Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Obesity is Where you Eat It

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom may have decided to declare economic war on high-calorie soft drinks; but, according to a Reuters report from Los Angeles, a different kind of economic war has erupted in the burger business:

No. 3 U.S. hamburger chain Wendy's International Inc introduced a 99-cent double cheeseburger on Tuesday, a product the company hopes will help it compete with bigger rivals McDonald's Corp and Burger King Corp Inc

In a statement, Wendy's said the new "Stack Attack" burger would help reel in cash-strapped consumers struggling with rising gas prices and other "financial pressures."

The move comes as Burger King plans to test a $1 double cheeseburger that is larger than McDonald's comparable product in several markets next year. Both Wendy's and Burger King hope to steal market share from McDonald's, whose $1 double cheeseburger is its most popular menu item.

This is just what we need: meeting the challenge of affordable food with an onslaught of double cheeseburgers. Can't anyone figure out a way to produce and market a $1 salad bar?

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