Forum Archive Index - December 2003

[hugh webber <hugh.webber@clear.net.nz>]

I was interested in Snoopy's recent comments re RBD 
and the competition so I thought I'll keep my little eyes open 
and do a totally unscientific physical check-out a la Warren 
Buffett.
First stop, accidentally, Pizza Hut at Papanui after the flicks.
Positive. Swarming with customers, friendly, motivated well 
trained staff, nice well maintained surroundings, hordes of 
customers and healthy food alternatives like pasta and diet Pepsi
to cover the recent survey showing 50% of NZers are willing to put 
a tax on obesity causing foods. Simple Rule: don't eat any fat or 
sugar but eat all the fruit vegetables, bread, pasta, carbohydrates, 
fish and lean meat you can eat- I find it has marvellous results, 
substantial easy weight loss accompanied by heaps of energy.
But I digress, slightly.
Only criticism - not ruthless enuff,the dorks kept our reservation 
for 45 minutes before putting someone else in, and did themselves 
out of some business as a result.
Next stop, Queenstown. I was impressed by Subway, queues of 
people straining to get in and personally watch their food made to 
their order of how they liked it. No problem with unhealthy food, its 
up to you. Question: can they keep this up or will people get sick of 
waiting and default to the old obese greasies. McDonald's was reasonably 
well patronised but the formula is just starting to look a little tired 
and I somehow couldn't avoid the feeling its so brash that any moment 
there would be a hail of anti American machine gun bullets or some mad 
Al Qaeda suicide bomber disguised as a large everything burger.
Next, KFC, Queenstown. Oh dear, talk about tatty. Ditto the one on 
the corner of Chch's High St. They desperately need one of those TV 
programs to give them a makeover.
I note that Starbucks in North America was reported to be doing very well
with various alterations....how long before they get exported here or is that 
too much of a leap and in the banned globalisation category. 
But the food to go/quick restaurant business seems to be overrun with 
competition 
and very much commodified.
RBD may recover, particularly if the feller who turned Pizza Hut round gets 
going and Starbucks NZ rapidly pinches the latest North American success 
formulas.
I've never really been a chicken fan, principally because my wife is...and 
after 
she served up chicken stuff four times in a row I had to ban the stuff...
But to me there are better bets on the sharemkt than an RBD recovery 
and in spite of the mouthwatering RBD gross yield I'd rather sleep soundly at
night without thinking about the drowning man who came up twice and then....


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To remove yourself from this list, please use the form at
http://www.sharechat.co.nz/chat/forum/