Woman served cold fries fires gun, arrested after car chase

A woman was arrested for reportedly firing a gun inside a fast food restaurant in Georgia, United States, after receiving cold fries.

Lillian Tarver left the restaurant with her order but came back, claiming the fries served to her were cold, last Tuesday, July 16.

The manager of the McDonald’s branch was replacing Tarver’s fries when one of the employees, Lynn Watson, got into a verbal argument with the woman, as per CBS-affiliate WTOC on Monday, July 22.

While Tarver was arguing with the employee, she threw a drink at Watson and the manager. Tarver then went behind the counter and into the kitchen where she got into a brawl with Watson.

“We were physically fighting because I had to grab her because she was putting up a set like this, and I had to seize my moment when I knew I could. When she bent down, I grabbed her hair and just started slinging her across the floor,” Watson told WTOC in an interview.

After the fight, Tarver left the restaurant to go to her car. She then returned with a gun in her hands, which she used to fire a shot into the kitchen floor.


As per report, the incident ended when Tarver left the establishment after receiving a refund from the store’s owner.

Police arrived at the scene after Tarver had already left the location. Garden City Police Department Detective Roberto Rodriguez told USA Today in a separate report on July 23, that an officer saw her leave the restaurant in a car “at a high rate of speed.”

When authorities caught up with her and asked her to pull over, she initially refused. Tarver surrendered after a “10- to 15-minute” chase, Rodriguez said in the report. He also stated that no one was injured during the incident.

Police then booked Tarver into the Chatham County Jail where she is being held without bond. She also faces charges of aggravated assault, armed robbery and fleeing police, among nine other charges, as per the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office. Ryan Arcadio/JB

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Robot burger-flipper starts first day on the job in California restaurant

They say that robots will eventually take over the workplace. As they get “smarter,” robots would start to branch out from the assembly line and say, start flipping burgers at some diner in California.

Flippy is an AI-driven kitchen assistant developed by Miso Robotics and the owner of CaliBurger, the establishment where Flippy is currently at work, reports Engadget.

This robotic burger connoisseur is not only able to flip burgers but also put them in buns. It uses cameras, sensors and deep learning software to find ingredients around the kitchen without additional reconfiguration.

Flippy’s sensors also help it to keep track of the patties’ temperature and cooking time. Once cooking is done, it lets its human boss top off the burgers with cheese and other toppings.

“Much like self-driving vehicles, our system continuously learns from its experiences to improve over time,” said David Zito, CEO of Miso Robotics.

Flippy is currently on “probation” in Pasadena but, once this is done, more Flippies will be deployed to over 50 CaliBurger locations in the next two years. Existing staff in these branches will be reassigned to the dining room while others will be trained to operate the new mechanical assistant.

Next thing we’ll know, robotic cooks will be arguing with unsatisfied customers regarding some extra machine oil topping that they did not ask for. Alfred Bayle/JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

McDonald’s to suspend selling popular Big Mac in Venezuela

Multinational fast-food chain McDonald’s will suspend selling the all-time favorite burger Big Mac due to a paucity of bread, according to reports.

“McDonald’s Venezuela is working to resolve this temporary situation,” Daniel Schleiniger, a spokesman for Arcos Dorados, the company that owns 200 McDonald’s outllets throughout Latin America and the Caribbean region, said in a press statement, according to Business Insider and TIME.

“Together with our supplier, we are evaluating the best options that will allow us to continue serving high-quality food to our customers. For the moment, we offer other menu options such as the Quarter Pounder, CBO, and McNífica, among others,” Schleiniger added.

Apparently, Big Mac is not the only popular item that went temporarily unavailable at the fast food chain’s menu. In January 2015, many Venezuelan chains ran out of potatoes, and replaced french fries with locally produced yuca (cassava) fries. Later that year, the sumptuous snack was back with an expensive price tag.

Venezuela has been burdened with food shortages due to its incessant political and economic crises. Thousands of Venezuelans are suffering from diseases and malnourishment; thousands of them had to cross to neighboring states such as Colombia just to eat and buy such basic necessities as food, medicines and toiletries.  Gianna Francesca Catolico

source: business.inquirer.net

Armed man barricaded in Burger King, 2 hostages released

BALTIMORE —Police said two people have been released, but a 7-year-old boy and others remain hostages after a barricade situation in southwest Baltimore.



Police said officers spotted a rape suspect around 11 a.m. Sunday, and that person fled in a vehicle and collided with another vehicle at Washington Boulevard and Monroe Street. The person in the other vehicle sustained minor injuries, police said.

Police said the suspect, armed with a gun, ran into a Burger King restaurant in the 1700 block of Washington Boulevard. Police said there are people inside the restaurant.

During a news conference Sunday afternoon, Baltimore police spokesman T.J. Smith said they believe four people inside the restaurant, including a 7-year-old boy, are being held against their will. Police did not provide any more details about the people inside the restaurant.

Around 3:50 p.m., Smith said two of the hostages have been released, but that the 7-year-old boy is not among them. Smith said police hope to “end the situation peacefully for all parties involved.”

SWAT officers and negotiators are at the scene. Police have also cordoned off the area for safety purposes, Smith said.

"The biggest thing is we want to end this peacefully and we want to end it soon," Smith said.

Smith said they are not yet identifying the suspect, but that he was wanted for a rape in the last 24-48 hours. Police did not provide any more details on the rape.

WBAL-TV 11 News has crews at the scene and will update the story as more details come in.
WBALTV.com editor Saliqa Khan contributed to this story.

source: wbaltv.com

McDonalds, Coke team up in new singing sweepstakes promo

OAK BROOK, Illinois — Two iconic brands are teaming up to get Americans singing their favorite summer songs for the chance to win a VIP experience at “The Late Late Show with James Corden” in LA or one of hundreds of $250 StubHub gift codes.

McDonald’s and Coca-Cola are introducing a new customer sweepstakes “Sip. Share. Win!” beginning June 21 through August 1, 2016.

“Sip. Share. Win!” marks the second time recently that McDonald’s has launched a new sweepstakes aimed squarely at the passions of its customers. In November 2015, the company teamed up with the NFL for Game Time Gold, a sweepstakes that allowed NFL fans to win $500,000 or a Trip to Super Bowl 50. Both promotions join MONOPOLY, one of the most popular sweepstakes offered at McDonald’s.

Customers will be the real stars in the new promotion when they join the fun. Through Shazam, one of the world’s most popular apps for connecting artists and fans, participants will be able to use their mobile phones to record themselves singing their own unique karaoke video using one of the specially marked Coke cups available at McDonald’s restaurants during the event.

They’ll choose from one of 10 popular song lyrics by top artists from a variety of genres and generations, which are featured on the promotional cups such as “Love You Like a Love Song,” “Girls Just Want To Have Fun,” “I’ll Rise Up,” “We Are Family” and more. Other celebrities such as Alex Morgan, Jamie McMurray, David Choi, Leslie Grace and Chrisette Michele, will share their “Sip. Share. Win!” videos and photos.

Participants can also enter to win by posting a selfie on Twitter or Instagram featuring themselves with one of the specially marked McDonald’s Coke cups using the #SipShareWin #Sweepstakes hashtags.

“The Sip. Share. Win! promotion is all about creating the opportunity for fun and enjoyable moments with our customers this summer and we’re looking forward to seeing the wide variety of entry videos and pictures our customers share as they get in on the excitement,” said Joel Yashinsky, vice president of Brand Marketing for McDonald’s USA. “We are thrilled to be one of the first brands to work with CBS to provide the grand prize VIP experience at ‘The Late Late Show with James Corden’ and we anticipate enthusiasm from our customers over the opportunity to enjoy this once in a lifetime experience.”

One lucky winner will be randomly selected to win a grand prize VIP experience for themselves and a guest at “The Late Late Show with James Corden” including an expenses paid trip to L.A.,

VIP tickets to the show, a year of live music from StubHub and more. Additionally, hundreds of $250 individual StubHub gift codes will be given out during the six week promotion. As one of the world’s largest ticket marketplaces, StubHub connects fans with their favorite artists and shows, allowing them to choose the music experience that will mean the most to them.

As a way to show appreciation for restaurant employees, one lucky employee and their guest will also be randomly selected to win the VIP experience at “The Late Late Show with James Corden.” Employees from both company-owned and independently franchised locations will be eligible to participate in the promotion.

Also, during last night’s “Selena Gomez Carpool Karaoke,” Gomez and Corden visited a local McDonald’s drive thru.

Last month, The Coca-Cola Company launched its Share a Coke® and a Song campaign to inspire music fans to celebrate a moment, a memory, a mood or feeling, bringing people together through the universal love of music. Creating this partnership takes the idea even further by providing another opportunity for people to express themselves through music while enjoying ice-cold Coca-Cola and McDonald’s.

“‘The Late Late Show’s’ partnership with McDonald’s and Coca-Cola reflects CBS’s commitment to working with our clients to create new, organic and innovative opportunities,” said Jo Ann Ross, President, Network Sales, CBS Television Network. “The ‘Sip. Share. Win!’ promotion will extend to ‘The Late Late Show’s’ presence in-restaurant and on packaging across more than 14,000 McDonald’s nationwide, and conclude with a VIP experience at ‘The Late Late Show’ in Los Angeles for the sweepstakes’ grand prize winners. We are excited to be working with these two great brands on this special promotion.”

For more information about the #SipShareWin #Sweepstakes Summer Beverage promotion visit www.coke.com/mcdonaldskaraoke

source: business.inquirer.net

Fastfood chain invents meal box that charges phones

Have a sumptuous meal while charging your smartphone with the meal box. It’s possible in India.

Fast food chain titan Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), together with Mumbai-based advertising agency Blink Digital, has developed  a techie and trendy meal box called “Watt a Box,” a limited edition 5-in-1 meal box with a built-in power bank.

Reports from news sites Times of India (TOI) and Time described Watt a Box as having a detachable 6,100Ah lithium-ion battery, a USB cable for Androids, and an Apple lightning cable for iPhones. Customers from New Delhi and Mumbai can try out the meal box by joining a contest on KFC’s Facebook page.

According to TOI, Lluis Ruiz Ribot, CMO of KFC India, articulated that the initiative, which was launched recently, objectifies serving an “abundant meal at an affordable price.”

“With the launch of Watt a Box, we have gone a step ahead and also introduced an element of utility into the box. Each one of us spends a considerable time on our smartphones daily, and the phone battery going dead is almost like a nightmare! No longer is that the case, with the Watt a Box around,” he told TOI. Gianna Francesca Catolico

source: technology.inquirer.net

McDonald’s testing bigger, smaller Big Macs

NEW YORK, United States — McDonald’s is testing bigger and smaller versions of its Big Mac as the world’s biggest hamburger chain pushes to revive its business.

The company says it’s testing a “Grand Mac” and “Mac Jr.” in the Central Ohio and the Dallas areas, and will see how they do before deciding on a national rollout.

The Grand Mac is made with two third-pound beef patties, which may be a way for the company to make its famous burger more substantial as burger competitors have made the regular Big Mac seem skimpy to some. It will sell for $4.89. The Mac Jr. is basically a single-layer Big Mac, and McDonald’s says it’s “easier to eat on the go.” That will sell for between $2.39 and $2.59.

McDonald’s Corp. has been fighting to turn around its business after seeing customer visits decline in recent years. The Oak Brook, Illinois, company has said it needs to move faster to keep up with changing tastes.

Last week, the company held its biannual convention with franchisees in Florida to discuss plans to refresh the business.

The test was first reported in Columbus Business First.

source: business.inquirer.net

Mcdonald’s thanks customers with iconic items on one value menu

For the first time in the company’s history, McDonald’s USA is offering four of its most iconic menu items – the Big Mac made with 100% beef, a 10-piece order of crispy Chicken McNuggets made with white meat, its golden Filet-O-Fish and the seared on the grill Quarter Pounder with Cheese – on a national value menu.

Starting February 29 nationwide, customers can mix and match any two of these McDonald’s classics for just $5 as part of a limited time offer.

“We wanted to thank our guests for providing their feedback as we continue to build a better McDonald’s,” said Chef Jessica Foust, McDonald’s director of culinary innovation. “Offering All Day Breakfast, refreshing classics like the Egg McMuffin and furthering our sustainability efforts are all examples of us listening to our guests. As a thank you and as proof that we will continue to listen, we are making our most iconic menu items available for a limited time at never before seen value.”

While these classics have been discounted before as limited time offers, they have never been offered all together on one value menu. But these items are no strangers to making history:

    They’ve stood the test of time with the youngest of the group, Chicken McNuggets, holding a spot on our national menu for 33 years, while the veteran, Filet-O-Fish, boasts 51 years.

    The Big Mac and Filet-O-Fish were all developed by McDonald’s franchisees – Jim Delligatti and Lou Groen respectively.

    The Economist Magazine publishes the Big Mac Index to annually contrast the value of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar.

    All four menu items originated in the U.S. but are now sold in many other countries – most notable is the Big Mac which today is sold in more than 100 countries.


And now, the Big Mac, 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, Filet-O-Fish and Quarter Pounder With Cheese will add another milestone to the history books by coming together for customers to mix and match and enjoy at a great price.

source: business.inquirer.net

AlDub's latest commercial for fastfood chain

The phenomenal AlDub tandem once again starred in a new commercial for a top fastfood chain.

The new television ad premiered on Monday at around 1:40 p.m. on GMA-7, just before the Kalyeserye segment started on Eat Bulaga.

This time, the commercial also featured Lola Nidora, Tidora, and Tinidora, making the Kalyeserye gang complete.

Check it out:

source: gmanetwork.com

The phenomenal AlDub tandem once again starred in a new commercial for a top fastfood chain.

The new television ad premiered on Monday at around 1:40 p.m. on GMA-7, just before the Kalyeserye segment started on Eat Bulaga.

This time, the commercial also featured Lola Nidora, Tidora, and Tinidora, making the Kalyeserye gang complete.

Check it out:

- See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/542001/showbiz/chikaminute/aldub-s-latest-commercial-for-fastfood-chain#sthash.dTGZCvqA.dpuf

Woman sits dead for hours in Hong Kong McDonald’s

HONG KONG - A homeless woman lay dead at a Hong Kong McDonald's restaurant for hours surrounded by diners who failed to notice her, sparking concern over the city's "McRefugees."

The woman, who police say was between 50 and 60, was found dead Saturday morning and has been held up as an example of the growing number of homeless people who seek shelter in 24-hour restaurants.

"Officers arrived upon a report from a female customer (that a person was found to have fainted)," police said in a statement.

"The subject was certified dead at the scene."

Local media said the woman was slumped at a table, 24 hours after she first entered the restaurant in the working class district of Ping Shek.

She had not moved for seven hours before fellow diners noticed something was wrong, according to Apple Daily, citing CCTV footage.

The woman was thought to have regularly spent nights in the McDonald's, the South China Morning Post said.

The city's Social Welfare Department said it was "highly concerned" about the incident.

"We endeavor to support street sleepers to enhance their self-reliance... the subject is a complex social problem," a department spokeswoman said.

There are concerns over the plight of the homeless population in the affluent southern Chinese financial hub, although the number of homeless is relatively low, estimated at more than 1,000 by local NGOs.

Many are forced to live on the street as they cannot afford to rent even the tiniest home as housing prices are sky high.

In sweltering temperatures and high humidity, some find shelter in air-conditioned restaurants that are open around the clock.

"McDonald's Hong Kong would like to express our grief over the unfortunate incident at our Ping Shek Estate restaurant," Wendy Lam, senior director of McDonald's Hong Kong, said.

"We welcome everyone to visit our restaurants any time. In order to provide a pleasant dining environment, we would not disturb our customers, but our service will be offered promptly upon request," she added. — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

McDonald's enjoys 470% sales increase after AlDub commercial

The phenomenal AlDub love team has boosted not just ratings and social media influence of Eat Bulaga, but has also been a boon for a fastfood chain that has tapped them as ambassadors.

In a tweet on Thursday, quoting Margot Torres, Adobo Magazine cited how McDonald's sales expanded by more than 470 percent when the company released its  #ALDUBkoto TV commercial.

Torres, vice president for Marketing Communications at Golden Arches Development Corporation, told GMA News Online on Friday that the figure was "accurate but not clearly explained."

 "It's a nationwide figure," she added.

Golden Arches is the franchise holder of McDonald's in the Philippines.

"Needless to say, the launch of our Chicken Fillet a la King product with the AlDub campaign has positively impacted our business, and sales for Chicken Fillet a la King have well exceeded its target," Torres said.

However, she declined to give the peso equivalent of McDonald's sales in relation to the #AlDubkoto TV ad. "I cannot share peso sales."

The product was launched in stores on September 7.  The TV ad aired on September 11.

"Within 24 hours of posting, the TVC (TV commercial) was viewed more than 1.5 million times on our Facebook page," Torres noted.

Regarding future plans in relation to AlDub, she said, "We will continue to support AlDub as our newest brand ambassadors."

The love team of Maine Mendoza and Alden Richards is featured on Monday to Saturday on the noontime variety show Eat Bulaga's KalyeSerye segment on GMA 7. – VS/JST, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Canada approves Burger King's bid for Tim Hortons

OTTAWA – Canada's government approved Burger King Worldwide's C$12.64 billion ($11.10 billion) takeover of coffee-and-doughnut chain Tim Hortons Inc., which will create a new company based north of the border.

Burger King had agreed to buy the iconic Canadian company in August in a transaction that would create the world's third-largest fast-food restaurant group, but the cash-and-stock deal was subject to approval by regulators.

"The result of this transaction is this new global company... which will now be based in Canada," Industry Minister James Moore said in a statement.

"Our government is pleased to see companies like Burger King investing in Canada's economy and looking to benefit from our low taxes and open markets."

Moore said that after a review of the deal, Burger King had agreed to a number of commitments, including setting up the headquarters in Oakville, Ontario, and listing the company on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Tim Hortons will be managed as a distinct brand, and at least half of the members of the brand's board will be Canadians.

Burger King has also agreed to expand Tim Hortons by opening new restaurants at a significantly greater pace than currently planned both in the United States and globally.

Canada's Competition Bureau gave its stamp of approval to the deal in October. – Reuters