, bookshelves and lamps. Oh, and if on the way out you suddenly experience the urge to splurge on a diamond pendant or pick up an engagement ring, a Fred Meyer Jewelers is conveniently located at the front of the store. (It turns out that Kroger, the country's second-largest grocery chain, also owns the Fred Meyer Jewelery chain, which happens to be the nation's third-largest jewelry retailer).

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]]>Nicki GostinThu, 21 Jan 2010 17:30:00 ESTKraft Set to Buy Cadbury for $19.5 Billionhttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/19/kraft-set-to-buy-cadbury-for-19-5-billion/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/19/kraft-set-to-buy-cadbury-for-19-5-billion/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/19/kraft-set-to-buy-cadbury-for-19-5-billion/#commentsFiled under: Business, News

Mark Lennihan, AP

British chocolate maker Cadbury accepted a $19.5 billion buyout bid from American giant Kraft Foods in a move that will form the world's largest candy company, the Associated Press reported.

Both Kraft and Hershey were bidding for the U.K. chocolatier. Shareholders are expected to accept Kraft's bid.

Kraft, maker of Toblerone chocolate, Velveeta processed cheese and Oreo cookies, will gain ownership of products including Dairy Milk chocolates and Dentyne gum. Combined, Kraft and Cadbury would have 40 candy brands each with over $100 million in sales, AP reported.

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]]>cadburycadbury buyoutkraftkraft buys cadburykraft cadbury mergerkraft foodsJennifer LawinskiTue, 19 Jan 2010 17:30:00 ESTWalgreens Nationwide Offer Freshly Prepared Foodhttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/19/walgreens-nationwide-offer-freshly-prepared-food/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/19/walgreens-nationwide-offer-freshly-prepared-food/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/19/walgreens-nationwide-offer-freshly-prepared-food/#commentsFiled under: Business, Stores & Shopping, News

Nick Ut, AP

You can already pick up fresh milk and eggs at Walgreens (besides much needed essentials like toilet paper, mascara or a snuggie wearable blanket). But now, in several hundred stores across the nation, you can also pick up freshly prepared food like fruit salads and sandwiches.

The South Bend Tribune is reporting that this rollout is new and available at all 7,000 stores, but Walgreens manager of media relations, Tiffani Washington, tells Slashfood that's not entirely accurate.

"We currently have a few hundred stores with sandwiches, salads and cut fruit," said Washington. "We are gathering learnings from those locations and looking at opportunities to appeal to on-the-go consumers with similar meal options in more stores."

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]]>featuredwalgreenswalgreens freshly prepared foodwalgreens salad sandwichesNicki GostinTue, 19 Jan 2010 15:30:00 ESTJohnny Rockets Expanding to Appeal to More Consumershttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/14/johnny-rockets-expanding-to-appeal-to-more-consumers/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/14/johnny-rockets-expanding-to-appeal-to-more-consumers/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/14/johnny-rockets-expanding-to-appeal-to-more-consumers/#commentsFiled under: Business, Restaurants, News

Photo: Thomas Hawk, Flickr

If you have a spare $300,000 lying around and you've always wanted to open up a franchised sports bar then you're in luck.

Johnny Rockets, the restaurant chain best known for its Happy Days style diners, is launching sports bars and mobile kitchens. (According to NRN.com that tidy little sum is what you'll need to open a franchise, far less than the $750,000 for a regular Johnny Rockets).

A Johnny Rockets Sports Lounge opened last year in a Six Flags amusement park in Queensbury, N.Y. and tonight there is a media bash for another one that opened last month on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

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]]>featuredjohnny rocketsjohnny rockets expandingjohnny rockets restaurant chainjohnny rockets sports loungeNicki GostinThu, 14 Jan 2010 17:30:00 ESTRice Breeders Jazz Up Market With New Strainhttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/14/rice-breeders-jazz-up-market-with-new-strain/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/14/rice-breeders-jazz-up-market-with-new-strain/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/14/rice-breeders-jazz-up-market-with-new-strain/#commentsFiled under: Science, Farming, Business

Photo: cbcastro, flickr

Jasmine rice is soft, fragrant and - much to the consternation of U.S. rice growers - impossible to grow in the nation's rice-producing regions.

"Maybe you could grow it in South Florida or South Texas," theorizes Steve Linscombe, senior rice breeder and director of Louisiana State University's rice research station. "But even if you could, the yield potential is very low."

Linscombe's spent the better part of two decades developing a homegrown alternative to the phenomenally popular Thai strain of jasmine rice. After a successful test run in 2009, farmers are planning to plant thousands of acres of Jazzman rice this season.

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]]>jazzmanLouisianariceHanna RaskinThu, 14 Jan 2010 11:00:00 ESTChuy's Extends Reach to Southeasthttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/06/chuys-extends-reach-to-southeast/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/06/chuys-extends-reach-to-southeast/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/01/06/chuys-extends-reach-to-southeast/#commentsFiled under: Business, Trends, Restaurants

Photo: Nuevo Anden, Flickr.

Chuy's, the offbeat Tex-Mex joint where the Bush twins were famously nabbed for underage drinking, is looking to replicate its success in Tennessee with future expansion plans for outlets around Birmingham, Lexington and Memphis.

"Basically, in the next four years, we should be close to 50 restaurants," spokeswoman Ashley Ingle says. "We've branched out from Austin over the years, and we're kind of trying to replicate that hub in the Southeast."

Chuy's has opened restaurants in five Texas metro areas since 2006, when a venture capitalist pumped money into the franchise. But the chain didn't stray past the state's borders until this fall, when it opened a location in Franklin, Tenn. (Another restaurant group operates an unrelated chain of Chuy's in California and Arizona.)

"Nashville has a lot of similarities to Austin," Ingle explains, citing the freeway network, live music scene and Dell Computers' presence.

While the vast majority of Mexican restaurants around Nashville serve the same lineup of enchiladas and chimichangas, Ingle says Chuy's specializes in recipes drawn from the microgastronomic region that runs from New Mexico's Hatch Valley through South Texas' Rio Grande Valley. While dishes like the chain's signature steak burrito and chicken tortillas are likely familiar to eaters weaned on bean dip, Ingle says they're distinguished by the restaurant's use of freshly-made blue corn tortillas and fresh green chile sauce.

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]]>Chuyschuys restauranttex-mexHanna RaskinWed, 06 Jan 2010 16:00:00 ESTHaagen-Dazs Ad Called Offensive in Indiahttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/12/30/offensive-haagen-dazs-ad/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/12/30/offensive-haagen-dazs-ad/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/12/30/offensive-haagen-dazs-ad/#commentsFiled under: Business, News

haagen dazs ad The ad in question.

An advertisement for India's first Haagen-Dazs ice cream outlet has sparked outrage from angry locals who say they discriminate against Indians, Advertising Age reports.

Posters near the Haagen-Dazs in a Delhi mall "tried to strike a cosmopolitan note with a reference to the French Riviera and the words 'Exclusive Preview for International Travellers. Access restricted only to holders of international passports,'" the magazine says.

An editor who wrote a blog post on the Times of India Web site -- called "Sorry, Indians Not Allowed" -- said a friend was not allowed to enter the Haagen-Dazs ice cream store. The post got more than 1,000 comments.

Haagen-Dazs executives told the Times of India that anyone who was barred from entry at the ice cream shop was excluded because it was too crowded, Ad Age says.

The ice cream company did apologize for the advertisement.

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]]>Haagen-DazsindiaJennifer LawinskiWed, 30 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST