The secret speakeasies of the Prohibition Era hold a certain mystique. There’s something cool about knowing the password that will get you in somewhere.

Fast food joints across America are taking advantage of people’s desire to feel like insiders by offering secret menus—food that doesn’t appear on the lit-up boards behind the cashier.Continue reading...

Nike and Oakley drop paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorious following steroid allegations during girlfriend's murder investigation.

Costco CEO addresses Tiffany suit for alleged trademark infringement in all-company email (exclusive).

Starbucks expands India footprint to seven stores as company tests video chat drive-through ordering and expands Starbucks Evenings concept to Washington's Dulles airport.

Carnival cruiseship fire blamed on fuel line leak.

China vows to crack down on "malicious" trademark registrations.

Disney's Hong Kong Disneyland theme park finally turns a profit thanks to Toy Story attraction.

Amway quietly builds brands and racks up sales.

BP prepares to go to court over Gulf spill.Continue reading...

The fast casual market is growing rapidly and Panera Bread Co. doesn’t want to lose its grip. The company is increasing its media spend this year in order to keep pace with the growing marketing, according to the Wall Street Journal.

And it's not just growing its ad spending incrementally. The Journal reports that the increase is expected to be on the 26 percent range up to somewhere between $55 million and $60 million. However, Panera isn’t expecting its customer base to grow much this year, the paper notes.

"A lot of people think, if you do nothing, you will stay at zero. But the reality is, if you do nothing, you'll be at a negative," said founder and chairman Ron Shaich to WSJ.

Part of that spend will go towards producing more commercials in the vein of last year's "Make Today Better" campaign featuring Shaich and his employees.Continue reading...

Ace Hardware debuts first-ever paint campaign.

AIG sells $6 billion in AIA shares to help repay bailout loan.

Angie's List creates rare success with paid-content model.

Apple expected to pass 100 million iPad sales by year-end as iPad 3 is unveiled this week and excitement builds for Apple TV.

BP stock rises on proposed $17.6 billion settlement in oil spill.

Carlos Slim's America Movil reportedly starting a Netflix-like online service for Mexico.

Facebook asks advertisers for big investments in exchange for expanding fan base.

Frontier low-cost airline may be relaunched or sold.

GlaxoSmithKline expands in China.

GM struggles to make Volt a sustainable business.Continue reading...

When we profiled Panera Bread in 2006, the bakery chain was already flying high.

Five years later, Panera has a nearly 60% market share in the bakery-cafe category in the US, according to food research and consulting firm Technomic. Panera's, closest competitor, Einstein Bros. Bagels, has a little over 8% market share. It also competes with Au Bon Pain, which is in the midst of a brand refresh to increase its market share.

Panera has grown into far more than a place to grab a cup of coffee and a pastry.Continue reading...

Airbus unveils transparent plane concept.

American Airlines to offer Samsung tablet for inflight movies.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs is set to become a comic book superhero.

Citi reportedly knew about hacking "weeks" before revealed.

Comcast and Skype partner on HD video calling service.

Facebook IPO could be worth $100 billion, as US privacy groups balk at site's facial recognition — and Mark Zuckerberg may be (says Bill Gates) engaged.

HP executive churn continues.

Lanvin introduces children's collection.Continue reading...

The Big Mac Daddy of fast food is getting a different look — so different that regular customers may not recognize it anymore.

By 2015, some 14,000 McDonald's locations in the United States will get a miraculous McMakeover, turning them into modern, contemporary eateries with a homey inviting appearance.

Out with the old — the dominant yellows and reds, the garish arch, the fiberglass tables and the antiseptic interior. In with the new — more subtle signage, muted colors, just the suggestion of an arch, wooden tables, leather club chairs arranged in conversation areas — even flat-screen televisions and Wi-Fi.

If this sounds suspiciously like a Starbucksian transition, it should.Continue reading...