Boston Beer Takes a Big Hit

America’s drinkers are putting down their Sam Adams. Its brewer, Boston Beer Co., which has gotten a bit of press recently for putting in a trademark request for Boston Strong 26.2 Brew in the wake of the bombings at the Boston Marathon, announced its quarterly earnings Wednesday and they were not good. The company earned 51 cents per share in this year’s first quarter, “down almost 9 percent from a year earlier and well below the 62 cents a share expected by analysts,” CNN reports.

That news sent shares of the country’s top craft brewer down almost 11 percent Thursday. Their spot at the top of the heap is hurting them, the company said, as consumers are turning their tongues to other smaller craft brews that are on their way up.Continue reading...

Looking for fried chicken in Vladivostok or Nairobi? You may be in luck. Yum! Brands is looking to grow such brands as KFC and Pizza Hut internationally, particularly in emerging markets including Russia and Africa, according to Nation’s Restaurant News. 

Yum execs said Wednesday that its Yum Restaurants International division could show a 10 percent growth by year’s end, the site notes, and that it is planning to “double its annual net openings over the next five years.” Many of those openings will be Africa and Russia, though China and India also are providing good sources of revenue.

According to Nation’s Restaurant News, most of the international launches have been KFC, with Pizza Hut a distant secod. Meanwhile, Taco Bell “has yet to become an international growth vehicle,” the site reports. Continue reading...

Facing more and more competition in the "breastaurant" business, Hooters, the founding and classic big brand in the genre, is looking to overhaul its service, menu and marketing.

The visual focus at Hooters always will be on "Hooters Girls," but CEO Terry Marks — who came aboard late last year — believes the chain can take a big step forward by also upgrading its service, menu and marketing.

"People want any reason to engage or re-engage with the brand," he told Nation's Restaurant News. "It's highly thought of, and our unaided awareness is among the best. But the food had not kept pace over time. We had real opportunities with th food and the Hooter Girls' hospitality."

So, calling his plan "Hooters 2.0," Marks has kicked off a number of changes — including a new ad campaign (watch below) and tagline, "Feed the Dream" — to start "positioning Hooters as a place to celebrate any day or occasion," as NRN put it. And yes, there are owl puppets ... with eyes suggestive of Hooters' hostesses' iconic assets.Continue reading...

Airbus faces order by European regulators for checks of all A380 jets.

Anheuser-Busch demonstrates new emphasis on sophisticated consumers in its advertising as Bud Light enlists Weego, the Super Bowl dog, to continue buzz.

Apple's iPhone reportedly squeezing carriers.

Buffalo Wild Wings rejoices that NFL season came off.

Chrysler sees no let-up in criticism of Eastwood ad as plot thickens.

Coca-Cola boosts marketing and branding investment as word comes that its Super Bowl livestream exceeded expectations.

Disney sells out Oscars advertising on ABC.Continue reading...

BlackBerry owner RIM challenged on BBX name.

Buffalo Wild Wings succeeds with strong attachment to football-watching.

Capital One targets small businesses with Spark credit-card program.

Chipotle growth beats expectations.

Cinnabon makes TV advertising debut.

DirecTV threatens to pull Fox networks amid carriage dispute.

Facebook royalty Randi Zuckerberg breaks out on her own.Continue reading...

Markets rally as Sunday night's U.S. debt limit deal goes before Congress for a vote today as Twitter explodes over deal.

Airbnb investor suggests ransacked woman is lying.

Al Jazeera English launches in New York.

Ambassador Coffee brand changes hands.

Apple wins dispute over iPods.com domain.

Bank of America hit with new Countrywide lawsuit.

Bloomberg Businessweek to hike paid circulation.Continue reading...

AIG to sue two firms to recover some losses.

Apple sees Steve Jobs continue to try to smooth out Location-gate.

BP plans to return this year to drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

Berkshire Hathaway says former executive David Sokol misled Warren Buffett.

Buffalo Wild Wings prepares for NFL lockout.

Chrysler announces full repayment of US and Canadian government loans this quarter.Continue reading...

Buffalo Wild Wings became one of the first restaurant brands to publicly wince at the prospect of a prolonged stalemate in the National Football League labor standoff – especially one that would begin forcing cancellation of regular-season games in September.

To help remind NFL executives and player activists that they’re tinkering not only with their own economic livelihoods but also those of a huge swath of the rest of the US economy, Buffalo Wild Wings has launched a Facebook campaign (during March Madness basketball, no less) to lobby the NFL to come to its senses.

“We’re not taking sides,” the "Save Our Season" (SOS) petition says. “We just want a football season. So join the movement and help us ensure there is one.”

Canceled NFL games could erode the chain’s average weekly sales by 15% during the season, according to one securities analyst — as fans stay home, mope, and play video games instead of coming out to a “BWW’s” for wings and big-screen action.

With many of its customers also big sports fans, Buffalo Wild Wing’s also does huge business around fantasy-football leagues as it hosts draft parties and promotes its Blogger League.Continue reading...