The Next Thing in Golf

Callaway own a piece of this new golf game that aims to reinvent the casual golf experience. Not in Australia yet but seeking licensees.

http://www.topgolf.com/corporate/global/default.asp

The Next Big Yoghurt

Still popular (just saw a new store opening in Santa Monica, the epicenter of all things new) Pinkberry could be a great concept for Australia. Set up in Manly, or South Yarra, or anywhere up North and the margins on yoghurt should deliver a smile to your face.

Check it out at http://www.pinkberry.com/html/pbmain.php

An apple a day...

Pretty simple idea but "The Fruit Guys" are going well. Business Week recently reported that their organic fruit delivery to offices is "exploding."

http://www.fruitguys.com/

Burritos Anyone?

Chipotle is going from strength to strength and as they are constantly increasing the amount of ingredients that are organic and humane, I epxect their growth to continue.

If you missed the boat on Chipotle, take a look at Steamrollers. I visited Vancouver in 2004, and again last week. Steamers was a one store operation back then but is now 5 - the food isn't as tasty, but it is certainly fresh, fast and interesting.

Check it out at http://www.steamrollers.com/

Jimmy Johns, the fastest sandwhich in town

This place is pretty cool - there is one in Seattle across the road from a large office tower and whilst it is not gourmet, it's nice, dependable, fresh (ish). Jimmy Johns biggest asset is the speed at which you are served. They have a system where you get asked what you want before you get to the cashier so sometimes it's ready as soon as you collect your change. The sandwich numbers help with this, i.e. you don't walk down a production line like at Subway, rather you say "I'd like the number 12, light mayo". For those of you who care, a number 12 is turkey breast, provolone cheese, avocado spread, sliced cucumber, alf alfa sprouts, lettuce, tomato, and mayo!

Bottom line - when you are getting hungry and can't be bothered with lines (or even making a decision on what to eat) the dependable and fast sandwich is a winner when it is close to your office. The only drawback I see is that this place would be dead in the evenings, but you could potentially make a good living with lunch hours.

They currently have about 550 stores around the US.

http://www.jimmyjohns.com/

The Counter - The Nxt Great Burger Joint?

When restaurateur Jeff Weinstein launched The Counter, a hip build-your-own hamburger eatery with industrial decor in trendy Santa Monica, Calif., three years ago, word of the new hotspot spread widely and a hungry and loyal following quickly developed. In just three months, The Counter turned a profit.

Despite the fact that the casual gourmet burger joint, known for its more than 300,000 different possible combinations -- beef, ahi tuna, chicken, turkey, or veggie burgers, topped with everything from dried cranberries to Danish blue cheese to roasted corn and black bean salsa -- doesn't advertise (preferring instead to rely on word of mouth), interest continued to swell.Last summer, The Counter earned national recognition when it was ranked No. 15 in GQ magazine's seminal list of "20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die." However, Weinstein, 31, got a real boost in February, when his burgers were mentioned on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show.'Call it "the Oprah effect": The Counter's sales spiked from $44,000 a month to $245,000.Rolling them outThe Counter's concept is simple: gourmet burgers but not at gourmet prices, with the average bill for a burger, fries, and beverage at $11. It was so appealing that Lou Gurnick, known as the grandfather of franchising, approached Weinstein about expanding through franchising; Gurnick in the past has helped develop franchises for Midas Muffler, Domino's Pizza and Orange Julius.Currently, the pair is in the midst of rolling out 60 restaurants over the next three years in California. The first is slated to open in Palo Alto at the end of August, while another 12 to 15 are planned to launch next year. Nationwide plans call for 400 to 600 restaurants, starting with locations in Florida, New York, Arizona and Nevada.

According to industry publication Fast Casual, the fast-casual dining segment is one of the most growth-intensive areas of dining, with sales expected to hit $70 billion this year.

http://www.thecounterburger.com/