Well, I just realized that I'm not being a very good teacher in the way I use my Blog. Mostly, I just broadcast and don't make it very interactive for you. So...I'm trying to change my ways.
In the beginning, that will involve asking some questions to have you help me learn about things in the U.S. that have changed (or haven't changed) in the time I've been gone. Please post answers in the comments to share with everyone reading.
1) What new flavors of pop/soda will I see? We have some fun ones here and I'm not sure they're available in the U.S. Can you get Pepsi Gold? Tropical 7-Up? Mirinda? Crush?
2) Additions to fast food menus? What are the biggest changes you can think of at McDonald's/Burger King/KFC/Taco Bell in the last 4 years?
3) New chains for food or products that didn't even exist 4 years ago? Or ones that have grown/expanded significantly?
4) Businesses that have gone out of business or closed a large number of stores? K-Mart doesn't count b/c I was still living around Detroit when that happened.
More to come, but I hope these will keep you busy for awhile!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
How fun! Disclaimer--I can't remember when these changes happened so I may be telling you stuff you already know.
1. Can't help you. I don't drink much soda (which is the appropriate term you know *BEG*).
2. Taco Bell now has a campaign called the "Fourth Meal" (that meal between dinner and breakfast). Some new items include the chicken or steak quesedilla (which I like) and the "Crunchwrap" which is a soft tortilla filled with various taco-type fillings and a hard flat taco shell (geez, can't remember what they're called!) in the middle giving it a satisfying crunch. But not if you leave the restaurant with it, because it goes soggy quickly.
McD's now has packets of cut apples and grapes that the kiddies can get in their Happy Meals instead of fries. I believe they also have some new chicken sandwiches but I've never tried them.
Don't know about BK or KFC
3. An ice cream place called Coldstone Creamery has taken off in the last few years. It's one of those where they throw your ice cream on a marble slab and mix in good stuff. That's all I can think of.
4. The only thing I can think of that might be national would be that Osco pharmacy is just now changing into CVS.
Again, I don't know how many of these are California-specific. Hopefully some others will chime in!
Oh I remember one more! A women-only exercise franchise called Curves is very, very popular (and pervasive)
Same disclaimer as Shelby applies for me too.
I saw Pepsi Gold when I was in Europe, but I haven't seen it over here. There are a million permutations of Pepsi/Coke and Diet Pepsi/Coke involving Cherry, Vanilla, Lime, and/or Lemon flavors. There's also stuff sweeted with Splenda, made from sugar alcohol, which I love, because I'm allgergic to Nutra Sweet. But I don't drink much pop now anyways.
Beware if you go to Wendy's and get a drink- what used to be a medium is now a small, what used to be a large is now a medium, and what used to be Super Big Gulp is now Large. But you can substitue a salad, chili, or baked potato for the fries.
BK has gone for "meatnormous" 800 calorie triple cheeseburger with bacon concoctions.
There are tons of Curves all over the place, but I have no respect for them, after the hotel in Vegas I stayed at hosted a franchisee convention, and I saw all sorts of folks decked out in Curves regalia getting their money's worth at the buffet.
Mervyn's is no longer in Detroit. Hudson's is now Marshall Field's, but will soon be changing to Macy's. Farmer Jack has closed down a gob of stores in Detroit - like the one on 14 mile in Clawson - but the one on 15 mile & Coolidge is still there. Michigan National merged with Standard Federal, and is now called LaSalle Bank. Bank One is now Chase after being bought out. And The WB and the UPN are merging to form a new network, the CW.
Downtown Clawson is getting a microbrewery, an upscale men's hair place, and a Filipino karaoke bar to go along with the upscale furniature store and the Albanian coffee houses.
Hi...just thought I'd throw my two cents in...hopefully not too late!
1) Pop (or soda) is still pretty much the same. I think someone mentioned that there's just more flavors of everything. What amuses me is that there's some sort of black cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper. I thought that was pretty close to what Dr. Pepper was to begin with.
2) Taco Bell is still the best fast food, in my opinion....and nothing will ever top the MexiMelt. Though the CrunchWrap Supreme (already described) is very good. As others have pointed out, most fast food places have started offering healthier althernatives like where at Wendy's you can substitute chili or a baked potato instead of fries with your combo meal. McDonald's eliminated their super sized portions after they got all that flak from "Super Size Me" but I'm guessing it's probably just renamed or something. Burger King took advantage of McDonald's getting all the hype by going the opposite way of healthy and introducing sandwiches which are just nuts...some bacon double or triple cheeseburger deal and a double omlette saugsage crosaint...haven't seen or eaten them but the ads on the radio are scary enough! Also, not sure if you were around for this but McDonald's came out with the McGridle breakfast sandwich a few years ago which is basically their normal sandwich but it's like french toast bread. Little Caesars has revived themselves with the $5 (in most places, in some it's $6) Hot N Ready Pizza, where you can go in and get a large pepperoni pizza without waiting. With how fast the ovens are these days, they're generally pretty fresh.
3) There are now drugstores on just about every corner...for some reason they all decided that they don't want to be located in shopping centers, so they mostly moved 200 feet closer to the road onto the corner. So there are a lot of shiny new buildings and a lot of deserted storefronts not too far away! Other things happening are that the land across from the GM Tech Center has been converted into a development that will have 1,000 houses and condos along with new retail (Meijer, Buffalo Wild Wings, two gas stations, and of course...Starbucks). Dunkin Donuts has pushed for a rapid expansion to compete with Starbucks so you'll see a lot more new stores. Southwestern food seems to be what's "in" now so you'll see places like Rio Wraps, Moe's, and Chipolte Grill. Walsh College is building a big addition. Also, Jimmy Buffet now owns a chain of restaurants, one of which just opened outside of Lakeside Mall...it's of course called (I'm not making this up) "Cheeseburger in Paradise"
4) Let's see things that have closed...a lot of Farmer Jack stores, Sears Hardware is shutting down, Franks Nusery went belly up, most of the Showcase Cinema movie theatres in the area were boarded up or torn down...
Post a Comment