New York City is downsizing its soda sizes, Australia is placing nasty images on its cigarette packs, and sales of organic food are growing in the U.S. Many places in the world certainly seem a lot more aware of health and wellness than they did only a few years back.

Yet amid it all, the doughnut industry continues to thrive, especially in the United States.

Dunkin’ Donuts it plans to open anywhere from 330 to 360 new locations in the U.S. this year, making it one of the fastest-growing quick-service restaurants.

Dunkin’, which has about 7,000 stores in 36 states, opened 291 stores last year in an effort to eventually have 15,000 locations. The brand “sells 1.7 billion cups of coffee every year,” the L.A. Times reports — more than anyone else.

The brand has just announced it will target California for some of its openings in 2015 — a state where Dunkin' has been runnin' on empty, with no stores there since 2002. Executives are confident that it's time to stage a return.Continue reading...

Boeing's troubled 787 Dreamliner grounded in Japan.

JPMorgan cuts Jamie Dimon's pay, tops estimates with profit.

Dell falls from PC king to buyout fodder.

Apollo Group to offer course on innovation.

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Boeing sees Dreamliner make another emergency landing, in Japan.

Bristol-Myers Squibb plans to discuss settling Hepatitis C claims.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...

Unmetric, a social marketing benchmarking company, lets brand marketers compare their social media efforts against their competitors. Many of them in the quick-serve restaurant space will be consuming the firm's just released Fast Food Report, detailing social media efforts of the top 16 U.S. fast food chains from January through April 2012.

Beyond "how many followers?" or "how many friends?" Unmetric analyzes which campaigns are working, with whom, and how effectively. The proprietary Unmetric Score, “is a scientific blend of 24 qualitative and quantitative social media metrics, weighted and balanced to produce a single benchmarkable number.”

McDonald’s takes the trophy for the most astute fast food chain in social media, followed closely by Taco Bell, but for growth and conversation in 2012, it’s the McDonald’s vs. Burger King rivalry that stands out.Continue reading...

If there's one thing America needs more of, it's CAFFEINE IN THE MORNING!!!! OR ANY TIME!! At least, that's the thinking at Starbucks and Krispy Kreme, two brands that have just upped their investments in beverage caffeination. Starbucks plans to launch its first line of energy drinks, called Refreshers, while Krispy Kreme executives said they plan to triple the volume of coffee they sell along with the brand's delicious doughnuts.

U.S. sales of energy drinks increased by more than 14 percent last year, according to a new report by Beverage Marketing Corp., making it the most-growing volume segment in the American beverage business. What was No. 2? Ready-to-drink coffee, up more than 9 percent. Beverage sales as a whole edged up less than 1 percent last year.Continue reading...

Alexander McQueen brand expands to bespoke tailor on London's Savile Row.

American Airlines parent AMR reportedly eyeing bankruptcy court to void union contracts.

Angry Birds Space lands.

Apple antitrust suit would impact Amazon book monopoly.

Associated Press picks CEO successor.

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Benihaha becomes target of takeover bids.

China factory activity shrinks in March.

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AIG reports a profit.

Apple CEO Tim Cook says company has more money than it needs and moves to appease shareholders as Proview brings China iPad trademark spat to US.

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BP Gulf spill settlement looms.

Burger King eyes India's fast food market.

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Apple, now worth more than Google and Microsoft combined, is hit with stores protest over Foxconn treatment of workers in China, while fans anticipate new iPad and iPhone models.

Barclays caps bonuses as profit falls.

Beyonce and Jay-Z move to trademark daughter's name.

Bing and Viggle partner for second-screen Grammy effort.

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