The latest court quest by 10 Missouri beer consumers who tried to block InBev’s $52 billion takeover of U.S. beer giant Anheuser-Busch has fallen flat. Get the full story »
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Starbucks puts the bar into barista in Seattle
Something new is on the menu at a renovated Starbucks in Seattle: beer and wine.
A store that reopened Monday is the first under the Starbucks brand to offer alcohol. Get the full story »
Starbucks tells baristas to slow down
Baristas participate in espresso training at Starbucks, Feb. 26, 2008. (Keith Bedford/Handout)
From the Wall Street Journal | Starbucks customers could be stuck in longer lines now that the company has told baristas to slow down and only work on two beverages at a time. The Wall Street Journal reviewed company documents instructing employees to steam milk for each drink individually, rising pitchers after each use and using only one espresso machine. The changes are designed to address criticisms about assembly-line coffee. Get the full story>>
PepsiCo’s third-quarter profit rises, but shares fall
PepsiCo Inc.’s third-quarter net income rose 12 percent on strong sales gains in drinks and Frito-Lay snacks abroad, but shares fell after the company lowered the top end of its guidance because of investments to expand its presence overseas. Shares fell $2.01, or 3 percent, to $65.10 in heavy volume Thursday.
Abbott recall: No sign of bug problems last winter
Federal inspectors who were at a Michigan infant-formula plant last winter discovered no significant problems, months before the company found beetles near the production line. North Chicago, Ill.-based Abbott Laboratories recently recalled several brands of Similac formula, although the company said the possibility of bug parts in the products was remote.
Binny’s to move into vacant Circuit City store in Bolingbrook
Binny’s Beverage Depot is moving into a vacant Circuit City store in Bolingbrook as the family-owned chain of liquor stores continues to expand.
The 22,000-square-foot store at the Promenade Bolingbrook is slated to open by the middle of the month, according to owner Michael Binstein. The opening will bring the retailer’s number of stores to 25, all in the Chicago area. Get the full story »
Lifeway acquires Fruit Juice Inc.
Morton Grove-based Lifeway Foods, the leading U.S. supplier of Kefir, will purchase assets of New Jersey-based Fruit Juice Inc. The company makes First Juice, the first organic fruit and vegetable drink designed for children. Get the full story »
Free Budweiser offer causes confusion
This free Budweiser’s for you. But so is the job of figuring out when and where to get it.
Anheuser-Busch InBev announced this week that a “Budweiser National Happy Hour” kicks off next Wednesday with free samples at bars and restaurants. But because local and state laws limit alcohol sampling, the brewer can’t give any more specifics.
Budweiser campaign to give away free beer Sept. 29
Free Bud, Sept. 29. (AP)
This Bud’s for everybody. In response to slipping sales, Anheuser-Busch is handing out free beer. The company will host a “National Happy Hour” on Sept. 29, according to several news outlets, in an attempt to woo some consumers to its brew, and remind others why they used to drink it.
“On-premise sampling is the old standby of point-of-purchase sales tactics,” Beer Business Daily editor Harry Schumacher noted in an email to subscribers this morning. “You buy people beers in bars, they like it and they like you, and then it drives off-premise sales.” Get the full story »
Starbucks hiking price on large, complicated drinks
A Starbucks store in New York. (AP)
After declaring its resolve last month to absorb increases in the cost of green coffee, Starbucks Corp. said it will raise prices on some of its drinks.
The Seattle coffee giant said Wednesday that the price of green Arabica coffee, which is close to a 13-year high, and price volatility for other raw materials it uses, such as dairy products sugar and cocoa, have forced it to respond. Get the full story »
Pepsi returning to Super Bowl
Pepsi is back in the game. The soft drink brand will advertise in next year’s Super Bowl after sitting out last year for the first time in more than two decades. Pepsi said Wednesday it will air three ads created by fans for its Pepsi MAX brand. The company has been marketing its no-calorie version of namesake Pepsi to counteract Coca-Cola’s fast-growing Coke Zero.
MillerCoors grooms Tom Long, its No. 2
From The Wall Street Journal | MillerCoors LLC’s No. 2 executive, Tom Long, will share an office with Chief Executive Leo Kiely, the brewer told employees, in the latest sign that the company is grooming Mr. Long to lead the second-largest U.S. beer maker by sales.
Higher coffee prices ahead, futures up 44%
A trifecta of bad news has sent coffee futures soaring 44 percent since June, and companies like Dunkin’ Donuts, Green Mountain and Maxwell House are passing on those costs. Bad weather in South America is threatening crops. Brazil and top exporter Vietnam are talking about hoarding their stocks. And U.S. stockpiles are reportedly at 10-year lows. Get the full story »
Starbucks drops small ‘tall’ from drive-through menu
Starbucks Corp. said it isn’t just dropping its small-sized drink from its drive-through locations throughout the country, it’s preparing for the future.
In addition to removing the 12-ounce “tall” from its drive-through menus, the Seattle-based coffee chain has added images of some newer items. Starbucks maintains the changes are in response to consumer confusion over its many offerings, from hot chocolate to oatmeal, as well as highly customizable coffee beverages. Get the full story »
