The Inside Scoop

SIZE MATTERS:

2012-01-31T13:24:00.001-08:00

On Monday, January 9, 2012 the New York City Health Department launched a “hard hitting” ad campaign encouraging us to cut our portions to reduce our risk of health problems - particularly type-2 diabetes. The unfortunate back story being that the size of a beverage at a fast food chain has increased fourfold since 1955 (from 7 to 32 ounces) while the size of a portion of fries has more than doubled (from 2.4 to 5.4 ounces).

One of the new subway posters features an overweight man with type-2 diabetes and an amputated right leg sitting behind a graphic showing how soda portions have increased over time. “Cut your portions. Cut your risk,” the text reads below.

It is a powerful and appropriate message as in 2006 (the last year for which there are figures) more than 3,000 New Yorkers with diabetes were hospitalized for amputations. Unfortunately, instead of finding one of those amputees to feature in their ads, the lazy agency (DCS) settled for digitally altering a picture of a man with all his limbs, by photoshopping his right leg off at the knee.

The knee-jerk reaction of the American Beverage Association was to cry foul: “Clearly, the straight facts don’t support their singular attacks on our products, so they keep falling back on distortions and scare tactics that are over the top,” association spokesman Chris Gindlesperger said in a statement. “That’s disappointing.”

No, what is disappointing is that anyone would oppose a move to improve public health by reducing gluttony.

In our mission to de-junk fast food we have limited the size of our beverages to 16 ounces and developed a unique “flying saucer” shaped bun, the result is that our sodas weigh in at 40-42 calories, and taste-busting burgers like Big Fat Greek (305), Catch Me If You Can (240), Enter The Dragon (446), Green Giant (385), Giving Thanks 365 (333), Juke Joint (450), Nang Kwak Curry (405), The Piper (495), Better Turkey Burger (430), CaliBurger (475), Erica (405), MGR Lamb Burger (430), The American (445), and The 1% (470) all come in under 500 calories.

On The Buildboard Chart/Chartbeat:

With 33.8% of chart sales turkey is for the first time in Buildboard Chart history the equal of beef, thanks to JFAVUZZA’S Better Turkey Burger fluttering up 3 places from #5 to # 2 on a 43% rise in sales, NEWMANRA’S Cali4nication at #5, and SIRBORI’S Multigrain-Turkey- Spinach & Garlic-Avocado-Manchego-Lettuce-Pickle-Tomato-Hummus-Tzatziki The 1%, which storms into the chart at #8. Our second new entry this week is SECKLERM’S Pumpernickel-Wild Salmon-Red Lentil Dahl-Pancetta Bacon-Pickle-Basil Pesto-Tzatziki Life Forever Burger, the first 4foodie salmon burger to chart this year. We are proud that in a week in which the efforts to de-junk fast food became a battleground and misinformation reigned supreme that you continued your search for great tasting and responsible nutrition.

TAKING CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE:

2012-01-24T13:50:00.001-08:00

We were approached by a 4foodie last week with a lot to say; after telling us that 4food was the most underrated restaurant in New York, he lectured us that we should make more of our innovation - “take credit where it’s due.” So here follows a short list of our innovations:

1. We’ve Got Holes In Our Patties - enabling us to cook the patties more quickly (and evenly) from fresh (bringing fast cooking to slow food) and enabling almost infinite customization (as the hole is where we pop in the build-transforming scoops).

2. Almost Infinite Customization - we provide so many component choices (all cooked from scratch) that there are according to CNN more than 96 billion different ways to build a (W)holeburger [http://money.cnn.com/2010/09/16/technology/4food/index.htm], though we claim a more modest 140,000,000.

3. Name & Market Your Burger (Tweet it! Post it! Email it! Tell a friend!) - we provide a set of online tools that enable 4foodies to name and market their builds, and kick back 25-cents in $4food for every burger sold. We predict that the first $4food millionaire will be created this decade!

4. Intelligent Recommendations - based on 4foodies’ profiles and ordering history we provide customized recommendations and real time nutritional info online, in-store, and printed on receipts.

5. The Buildboard Chart - has become the most influential burger chart in the world, a quintessential guide to 21^st century urban food culture.

6. iPad Bar - Steve Jobs (RIP) may have been the father of the iPad and ushered in paperless papers, but we were first to put them in a restaurant as kiosks! [http://gizmodo.com/4food/]

7. Interactive Menu Boards - show the store menu and your creations in real time. If we run out of a particular menu item, it is removed from the menu boards enabling us to cook in small batches and keep our food fresh.

8. Tweet Your Beef! - A huge digital wall displays the Buildboard Chart, your 4square check-ins, and unedited tweeted comments in real time!

9. Those Airliner Flap Exterior Louvers? - help keep 4food a temperate place to be without unnecessary heat gain and help keep the technology free of unwanted glare, their angle changing automatically with the pitch of the sun.

10. In-Store Composting - our in-store tank gobbles up food waste and packaging thus significantly reducing our trash production.

The sum of these innovations is de-junked fast food.

On The Buildboard Chart/Chartbeat:

The word to describe this week’s chart action is shuffle. The Top 10 remained the top ten and the top two were the perennial West Coast duo - AHARRIS’S Brioche-Beef-Avocado & Chili Mango-Avocado-Manchego-Lettuce-Tomato-Dijon Mustard CaliBurger at #1, and NEWMANRA’S Cali4nication at #2. The big mover of the week is Angela1126’S Angela’s Veggie, which jumps from #7 to #3 on a 72% increase in sales. Under Angela everything shuffles up or down or stays in place except for ANTYSON’S Charlie Sheen tribute #winning burger, which free falls all the way down to #10. Bubbling under the chart this week and worthy of a mention, if only for its deliriously satirical Occupy my Belly avatar is Sirbori’s Multigrain-Turkey-Spinach & Garlic-Avocado-Manchego-Lettuce-Pickle-Tomato-Hummus-Tzatziki The 1%.

STATS

2012-01-18T14:35:00.000-08:00

STATS:

4food’s “We Know You Better” technical applications generate a lot of statistic, and as the second week of January was a Seamless Web [http://www.seamless.com/food-delivery/4food-new-york-city.19916.r] powered record breaking week, of which the highlight was a 101.5% increase in sales over the week prior and a 37% increase over the same week last year, we thought we would share a few stats with you.

For starters, the Top 10 User Builds on the Buildboard Chart were responsible for 6% more sales than the Top 10 of our Chef’s Builds, though our new Enter the Dragon Peking duck burger celebrating this Chinese New Year has started very fast - it was the 3rd best selling Chef Build last week and joint 6th best seller overall. It is in fact our most popular new Chef Build ever.

Referencing the chart above and limiting our sample to the Top 10 User Builds on the Buildboard Chart and our Top 10 Chef’s Builds, we can see that beef powered (W)holeburgers are 36.7% of our sales of Chef’s Builds and 40.5% of your sales of User Builds and that turkey is the stuff of 3 times as many of your builds than ours.

On The Buildboard Chart/Chartbeat:

In a week where sales of burgers on the Buildboard Chart increased 46%, the CaliBurger, AHARRIS’S Brioche-Beef-Avocado & Chili Mango-Avocado-Manchego-Lettuce-Tomato-Dijon Mustard mega-hit raised its game with a 22% increase in sales, extending its long run of weekly victories. NEWMANRA’S Cali4nication and JFAVUZZA’S Better Turkey Burger, RODGERSMG’s MGR Lamb Burger and ANTYSON’S Charlie Sheen tribute #winning burger all do Romneys, flip flopping between #2 & #3 and #4 & #5 respectively. ALLAMERICAN’S The American takes #6, followed by ANGELA1126’S Angela’s Veggie at #7. Erica (by ERICA) drops from #6 to #8 on a 60% increase in sales, disproving the aphorism that a rising tide lifts all boats! Not sure how and why ITSSERGDUH’S Shei Burger re-enters the chart at #9, but we suspect hype or a coding error because the Nights of Shei are long gone, replaced by Winter’s Solace. Rounding out the chart this week is gf manchego, the latest of AMM40’S one-week-wonders. This one features Pressed Rice-Veggie-Spinach & Garlic-Avocado-Manchego-Lettuce-Onion-Basil Pesto. We hereby nominate AMM40 the Lou Pearlman of De-junking.

ENTER THE DRAGON:

2012-01-10T18:23:00.000-08:00

Chinese year 4710 begins on January 23, 2012. It is the year of the Dragon! Word is that Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each of them. He announced that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality. Those born in dragon years are supposed to be innovative, brave, and passionate.

Our new Enter the Dragon Peking duck burger celebrates the year of the dragon. It is made with freshly house-ground duck from Long Island, seasoned with our own Chinese 5 Spice Blend. The patty is paired with a fresh Brioche bun, accompanied by the Chinese Braised Kale scoop, homemade Berry Compote condiment, with a slice of Kim Chi and finished with a crisp piece of lettuce. De-junking was never more delicious.

While next week is about China, last Thursday was about Italy, as 4food hosted its first Homemade Mozzarella Class in partnership with Side Tour. Chef ToniAnn demonstrated the process to our guests, who then went to work kneading their cheese curds, eventually becoming fully-formed cheese and the foundation of their builds. After dinner the guests went home to name and market their signature creations with 4food gift certificates and a big chunk of fresh mozzarella!

De-junking begins with fine fresh store made ingredients!

On The Buildboard Chart/Chartbeat:

CaliBurger, AHARRIS’S Brioche-Beef-Avocado & Chili Mango-Avocado-Manchego-Lettuce-Tomato-Dijon Mustard multiplatinum all-time bestseller squeaks out another week at the summit, now only 3 sales ahead of JFAVUZZA’S Multigrain-Turkey-Spinach & Garlic-Avocado-Goat Cheese-Lettuce-Pickles-Hummus-Tzatziki Better Turkey Burger. From there on down there is little shuffling of the deck until we get all the way down to # 8, where ANGELA1126’S Multigrain-Veggie-Veggie Chili-Avocado-Lettuce-Tomato-Basil Pesto-Hummus Angela’s Veggie, HUGHTHEMAGNIFICENT’S sweet’n’sour Dali Lama inspired Pumpernickel-Lamb-Pickled Peppers-Avocado-Mozzarella-Onion-Chipotle Pepper-Sweet Chili Lamb-y Lama, and ALONAWILLIAMS’S Pressed Rice-Lamb-Mushroom & Onions-Avocado-Goat Cheese-Tomato-Garlic Mayonnaise-Ketchup-Dijon Mustard Silence of the Lamb Burger, are tied.

The Place You Go 4(good)food

2011-12-12T12:58:00.001-08:00

Our mission is as it has been from the outset to de-junk fast food - in-store and (by adding delivery to the suite of service options available atwww.4food.com) at home and in your office. To further facilitate de-junking, from today Monday December 12th 2011, you can also order through Seamless Web (www.seamless.com) using your existing personal and corporate accounts. In 2012 we will add group ordering to our suite of online applications enabling 4foodies to invite others to “feast” - paying for none, some, or all of the entire bill!

Charlie’s Golden Moment !

In a week during which the composition and order of the chart is transformed, the biggest news is that ANTYSON’S Brioche-Beef-Mac and Cheese-Pancetta Bacon-Cheddar-Tomato-BBQ “tribute to his messiness Charlie Sheen” #winning burger has earned GoldBurger status, with a total of 512 sales since inception. As 4food and ANTYSON each contribute 25-cents per sale to the American Diabetes Association, our total contribution is now $256 and a check for $192 (representing sales since our last contribution in April) is in the mail. Appropriately, Charlie had yet another trademark "#winning" moment at the Michelin-starred Guy Savoy restaurant at Caesars in Vegas last week. He thought he was sending Justin Bieber a text to get him to call, and instead tweeted "310-954-7277 Call me bro, C." to his 5-million followers who quickly retweeted the message. Initially, Charlie saw the funny side and answered his phone as “Ray's Pizza” and “Winning” but by the time we called to inform him of the contribution we had made in his name and to invite him to accept a GoldenBurger on behalf of the ADA, the # had been disconnected - such is the high-price of messy fame. We are still trying to contact Charlie and to incent you to help we are offering $1000 in 4food cash for an introduction and that we will multiply our contribution to the ADA 10-fold.

In other chart news, AHARRIS’S platinum selling Brioche-Beef-Avocado & Chili Mango-Avocado-Manchego-Lettuce-Tomato-Dijon MustardCaliBurger rides an inexplicable 281% leap in sales, to retake the #1 spot from RODGERSMG’S MGR Lamb Burger, which skips a place landing a nose in front of NEWMANRA’S Cali4nication. JFAVUZZA’S Multigrain-Turkey-Spinach & Garlic-Avocado-Goat Cheese-Lettuce-Pickles-Hummus-Tzatziki Better Turkey Burger enters the chart at #4, a beak in front of ERICA’S autobiographical Erica. At #6, ANTYSON’S Charlie Sheen tribute#winning burger lies in wait of a GoldBurger boost, ahead of two new chart entries knotted at #7: AMM40’S Multigrain-Turkey-Spinach & Garlic-Avocado-Mozzarella-Onion-Basil Pesto anna 2 follow-up to the slow selling anna, and Muy Espicy, a Pressed Rice-Turkey-Potato & Chorizo Hash-Avocado-Fontina-Lettuce-Chipotle Pepper spicy Mex combo that is TONYTYPES’ 5th attempt at chart glory having failed with knock-offs likeGiving Gluten-Free Thanks. Tied at #9 are ALLAMERICAN’S The American, looking dapper in a new avatar of Stars and Stripes, and JAMESBUCKNEY’S Multigrain-Veggie-Potato & Chorizo Hash-Pancetta Bacon-Cheddar-Lettuce-Tomato-Chipotle Pepper-Guacamole newcomerVeggieBaconPlus.

Saving the Children from Mickey D !

2011-12-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

More than 17% of kids and adolescents in the U.S. are obese. Since 1980 the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for kids aged 2-5 years as well for adolescents aged 12-19 years and has more than tripled for kids aged 6-11 years, equaling 9 million obese kids 6 years old and up. If this trend continues, 1/3 of kids born since 2000 will develop type-2 diabetes in their lifetime; a disease that is directly linked to heart attack, stroke, blindness, amputation, and kidney disease. Meanwhile there has been a three decade long bull market in advertising to kids who now watch more than 40,000 commercials a year (up from 20,000 in the late 1970s), the vast majority of which advertise junk food - candy (32%), cereal (31%), and fast-food restaurants (9% = more than 3,600 commercials a year).

And unfortunately it works - a recent study by Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity found that 40% of kids nagged their parents to go to McDonald's at least once a week and 15% of preschoolers asked to do so every day. According to the study, teens on average order 800 to 1,100 calories in a single meal (30% of which come from saturated fat or sugar) - which is half of their recommended daily caloric intake. And of 3,039 possible kids meal combinations (think McDonald's Happy Meal), only 12 met the nutritional criteria that the researchers set for preschoolers and only 15 did so for older kids!

Happily, McDonald’s recently put Happy Meals on a diet, more than halving the amount of french fries and adding fruit to the box in an effort to reduce calories by 20%. Unhappily, the average Happy Meal is still high in fat and sodium, is responsible for more than a third of a kid’s recommended caloric intake, and contains a toy to induce purchase by creating a ‘junk food is fun food’ connection.

Recently, San Francisco - in an effort to de-junk its kids' diets - passed an ordinance that prohibits fast-food restaurants from including free toys in kids meals that don't comply with the city’s nutritional standards.

The “Happy Meal ban" goes into effect TODAY (12/1/11) but McDonald's has already found a way to undermine it, by charging 10 cents for the toy. To mask the extremity of its corporate cynicism and disguise its civic contempt, proceeds from the toy sales will be used to help build a new Ronald McDonald House.

To show our support for the city of San Francisco and to make a small contribution to de-junking your kids’ lives, for every meal over $12 that you order @ 4food Madison Avenue next week (12/5 - 12/10) an accompanying kid eats for free.

The Chartbeat will return next week …

2011-11-22T13:37:00.001-08:00

4food’s Eastern Promise :

In the 15 months since launch there have been expressions of interest in licensing the 4food business from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, Kuwait, India, Korea, and Japan, and last week 4food entered into an agreement with Seiichi Muroyama of EDUCO AND MANAGEMENT Co. Ltd., that may lead to the opening of 300 or more Japanese stores. 4food welcomes Seiichi and his team to de-junking fast food and looks forward to more!

Burger Boom :

In a week in which the global markets tanked, pressured by debts that will never be repaid, sales of BUILDBOARD CHART burgers rose an unprecedented 51%. Led from the front by a 33% increase in sales of NEWMANRA’S Multigrain-Turkey-Spinach & Garlic-Avocado-Manchego-Onion-Hummus-Sweet Chili Cali4nication, which extended its lead over AHARRIS’S Brioche-Beef-Avocado & Chili Mango-Avocado-Manchego-Lettuce-Tomato-Dijon Mustard Caliburger, sales of which rose a more modest 14%. RODGERSMG’S MGR Lamb Burger occupies the #3 spot as it did last week, but the Mighty Three would be well advised to look in the rear view mirror, because debuting at #4 with a bullet (or is that pepper spray) is ADTHELAD’S Pressed Rice-Wild Salmon-Herb & Apple Stuffing-Avocado-Goat Cheese-Basil Pesto-Chutney Occupy MacDonalds, becoming the highest charting rice-bun’d burger ever, and has all the makings of a smash - with sales increasing 300% from the week prior. Tucked in behind Occupy MacDonalds, ANTYSON’S “tribute to his messiness Charlie Sheen” #winning burger makes an inexplicable come-back-up-the-chart rising to #5 on a 100% increase in sales. The burger that keeps on winning has now earned $245.50 for the American Diabetes Association! In a week in which change came, VASAGRITARWOW’S Pressed Rice-Lamb-Potato & Chorizo Hash-Pancetta Bacon-Fontina-Onion-Tzatziki The American Dream at #7 establishes a beachhead just south of ERICA’s Erica at #6. Currently unbranded, the The American Dream needs a representative image - so tweet your photo ideas to @4foodnyc to win $20 towards your 4food account! The third new entry on the Buildboard Chart this week is MINDVOMIT’s Brioche-Turkey- Mac & Cheese-Avocado-Bleu Cheese-Pickle-Mayonnaise-BBQ-Sweet Chili Multi-Cultural Day!!, which apparently tastes better than it sounds.

Happy Thanksgiving - GiveThanks365 :

We will be closed on Turkey Thursday in appreciation of our staff and their families, but please bring a friend to thank and treat them and yourselves to any two (W)holeburgers for the price of one from now through this holiday weekend. We thank you for de-junking with us!

2011-11-16T16:35:00.001-08:00

The Great Escape, Occupy MacDonalds, and Burgers that Matter:

Our world famous BUILDBOARD CHART features the hits you create, but last week Executive Chef ToniAnn Ulses’ Limited Time Special, Brioche-Kobe Beef-Mushroom & Onion-Brie-Fuji Apple-Fig Jam The Great Escape outsold every burger in the Buildboard Chart, becoming the fastest-breaking burger in 4food history.

According to ToniAnn the secret to The Great Escape’s success is karma: “when you eat it [The Great Escape] the stress of your day just melts away and you are instantly transported to your favorite vacation spot, your favorite memory, or your favorite little bistro.”

Our Darwinian response to The Great Escape’s tremendous success is to afford it a permanent berth on our menu.

On the Buildboard Chart:

A single sale separates NEWMANRA’S Multigrain-Turkey-Spinach and Garlic-Avocado-Manchego-Onion-Hummus-Sweet Chili monster-hit Cali4nication [1026 total sales-to-date] which has regained the coveted #1 spot from AHARRIS’S Brioche-Beef-Avocado & Chili Mango-Avocado-Manchego-Lettuce-Tomato-Dijon Mustard Caliburger [1287 total sales-to-date] which is the bestselling user-created burger of all time.

Resting just below the Golden State’s platinum duo, ITSSERGDUH’S Goth-inspired, gender-bending Multigrain-Beef-Spinach and Garlic-Pancetta Bacon-Manchego-Tomato-Chipotle Pepper-Remoulade Shei Burger continues its inexorable advance up the Buildboard Chart to #3.

On a day when hundreds of Bloomberg’s troops arrested 150 Occupy Wall Street protesters in a cowardly early morning raid to evict them from their two-month-old camp at Zuccotti Park, we note that NSZETO’s Brioche-Beef-Roasted Brussel Sprouts-Kim Chi-Cheddar-Lettuce–Onion-Tomato- Cranberry-Ketchup-BBQ Occupy XYZ and ADTHELAD’S Pressed Rice-Wild Salmon-Herb & Apple Stuffing-Avocado-Goat-Basil Pesto-Chutney Occupy MacDonalds are part of a trend toward burgers that matter and proof that a movement extends beyond its roots.

2011-10-27T07:25:00.001-07:00

Hi 4foodies, there’s a lot going on at 4food this week, including our GM Sergio’s early-Halloween bash which launches his weekly Haus of Shei Friday night parties [8 PM - 2 AM], featuring DJ Jiffy, $2 shots, $3 sangrias, Captain Lawrence Craft Pints, and the Shei Burger which enters the chart this week at #4.

Meanwhile, many of you have commented that all is very good in our kitchen and that our food diversity improved. Introducing the reason why - our new Executive Chef, ToniAnn Ulses. Earlier this week we asked ToniAnn a few questions, by way of introducing you to her and vice versa:

4food: If you had complete freedom to build a (W)holeburger for the fall, what would the components be?

ToniAnn: A brioche bun, a perfectly cooked Kobe beef patty, mushroom & onion scoop, brie cheese, a slice of Fuji apple, and as a condiment, slow cooked fig jam.

4food: What would you call it?

ToniAnn: The Great Escape!

4food: Why, after the Steve McQueen movie?

ToniAnn: No, because when you eat it the stress of your day just melts away and you are instantly transported to your favorite vacation spot, your favorite memory, or your favorite little bistro.

4food: Why did you join 4food?

ToniAnn: I believe in the de-junking mission - taking food products that are traditionally unhealthy and transforming them into something that even the most health conscience person can enjoy, but also elevating the quality of ingredients and taking it to a gourmet level.

4food: What do you hope to achieve at 4food?

ToniAnn: The most nutritious and delicious products I possibly can and to maybe educate a few people along the way.

4food: What do you see as the greatest challenge?

ToniAnn: Expanding 4food nationally and internationally without compromising the integrity of the food.

4food: What does de-junking fast food mean to you?

ToniAnn: Identify the bad and replace it with quality wholesome ingredients that you can feel good about eating.

4food: Do you think food is political, and if so what does that mean?

ToniAnn: Not per say, but I do think it can be a topic of great discussion and debate.

4food: Can you tell us anything about your plans for future scoops?

Toni Ann: I generally listen to what the seasons tell and show me, so I can tell you that depending on what season we are in will most likely dictate what the scoops will be.

4food: Do you have a message 4foodies?

ToniAnn: Stay tuned because this is only the beginning.

To transport you all to ToniAnn’s favorite vacation spot, her Kobe beef Great Escape will be a featured build next week at $10!

2011-10-17T12:13:00.001-07:00

The Real Thing:

In the early 1800s sodas were considered to be health drinks. They were free of artificial coloring and therefore mostly clear in appearance - tinged only by the medicinal herbs, minerals, and extracts pharmacists added to differentiate their health claims.

By May of 1886, when Atlanta pharmacist Doctor John Pemberton developed Coca Cola, as a prohibition avoiding non-alcoholic version of his popular French Wine Coca, differentiation had become a whole lot of caffeine and five ounces of coca leaf per gallon of syrup.

Since 1984, Coke has been sweetened in the US with high-fructose corn syrup [“HFCS”], which due to an anti-competitive subsidy of the US corn crop is much cheaper than sugar. Unfortunately HFCS is difficult to metabolize and a recent study at Princeton University discovered that rats fed HFCS gained 48% more weight than rats fed sugar [http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S26/91/22K07/] - little wonder that since its introduction the incidences of type 2 diabetes in the US have doubled.

With this in mind 4food recently launched a line of 4 delicious hot-selling natural cola, lemon, ginger, and vanilla cream sodas. Each of these sodas is clear, like the original sodas, and each of these sodas weighs in at 41 good Agave-sweetened calories per 20-ounce serving, whereas a Coke clobbers you with 242.5 bad HFCS calories given the same sized cup!

4foodies who have visited the 286 Madison Avenue store in the past few days will have seen that the wall behind the service counter is papered with American Diabetes Association hands. This is because the 4food Team is participating in the ADA STEP OUT Walk to Stop Diabetes on Sunday October 23^rd. You can support our walkers by making $1 donations in-store (for which your hand goes up on our wall of fame), and by purchasing one of our new sodas, as we will add 50 cents to our STEP OUT team sponsorship for every soda purchase made in October.

De-junking is a way of life, in-store, with our team, and in our community.

We thank you for your support.

2011-09-13T11:24:00.001-07:00

Most of the improvements we have made during our 4-week reboot are under the hood, designed to get your order out of the kitchen more quickly and better prepared (and from even better/cleaner ingreidients). We have also introduced 4 de-junked, store-made as always [Cola, Ginger, Lemon and Vanilla Cream] Flavorprint sodas to stand beside our famous teas. Our new Beer & Wine license will fuel countless Happy Hours with $3 draught beers and New York’s best red and white sangrias. 4food Happy Hour, which we call Off-The-Clock, runs from 5 PM to 7 PM this week and 5 PM to 9 PM next week and thereafter, as our opening hours stretch from 11 AM all the way to 11 PM.

See you there !

NOTICE OF 5 WEEKS PAUSE IN OPERATIONS (TO REBOOT):

2011-07-30T15:57:00.000-07:00

In the months since the opening of 4food at Madison Avenue on September 7th, 2010 you have created over 20,000 unique builds, including burgers celebrating Libyan Democracy, The Bed Intruder, and Facebook. (W)holeburgers such as aharris’ mega-hit CaliBurger (beneficiary - Family Cook Productions), newmanra’s Cali4nication (beneficiary -Tsunami relief in Japan), and antyson’s “tribute to his messiness Charlie Sheen” #winning (beneficiary - American Diabetes Association) have done more than their fair share to de-junk what we eat and the world beyond.

In this time we have received expressions of interest from potential licensee’s across the globe, including Italy, Japan, Korea, India, Kuwait, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Denmark, Bulgaria, and all over the United States.

Our food and our technology has been featured the world over in newspapers, magazines, blogs, cable and broadcast TV; from the Food Network to Reuters, from the New York Times to the Guardian, from CNN to CNET, from Midtown Lunch to Grub Street, from Eater to Fast Company. Earlier this month, we proudly held our first ever (W)holeburger Certification Event honoring 3 “golden” user-builds with more than 500 sales.

While we are thankful for all of the celebrity and recognition we have received, our most important measure is your satisfaction, and we are aware that in this regard we have a ways to go. The fact is that we have found it difficult to implement the various big and small improvements to our products, service, and technologies that are essential to the ultimate 4food experience, given the all-consuming nature of daily operation. So we have decided to close our store from Monday, August 1st to Wednesday September 7th 2011 to reboot. Our goal on reopening being improved consistency of product, even greater transparency of ingredients and their sources, completing our breakfast menu and our line of beverages and desserts, producing the ultimate square root, improving the robustness and utility of our information technologies, and better educating our staff in our mission and service to you.

We imagine that the 5 weeks we are closed will be a bit strange, as you will see a working restaurant and wonder why the doors are closed and we will see our customers passing by and wish that we could serve them. So we will occasionally and randomly open the doors to show you how we are doing.

We look forward to seeing you then and on September 7th to continue de-junking.

GoldBurger Award

2011-07-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

Last week’s inaugural 4food GoldBurger Award ceremony was hosted by the restaurant’s very own Khahlidra Levister (Executive Vice President) and Michael Shuman (Co-founder and Managing Partner). A panel of food industry experts, including Bill Niman of the BN Ranch, Jamie Schweid of Burger Maker, Jeremiah White (a contributor to Midtown Lunch), and Vinnie Mangual (manager of the 4food Commissary) attended the award ceremony where the Caliburger, Cali4nication, and MGR Burger took home top prizes for having sold more than 500 each of their unique builds. Randall Newman (developer of the Cali4nication burger) and Michael Rodgers (developer of the MGR Lamb burger) along with Lynn Fredericks of Family Cook Productions (on behalf of the Caliburger) accepted their GoldBurger awards and in a build-off competition introduced their sophomore builds for the judges. All three new builds - Newman’s The Stimulus Package, Family Cook Productions’ TBC Burger, and Rodgers’ Smothered Health Turkey were added to last week’s menu and are on sale now. Newman’s Stilmulus Package was a crowd favorite but we are leaving the winner up to you! Buy your favorite of the three in-store or online today and we will announce the burger that sells the most during the month of July on Monday, August 1st. Family Cook Productions was the recipient of a donation from 4food that matched the royalties garnered by the Caliburger. Beef burger lovers also got to enjoy a limited time offer of Bill Niman’s BN Ranch beef, delivered personally by the purveyor of naturally sustainable beef. The event is semiannual.

On the Buildboard Chart:

GOLDBURGERS DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM THE FIELD

The 1^st GoldBurger Awards Ceremony bestowed more than glory upon the winners. As with the Oscars and the Grammys, the (W)holeburgers that were honored received a sales bump as 4foodies flocked to the 3 certified GoldenBurgers, which were responsible for an unprecedented 62.3% [by value] of Buildboard Chart sales. Back at #1, riding a stunning 41% increase in week-on-week sales, is aharris’ Brioche-Beef-Avocado & Chili Mango-Avocado-Manchego-Lettuce-Tomato-Dijon Mustard Caliburger - the best-selling user-created (W)holeburger of all time. The Caliburger has already earned more than $276 for the organization Family Cook Productions. At #2, a short head behind, is last week’s chart-topper, newmanra’s Cali4nication, on a relatively disappointing 4% increase in sales. Galloping up the chart from #5 to #3 on a whopping 100% increase in weekly sales is Rodgersmg’s MGR Lamb. All of a sudden there’s daylight between MGR Lamb and pvanessche’s Lamb of God, which drops off the pace to #5.

THE MIGHTY 3 SEPARATE THEMSELVES FROM THE PACK (AND TWEET ME YOUR WEINER)!

2011-06-21T13:55:00.001-07:00

In the week before the GoldBurger Certification Awards, the 3 user-builds to be certified as GoldBurgers took charge, led by newmanra’s MultiGrain-Turkey-Spinach & Pine Nut-Avocado-Manchego-Onion-Hummus-Sweet Chili Cali4nication, which finished the week one sale in front of the mysterious, reclusive aharris’ best-selling CaliBurger [Note to 4foodies: Find aharris and we’ll reward you with one week’s worth of this signature build]. These two Golden State GoldlBurgers combined made up an unprecedented 45% of the sales of the chart. At #3, Rodgersmg’s MGR Lamb swaps places with his nemesis pvanessche’s Lamb of God, which drops to #5. Sandwiched in between the two monster lambs is antyson’s “tribute to his messiness Charlie Sheen” #winning burger which has earned $150 for the American Diabetes Association since inception. Which brings us to antyson’s shamelessly attention-seeking sophomore creation, the Brioche-Breakfast Sausage-Hard Boiled Egg-Sopressata Salami-Manchego-Horseradish Cream Tweet Me Your Weiner, which is bubbling under the chart at #11, and worthy of your Support? Sympathy? Contempt?

4food CERTIFIES 3 USER-CREATED BURGERS GOLD!

2011-06-13T10:59:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday, June 29th, 2011 between 5PM and 7PM 4food will be hosting a GoldBurger Certification Celebration at 4food Madison Avenue. The event honors 3 user-builds with more than 500 sales since 4food launched in the fall of 2010: the Caliburger, Cali4nication, and MGR Lamb.

As well as the presentation of the 3 GoldBurger Awards, the certification event will feature a “build-off” contest between the 3 GoldBurger inventors to create a follow up hit. The event will be judged by an expert panel, and the winner will receive their winning build (and a beverage) for free every day for a month.

All 4foodies in attendance will be entitled to unlimited free dessert! (with the purchase of any (W)holeburger, Skewer, Rice or Salad Bowl)

Michael Shuman, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of 4food, said of the Certification Event:

“According to CNN there are 96 billion ways to create a burger at 4food. By our own calculations there are a more modest 141,000,000 ways of differentiating your build. Since we opened last fall our guests have tried 20,000 of them, including burgers celebrating Charlie Sheen, Libyan Democracy, The Bed Intruder, and Facebook. The 3 GoldBurgers are the most successful of the user-builds because their creators have marketed them hard using Facebook, Twitter, 4food’s internal tools, as well as dragging their friends, family, and co-workers to the store to earn 4food cash - in doing so they have helped us spread our De-junking mission. Thank you!”

On the Buildboard Chart:

Newmanra strikes back WITH VENGEANCE

Dunno if it was the newmanra’s broadcast debut on the Canadian Food Network or the social marketing performance of a generation but his Multigrain bun’d - Turkey patty’d - Spinach & Pine Nut scoop’d - Avocado slice’d - Manchego cheese’d - Hummus/Sweet Chili condiment’d - and Onion added-on GoldBurger Cali4nication bounced back from #2 position to rout aharris’ Brioche-Beef-Avocado & Chili Mango-Avocado-Manchego-Lettuce-Tomato-Dijon Mustard GoldBurger the Caliburger.

Incredibly Cali4nication was by itself responsible for 23.23% of sales on this week’s Buildboard chart, selling 50% more than its Golden State nemesis. Things seem to be getting tougher every week for our third GoldBurger, rodgersmg’s MGR Lamb, which drops another place to #5, under pressure from pvanessche’s leggy Lamb of God.

WE ALSO SERVE RICE AND SALAD BOWLS

2011-06-06T10:24:00.001-07:00

We also serve rice and salad bowls:

The testing period is over - period. We now officially serve Rice and Salad bowls: (W)holemeals starting at $7 with a skewer or patty, scoop, slice, cheese, and up to 3 condiments. Should your super-bowl require a premium protein, scoop, slice, or cheese (or need a second scoop or slice for perfection) - expect to pay for the more you get!

To build a rice-bowl: choose Coconut or Multigrain rice; skewer or patty (all proteins); scoop; slice; cheese; up to 3 condiments; and add lettuce, tomato, onion, or pickle.

To build a salad-bowl: choose Spinach Radicchio Blend, Chopped Romaine, Salad Mix (a combination of all three leafs); skewer or patty (all proteins); scoop; slice; cheese; 4food Champagne Vinaigrette plus up to 2 condiments; and add lettuce, tomato, onion, or pickle.

On the Buildboard Chart:

Of Lamb & God

And so it came to pass that Cali4nication’s 8 week run at the summit of the Buildboard chart has been interrupted by none other than aharris’ Brioche-Beef-Avocado & Chili Mango-Avocado-Manchego- Lettuce-Tomato-Dijon Mustard Platinum hit, the Caliburger, which with 885 sales to date is the best-selling user-created (W)holeburger of all time. Rumor has it that Cali4nication’s creator newmanra is in hiding, licking his wounds. Though analyzing the chart we think it more likely that he’s been wolfing down pvanessche’s gospel-powered Pressed Rice-Lamb-Avocado & Chili Mango-Avocado-Swiss- Lettuce-Horseradish Cream-Sweet Chili Lamb of God, the greatest gainer on the chart at #3. Lamb of God has already established a number of firsts! First user build on a rice bun to break into the top 5, and the first user build bragging a Lamb patty outsell of Rodgersmg’s MGR Lamb, which drops a rung to #4. Will Lamb of God be the first divine (W)holeburger to make #1? You decide?

Eleven questions for Vincent Mangual, Manager of the 4food Commissary

2011-05-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

Chances are that you have seen Vinny, upstairs teaching the Back of House team how to finish your (W)holeburgers to perfection, or downstairs in the Commissary leading a team that prepares all of our products from raw ingredients daily. Vinny, instantly recognizable by the handsome tattoos that peek out from his chefs whites, has been with us from well before we opened. Vinny, who has recently lost more than 30 pounds, is an inspiration for us all and poster boy for de-junking himself and his community.

1. What is the commissary kitchen and what does it produce? The commissary kitchen is where all the bulk food items are prepared for our guests. It is where the magic of 4food starts.

2. What are the greatest challenges in managing the commissary? Definitely, it’s keeping stock of all of our 300 natural ingredients. Such a large and diverse array takes a lot of looking after when you consider that one bad apple can destroy a guest’s lunch!

3. How do you ensure 4food is fresh? By purchasing very fresh ingredients and producing small batches of fresh product - enough to run out of (which is why we have a dynamic menu board).

4. Do you have a favorite build? The Mac Daddy - salty from the pancetta and sweet from the brioche and the bbq sauce.

5. What are you working on now? Our summer scoop menu - we have a lot of new products in store for our guests.

6. What does De-junking mean to you? That our products are natural and fresh, and purchased locally when it makes sense; that our beef, pork, lamb, and turkey is raised humanely and fed a natural diet; that nothing is fried and that everything is fresh.

7. What is your favorite 4food story? On my 3^rd day at 4food, Perkins our broad line supplier showed up with a truck with 10 pallets of small wares. It took 10 hours to check in that order, and another 10 hours to set up the kitchen with all the supplies, but at the end of that day we were in the de-junking business!

8. Do you have a hero/mentor? So many... but without my mother and father pushing me to go to culinary school all those years ago I don’t know where I would be now. Thanks mom and dad.

9. What is your proudest 4food moment? On September 7^th last year we opened our doors for the first time to the public, who were finally able to see and experience the result of all of our hard work.

10. What do you think we could do better? Though our overall guest experience has greatly improved, there will always be room for further improvement.

11. Do you have a message to 4foodies? DE-JUNK YOURSELF (AND LET US HELP)!!!!

On the Buildboard Chart:

Where do the hits come from?

As of May 1^st 2011 the best-selling branded (W)holeburger in our short history is the 4food created Mac Daddy with 1321 sales, followed by aharris’ CaliBurger which is the best-selling user-created (W)holeburger with 866 sales.

Six of the top Ten (W)holeburgers are user-created: CaliBurger, MGR Lamb, Cali4nication, Crispy Aardvark, Low Cal Sal, & Erica against four that are 4food created: Mac Daddy, Juke Joint, Green Giant, and Somos Americanos. User created (W)holeburgers constitute 45% of the sales of the top 10, 52% of the top 15, and greater than 80% of all (W)holeburgers sold at 4food. Of the top 10 bestselling (W)holeburgers in Buildboard Chart history 63% of unit sales are beef, 16 % veggie, 10% lamb, 7% turkey, and 4% salmon.

At #1 this week as it has been for over 5 weeks is newmanra’s mighty MultiGrain-Turkey-Spinach and Pine Nuts-Avocado-Manchego-Hummus-Sweet Chili-Onion Cali4nication, which ended the week a beak in front of aharris’ in-state competition, the CaliBurger. Rodgersmg’s yummy MGR Lamb is a head behind at #3 but has pvanessche’s Lamb of God (#7) on its tail. At #4 antyson’s “tribute to his messiness Charlie Sheen” #winning is what we call a “nice little earner”, having raised $110.50 for the American Diabetes Association and counting.

SO-DA-MN-BETTER!

2011-05-17T08:16:00.001-07:00

Soda’s roots go back to natural springs and their legendary curative powers. Scientists discovered that carbon dioxide caused the bubbles in mineral waters, and began to look for ways of replicating the process artificially.

In 1767, Dr. Joseph Priestley created the first drinkable man-made carbonated water in England. Carbonated beverages did not catch on in the U.S. until 1832, when John Mathews invented a machine that made carbonated water in store, which he then distributed to soda fountains in all 50 states.

Drinking soda was considered a healthy practice, and pharmacists began to add medicinal and flavorful herbs like birch bark, dandelion, sarsaparilla, and fruit extracts to differentiate their inventions. The soft drink bottling industry came about because consumers wanted to take their "health" drinks home with them.

In May 1886, Doctor John Pemberton, a pharmacist from Atlanta, Georgia, invented Coca Cola in a three legged brass kettle in his backyard. The original formula contained caffeine and five ounces of coca leaf per gallon of syrup (a significant amount). In 1903 the cocaine was removed though Coca Cola still contains coca flavoring.

Coke was first sold to the public from the soda fountain in Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta on May 8, 1886. It was initially a flop: Jacob’s sold nine servings per day and sales for that first year totaled about $50, $20 less than it cost John Pemberton to produce.

In 1887, another Atlanta pharmacist and businessman, Asa Candler, bought the formula for Coca Cola from inventor John Pemberton for $2,300. By the late 1890s, Asa had so effectively marketed Coke that it had become the most popular soda in the U.S.

Since 1980 in the U.S. Coke has been made with high-fructose corn syrup [“HFCS”], originally in combination with more expensive cane sugar, but by late 1984 Coke was sweetened entirely with HFCS. Since then incidences of type 2 diabetes have doubled in the U.S. and there have been historic increases in obesity, propelled by the empty calories of the HFCS sweetened, mass-market sodas.

Recently, national brands like Jones Soda Co and Boylan Bottling Company, and local brands like Brooklyn Soda Works and P & H Soda Company, have introduced naturally flavored de-junked sodas sweetened by cane sugar and fruit juices.

Since day one, 4food has produced handcrafted, made-to-order sodas for our guests. Taking a cue from the pharmacists who first infused herb tonics into carbonated water, our sodas are made of all natural fruit and herb tonics, sweetened with organic agave nectar, and poured over triple filtered Natura sparkling water on tap. This summer our world class Mango Chai, White Peach Rosehip, and Hibiscus Berry sodas will be joined by new and classic flavors.

2011-04-27T08:41:00.000-07:00

Our second 4food Spotlight features Michael Rodgers, inventor of the MGR Lamb Burger, #3 in this week’s chart, and at 522 sold to date and counting, by far the best selling lamb (W)holeburger of all time (though Lamb of God at #10 this week looks to have four legs and a tale to tell). In recognition of Michael’s success 4food has agreed to donate 25 cents for every burger sold from the Buildboard Chart this week to St. Mary's Healthcare System for Children, a not-for-profit healthcare organization committed to improving the health and quality of life for children and families with special needs. St. Mary’s serves over 4,000 kids a day in and around NYC and is, as per Michael, “an AWESOME place!”

Recognizing Michael’s contribution to 4food and St. Mary’s contribution to New York City, Michael (Shuman) and I will both match 4food’s contribution. You can do your part by purchasing burgers off the chart.

The Interview:
1.    What caused you to build your first (W)holeburger?
       ==>    I liked the concept of being able to select exactly what I wanted on a burger.
2.    What was your influence/intent in building your burger?
       ==>    I was hungry for a good burger that I wouldn't feel guilty about eating.
3.    Did you have a specific inspiration?
       ==>    Not really, it was just what sounded good.
4.    How do you describe it?
       ==>    All of my favorite ingredients on one sandwich, perfection!
5.    Why did you choose these particular burger components?
       ==>    See #4
6.    Why Lamb?
       ==>    You can rarely order a lamb burger unless you're at a restaurant. So it was a nice option for lunch... not to mention it's my favorite meat!
7.    What tactics have you used to market your burger? Do you think you'll get MGR to #1?
       ==>    Actually, I haven't really "marketed" the MGR lamb burger. I tell friends and family about it when we walk by the store, but maybe I should launch a campaign to get MGR to the top... thanks for the suggestion.
8.    Is it true that you brought your Mom into 4food to witness your chart success? Or is that story an urban legend?
       ==>    It's true. She was visiting the city and we were in the neighbor hood so I had to show her my bow tie on the menu.
9.    What did she think?
       ==>    She thought it was another crazy/fun idea that would only happen in NYC.
10.    What do you do with the 4food-$ you have earned?
       ==>    Buy more MGR lamb burgers!
11.    What does 4food mean to you?
       ==>    Likes: You can really "have it your way"! I also like that I can order on-line from my desk, walk to the end of the block and it’s ready!
       ==>    Dislikes: If I forget to order on-line, you have to wait a while in the store.

ON THE BUILDBOARD CHART:

In chart news this week, viral video star Antoine Dodson was arrested Saturday in Alabama for marijuana possession and other minor offenses. Antoine Dodson is the inspiration for jennydeluxe’s Buildboard monster, the Brioche-Beef-RedCabbageSlaw-Swiss-Lettuce-Tomato-Pickle-BBQ-Ketchup Bed Intruder Burger. Judging by his tweets, Dodson age 24, isn't all that upset about it. "Let me be the first to tell it! So just got out of jail off a weak charge!" Dodson said in a Saturday afternoon tweet. "Got pulled over in my Benz and they got me. I’ve never been in jail except that time in grade school." Antoine, best wishes from all of us at 4food, and should you pass by - your meal is on us. You see that grass really is greener on the other side.

SO-DA-MN-BETTER!

2011-04-22T08:34:00.000-07:00

2011-04-07T07:15:00.000-07:00

In the 4food Spotlight celebrates you - our Guests, who have built almost 20,000
different (W)holeburgers and who compete so hard to top the Buildboard Chart, and
to earn 4food$.

Our first 4food Burgermaster (alternatively spelled Burgomeister, literally master of
the location or store) is Randall Newman, creator of Cali4nication, this week’s best
selling build.

To find out what makes Randall tick and what ticks him off about 4food we asked a
few questions, and got an equal amount of answers:

1. What caused you to build your first (W)holeburger?
So I could order it again in a flash.

2. What was your influence/intent in building your burger?
I wanted to build the tastiest healthy burger imaginable.

3. Did you have a specific inspiration?
In another life I worked at a hip Chinese inspired restaurant run by hippy surfers that
served really healthy tasty food. I thought I would try to bring that spin on a burger to
NYC.

4. How do you describe it?
A bit sweet, a bit spicy, and bit of surprise.

5. Why did you choose these particular burger components?
Each component tastes amazing on its own. Trial and error. Took about ten tries to get
it right. Perseverance I guess.

6. What tactics have you used to market your burger?
Lots and lots of badgering of my friends at work. I tweeted once too. I only have 2
followers though. Rnewmsy is my handle.

7. Have you a follow-up in the works?
I do indeed have a follow-up coming. Stay tuned. It may raise the bar.

8. What do with the 4food$ you have earned?
I eat more 4food of course. Best part is I don't have to feel guilty about it because it's
good food.

9. What does 4food mean to you?
Likes
4food is like my burger. You really can't have it often enough.

Dislikes
Only thing I dislike is when I see my burger sold out. Then I need to figure out what to
eat! Being creative can be exhausting.

10. Tell us about the photo. Who’s the girl?
I found her online and thought she’d sell a lot of burgers!

Thanks Randall, you are a Burgermaster.

LIBYAN DEMOCRACY WITH A BULLET

Newmanra’s Multigrain-Turkey-Spinach and Pine Nuts-Avocado-Manchego-Hummus-Sweet Chili-Onion Cali4nication is dominant this week with sales 42% greater than Rodgermg’s MGR Lamb at #2, and having vanquished its Golden State rival aharris’sCaliburger - the best selling (W)holeburger of all time - which falls 6-places to #10. How a burger named after a consensual act can be so predatory is something only newmanra can answer. At #3 padrote’s beefy Dark Knight has become something of a dark horse, galloping easily by the rails, waiting for an opportunity to push its nose in front. Meanwhile the sheen is coming off Charlie-boy, as antyson’s “tribute to his messiness Charlie Sheen” #winning slips a place to #4, having earned $48.50 for the American Diabetes Association to date. Office Marriage is at #5 - that Cali4nication and Office Marriage share the same breath says much about the diversity of 4foodies (or does it?). The big mover this week is davidcarlson’s Libyan Democracy, the greatest sales gainer of the week, climbing 4 places to #6, in a
week in which the pro-democracy forces found our support conditional (4now). Did anybody think the endgame through? What exactly happens if the good guys are routed? David, do you have a Death of Democracy sequel in the wings? Finally, Ham and Eggs on Steroids, a so-good-it-should-be-illegal Bagel-Italian Sausage- Hard Boiled Egg-Pancetta Bacon-Cheddar-BBQ-Lettuce-Pickle by mapohlman, which is bubbling under the chart at # 12, representing our fastest growing day-part and
some Cockney in our heritage. In London Ham & Eggs = Legs, which I sincerely hope this build has to spare/share.

DE-JUNKING IS BIGGER THAN 4FOOD

2011-03-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

In the context of 4food, de-junking is about bringing fast, fresh, delicious, and nutritious food, made of local produce purchased at fair prices, to people of all ages, lifestyles, and ethnicities. Expressed globally, de-junking is about extracting the additives, pollutants, and inequities from our lives. De-junking does not just happen, but is the result of the brilliance, resilience, and fortitude of people.

Presenting for the first time my admittedly subjective De-Junking Top 6

De-junking Nukes:

The "Fukushima 50" - Is the name given to a group of workers at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station who have exposed themselves to radiation to save Japan from apocalypse.

De-junking Egypt:

Wael Ghonim - Google’s head of marketing in the Middle East, created a Facebook page calling for the overthrow of President Mubarak. The revolution he started led to Mubarak’s resignation and promises to democratize much of the Middle East.

Honorable Mention: Mark Zuckerberg for providing the tools.

De-junking Sight:

Dr. Perumalsamy Namperumalsamy - This Indian doctor has performed cataract surgery 3.6 million times since 1976, the 30% of his patients that can afford to pay subsidize the rest.

De-Junking Professional Soccer:

Anton Hysen - The only openly gay soccer player in the professional sport, plays through crowd abuse and hate mail, but de-junks expectations with every tough tackle.

De-Junking the Sex Trade:

Anuradha Koirala - At 9 years old she was forced to have sex with as many as 60 Johns a day as an indentured slave, she has since helped more than 12,000 victims of Nepal's sex trafficking business escape.

De-junking Information

Bradley Manning - This United States Army soldier was arrested in Iraq in May 2010 on suspicion of having passed classified information to the whistleblower website, WikiLeaks. He now faces the death penalty for providing us with essential information.

Honorable Mention: Julian Paul Assange for providing the tools.

HOW RANDALL GOT HIS GROOVE BACK

Newmanra launched his own Operation Odyssey Dawn this week and it powered his Multigrain-Turkey-Spinach and Pine Nuts-Avocado-Manchego-Hummus-Sweet Chili-Onion Cali4nication back to #1 on the Buildboard chart, beating out #winning, antyson’s “tribute to his messiness Charlie Sheen”, by 6 (W)holebugers (39 to 33) . #winning has earned $41.50 for the American Diabetes Association to date. In other chart action, Libyan Democracy, a Brioche, Beef, Chipotle Hominy, Kim Chi, Manchego, Lettuce, Pickle, Tomato, Onion Mayonnaise, Organic Ketchup, Sweet Chili burger by davidcarlson entered the chart at #10, riding a wave of anti-Gaddafi sentiment. Muammar al-Gaddafi is the longest serving non-royal leader on Earth - do I hear regime change anyone?

SEARCHING FOR THE PERFECT RED LENTIL DAL

2011-03-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

When creating the recipes for our Veggiescoops, the 4food culinary team set out to find flavors that really captured the diversity and spirit of New York City, and
through our city the world. With our Metro Card passports we traveled to Italy on
Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, Jamaica on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, and the Fujian
Province on Eldridge Street in Manhattan.

On a trip to India by way of Jackson Heights, Queens, we indulged in the rich savory
flavors of Dal Makhani, a thick stew of black lentils simmered overnight with ginger,garlic, tomato, green chilies, and cumin in a low temperature oven. Warm bowls of this delicious stew are served with a touch of cool cream yogurt swirled in at the end. This and other amazing Indian vegetable stews served as an inspiration for ourown Red Lentil Dal, this month’s feature Veggiescoop.

We start by sautéing onions, garlic, and ginger, cooking them very slowly until they are soft and the ginger is very fragrant. We then add our own blend of garam masala - a fusion of black and white peppercorns, cloves, mace, black cumin, cumin seeds, cinnamon, green cardamom, nutmeg, star anise, and coriander seeds. The finest red lentils are added next, and cooked slowly with fresh chopped tomato until the lentils are tender. To add another layer of depth to these flavors we finish the Dal with a handful of chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh limejuice.

The Red Lentil Dal pairs well with our any of our (W)holepatties but my favorite way to enjoy this scoop is alongside Coconut Rice and Lamb Skewers with a side of Tzatziki Sauce and a cool refreshing Mango Chai Tea. You too will discover your favorite combinations.

Tweet them!

Let us know how you Red Lentil Dal!

BOOGIE DOWN KUWAIT

2011-03-16T09:25:00.000-07:00

Over the next few years we will open 4food stores and bring our Counter Culture to places like Kuwait, the 5th richest country in the world, with a per capita income of $81,800 (USD), and the South Bronx, the poorest Congressional District in the U.S., with a per capita income of $13,959 (USD) and where 38% of its residents live in poverty. Two vastly different societies, and yet when it comes to nutrition they similarly need de-junking.

According to Forbes, Kuwait ranks 8 on a 2007 list of fattest countries (74.2% of its citizens are obese), and diabetes has reached an epidemic level, affecting 26% of population.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the South Bronx is the fattest congressional district in New York State and one of the fattest in the U.S. (68% of its residents are obese), and diabetes has reached an epidemic level, affecting 18% of residents.

In Kuwait prosperity and prohibition have made eating a leisure activity, and substitution of the traditional, fish-rich, Mediterranean diet with ours has made that unhealthy. In the South Bronx poverty has resulted in food insecurity (37% percent of residents went hungry in 2009 - the highest rate the U.S.), which leads people to snatch the biggest portions of the cheapest foods they can find, which can be lethal, given the distortions of subsidies that have made High Fructose Corn Syrup sweetened sodas cheaper than bottled water, and inconceivably cruel industrial livestock production methods that have made the fast food patty so cheap.

On the Buildboard Chart:

THE KING IS DEAD LONG LIVE CHARLIE SHEEN!

In a week that saw increased sales across the chart, Newmanra did what he had been promising to do for the past month, and as a result his Multigrain-Turkey-Spinach & Pine Nuts-Avocado-Manchego-Hummus-Sweet Chili Cali4nication destroyed Aharris’s Caliburger by 17 burgers (a 35 to 18 margin), sending the best selling (W)holeburger of all time (572 sold to date) tumbling down the chart to #4. At #2 this week is Rodgersmg‘s little MGR Lamb, followed at #3 by #winning burger, antyson’s “tribute to his messiness Charlie Sheen”. #winning burger is the fastest breaking new (W)holeburger of all time, with 19 sold in the first week generating $9.50 for the American Diabetes Association. Given what Charlie knows about 4nication, and what Ashley knows about the power of social media, our advice to Randall is - “watch your back!“ Honorable mentions this week are Mindvomit’s deliriously named, Brioche-bun, Beef-patty, Mac and Cheese-scoop, Maple Glazed Butternut Squash, Horseradish Cream, Mayo, Sweet Chili, Burger on a Magic Carpet Ride in your Mouth, which flies in at #13, and my own Brioche-Egg-Mofongo-Pancetta-Fontina-Sweet Chili-Vidalia Onion Bachata Dreams, which picks its way back into the chart for the first time since mid-January, at #15. Since I spent the week inventing new (W)holeburgers, the only reason I can find for the renewed interest in my Bachata Dreams breakfast classic is the presence of Aventura’s simmering, bluesy, El Perdedor on the in-store playlist, and as well that it is delicious!

2011-03-10T15:11:00.000-08:00

Hello 4foodies –

It has been five weeks since I joined the company, as head of operations, and I am as excited as ever about the future of 4food. In this short time, I have had the chance to peel back the layers of what makes this concept special and in this issue of the newsletter I want to pose the following question:

Isn’t it time we changed the way we eat?

What does this sentence mean to you? For me, it means:

Knowing from where my food comes
How it was prepared
Sharing it with the people who are important to me

My love affair with food began when I was young. I was raised on a working farm, in Washington State, with cattle, horses, chickens, rabbits – I think you get the picture.

On this farm, we also had a large garden. I remember the late days of summer, when I would:

Pull an onion bulb out of the ground, rinse off the soil and bite into it like an apple
Snap a pea pod off the vine and shuck the tender green peas straight into my mouth
Pull a gangly orange carrot out of the soil and bite into its sweet stock

In those days, knowing where my food came from couldn’t have been simpler. The food couldn’t have been fresher. It isn’t as easy these days to trace our food back to its origin. Nearly all of the food at your average quick serve restaurant is packed with preservatives, flavorings, and stabilizers mutating the taste profile along the way.

At 4food, every item on our menu is prepared from scratch. Nothing is processed. Our scoops begin with fresh vegetables and herbs and are free from engineered preservatives. Our livestock are grass-fed and humanely raised, as certified by the humane society, while our ingredients are free from genetically engineered organisms (GMOs). Vinny and his team, in the restaurant’s kitchen, work tirelessly to ensure we serve only the freshest items to you, our guests.

As the head of operations at 4food, I am committed to ensuring that we remain transparent and share with you the origins of each of our ingredients and how we construct each menu item.

So again I ask, isn’t time we changed the way we eat?

Our number one goal is to De-junk the world, a burger at a time.

De-junking Always,

Jonathan

It’s March and the madness has already begun. In a week in which England fought their way to an unlikely tie with India in World Cup Cricket, only to lose to Ireland, newmanra’s Multigrain-Turkey-Spinach & Pine Nuts-Avocado-Manchego-Hummus-Sweet Chili Cali4nication again tied aharris’s Brioche-Beef-Avocado & Chili Mango-Avocado-Manchego-Dijon Mustard-Lettuce-Tomato monster hit Caliburger, which is by far the best-selling (w)holeburger of all time with 554 sold and $168.50 earned. Has aharris ever paid 4food? Perhaps the even bigger news is that this is no-longer an all Cali race - making an enormous move from #6 to #3 and ending up only three purchases behind the Cali twins is ericakeller23’s Erica, the first real veggie contender and the one to watch as Rodgersmg’s MGR Lamb fades to #4. In other chart action Mapohlman’s fine porker, the MultiGrain-Italian Sausage-Chipotle Hominy-Roasted Shiitake Mushrooom-Mozzarella-Guacamole-Dijon Mustard-Pickle Here Piggy Piggy snorts into the chart at #13, and antyson’s Brioche-Beef-Mac and Cheese-Pancetta Bacon-Cheddar-BBQ-Tomato #winning burger, a rather touching tribute to “his messiness” Charlie Sheen, wobbles into #14 - for every one of these sold in March we will contribute $0.50 to the American Diabetes Association.

Buildboard:

Cali4nication (tie w/ Caliburger)
Caliburger
Erica
MGR Lamb
Bed Intruder
The Crispy Aardvark
The Dark Knight
The Low Cal Sal
Office Marriage
The Sweet Jerk

DE-JUNKING IS GREATER THAN 4FOOD

2011-03-02T13:39:00.001-08:00

The movement to de-junk our planet has gained momentum in the past few weeks. Though we are thrilled by it and humbled by the brave people of Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Bahrain, Yemen, and closer to home Wisconsin who have in many cases put up their lives to stake progress, the parallel we draw between de-junking fast food and de-junking government is that progress is seldom perfect.

In a similar way that the regimes that followed ex-President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali's in Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak's reign in Egypt include relics of those nations past, our own de-junked products are works in progress.

Our expectation is that your vigilance, expressed in person or on Facebook and Twitter or as a cry for Yelp, will enable us to stay true to our mission as the crowds that have re-formed in Tunisia's Government Square or Cairo's Tahrir Square are protecting the gains that those societies have made.

The revolution that social media has wrought is one where information is leveraged through connectivity and recommendation to deliver responsive governance - finally for the people, by the people.

This is why we are responsive to those occasional negative tweets and why we are working hard to push our products, services, and technologies forward so you will promote our de-junked products to your friends.

On the Buildboard Chart:

It's all Cali this week with Newmanra’s Multigrain-Turkey-Spinach & Pine Nuts-Avocado-Manchego-Hummus-Sweet Chili Cali4nication climbing from #3 to #2, with Aharris’s Brioche-Beef-Avocado & Chili Mango-Avocado-Manchego-Dijon Mustard-Lettuce-Tomato Caliburger now firmly in its sights (only 3 burgers away). David G’s Multigrain-Turkey-Brussel Sprouts-Avocado-Mozzarella-Jerk Sauce-Sweet Chili-Lettuce-Tomato Sweet Jerk nibbles into the chart at #10, followed by Khahlidra's late breaking Valentine's Day build, the Brioche-Beef-Mushroom & Onions-Gruyere-Mayo-Dijon Mustard-Lettuce-Tomato Undercover Lover. Some of you may know Khahlidra as our General Manager, the bigger question is the identity of her Undercover Lover? Next at #12 is Lamb of God, a Pressed Rice-Lamb-Avocado & Chili Mango-Avocado-Gruyere-Horseradish Cream-Sweet Chili-Lettuce by Pvanessche, one of our most loyal customers that looks like it may have four legs to go with its inspired name - Roger are you scared yet?

Finally, to celebrate the Oscar success of the King's Speech we are running an exciting British Monarch contest - name your burger after a British Monarch (dead or alive) and do your marketing thing - the best selling King-burger (by Saturday March 12th) will win $25 in 4food cash!

Chart for 2/20-27

1.Caliburger

2. Cali4nication

3. MGR Lamb

4. The Crispy Aardvark

5. Bed Intruder

6. Erica

7. Office Marriage

8. The Dark Knight

9. Lo Cal Sal

10. The Sweet Jerk

Honorable Mentions:

- Undercover Lover

- Lamb of God

- Araksya

- Ginger Flash’s Meaty Mouthful

- Mac Daddy

Editorial 2/21/11

2011-02-21T09:14:00.001-08:00

As part of Social Media Week 2011, 4food hosted an event organized by Food + Tech Connect, Mouth of the Border, and the Noble Rot to promote the convergence of food and technology in the form of awesomely groundbreaking mobile applications. The event, Eats + Apps, showcased the apps and websites of Foodspotting, Gourmet Live, Bread Baking Basics, Snooth, Dinevore and Gojee and how they are revolutionizing the way we interact with, and consume food.

Though the demand to attend the event was beyond our expectations, we were able to host 150 people throughout the evening. Guests were able to learn about new technologies, network with other like-minded food/techies, and sample the array of the 4food menu served tapas style. TechFoodies snacked on Chipotle Hominy Bruschetta, Veggie Sushi, Lamb Skewer Pops with Sweet Chili Sauce and Mac & Cheese.
In addition to our passed fare, each application created it's own (W)holeburger build, which was displayed on our menu board in addition to being advertised on our media wall.. The most popular build at the end of the night? The Gourmet Live Rewarding Burger! Our guests couldn't resist the delicious combination including:

Brioche Bun
Beef Patty
Mushroom and Onion Scoop
Fresh Avocado Slice
Tickler Cheddar Cheese
Organic Ketchup
Dijon Mustard
NY Pickle

We had such a great time hosting Eats + Apps at 4food, and look forward to hosting more events in the future!

If you're interesting in hosting your own event at 4food, shoot us an e-mail:events@4food.com. We'll help you customize your own menu and experience.

Editorial 2/14/11

2011-02-14T07:48:00.000-08:00

The 4food we launched on September 7^th last year was experimental and we have been testing our systems ever since to create operating efficiencies and to understand how to deliver the best possible de-junked product at a reasonable price.

Over the past few months we have integrated many of these improvements into our operations and added delivery. There are other enhancements such as:

Improved bread choices
Group ordering [“Feasting”]
Faster rotating/more seasonal/local menu
Improved menu-board design
Easier ordering process

These enhancements are best introduced together as the features are inter-related/interdependent. That day is now set - April 10^th 2011 will be the first annual De-junking Day [“D-Day”] and will mark the launch of 4food 2.0.

Watch this space for more details as D-Day get closer.

Buildboard Chartbeat:

Last week the Caliburger and Cali4nication were tied in sales, with Cali4nication winning the tie-break as the highest grossing burger of the week. This week Aharris’s Brioche-Beef-Avocado & Chili Mango-Avocado-Manchego-Dijon Mustard-Lettuce-Tomato Caliburger monster hit takes back the top spot with an astounding 43% jump in sales, and Cali4nication drops below Rodgermg’s MGR Lamb Burger to #3. It remains to be seen whether Cali4nication has the legs to make another run at the top spot, or whether the Caliburger is back for another extended run at #1. Not all of the excitement has been at the peaks. Ginger Flash's Meaty Mouthful, a Brioche-Lamb-Mushroom & Onion-Pancetta-Cheddar-Sweet Chili-Lettuce-Tomato by Ginger Flash, munches its way into the chart at #10 - it’s got a great name that shouts out what it is (which is essential to Buildboard charting progress).

Ginger Flash's Meaty Mouthful will be the first burger I order when I get home.

Editorial 2/8/11

2011-02-08T07:47:00.000-08:00

Hello 4foodies,

Part of the dream behind 4food is to continuously cultivate new applications of technology to further engage people with the nutrition that fuels their lives and the social aspects involving a quality meal. This is why 4food has on staff a small team of dedicated software developers whose responsibility is to try out new ideas, most of which, have never been built into a restaurant software platform before.

For example, in the next few weeks we will be introducing Feast, a completely new concept in organizing and ordering a meal with your friends and colleagues online. We are also working to give you more power over your nutrition by adding capability to our recommendation engine that will enable us to suggest menus for you based on your perfect carb, fat, and protein ratio splits. To complement our improved nutrition tracking, we are working on a flavor profiling system to help you discover the most delicious combination of tastes in a burger or skewer meal. It's like an online dating website, but we're matching you with the perfect burger – given time this feature may prove powerful enough to topple the Caliburger from its position at the top of the Buildboard chart.

Not only do we De-junk Fast Food ™ at 4food, we keep our software de-junked too! We build all of our technology on top of open source, free software platforms. As we develop more specialized software for 4food we look forward to contributing back to the open source software projects that we have enjoyed using so much, such as Django and Redis.

If you can think of any exciting features that you would like to see at 4food both in the restaurant or on the website, please shoot me an email at scottm@4food.com.

Editorial 1/19/11

2011-01-19T07:46:00.000-08:00

The 4food mission is to de-junk fast food, by bringing fast food that’s fresh, delicious, and nutritious to all people of all ages, lifestyles, income levels, and ethnicities. No fads, fillers, nor anything artificial. And with your help we’re redefining counter culture, burger-by-burger, in real-time.

Nobody’s helped us more than Aharris, whose Brioche-Beef-Avocado & Chili Mango-Avocado-Manchego-Dijon Mustard-Lettuce-Tomato Caliburger is at #1 on the chart for the 15^th straight week. One perspective on the Caliburger success is that it has now been at the top of the Buildboard chart for a week longer than Whitney Houston’s 1992 smash "I Will Always Love You" topped the Billboard Chart. The greatest gainer on the chart is Gracomal’s Multigrain-Veggie-Brussel Sprouts-Butternut Squash-Guacamole-Hummus Office Marriage, which “I-do’s” six-places up to #4.

Bubbling under this week’s chart at #11 is rodgersmg’s second stab at chart immortality, the Multigrain-Salmon-Spinach & Pine Nuts-Shiitake-Gruyere-Lemon Caper Tartar Sauce-Lettuce-Tomato-Onion MGR Salmon Burger. It follows the inspired naming convention of Rogers smash hit MGR Lamb burger, which holds at #2, waiting for the Caliburger to falter. It remains to be seen if Roger has the resources to shepherd two releases. New at #12 is Krianbalma by krianbalma, a Brioche-Beef-Chimichurri Yucca-Pancetta-Gruyere-Sweet Chili-Mustard-Lettuce-Pickles combo - one of two new chart entries where the creator and their creation are namesakes. Manhattan Gobble by newmanra flutters into the #13 spot, this Brioche-Turkey-Pickled Peppers-Pancetta-Goat Cheese-Sweet Chili-Lettuce-Onion build is the spiritual child of the silver-certified turkey smash Gobble Gobble. Popeye's Dream, a Pumpernickel-Beef-Spinach (really!) & Pine Nuts-Avocado-Mozzarella-Ketchup-Tomato build by ironfused, sails into the #14 berth looking for a gust of wind to propel it northwards. At #15, Le Amy by leamy is a mean Multigrain-Turkey-Chinese Braised Kale-Cheddar-Ketchup-Lettuce-Pickles motherclucker!

Editorial 1/1/11

2011-01-01T07:43:00.000-08:00

Our New Year’s resolution is to de-junk more guests, better, in 2011 than we did in 2010: which means, more local produce, continued improvements to guest experience throughout the day but particularly at breakfast, and new online and in-store tools that facilitate swipe-card payment from our in-store iPad kiosks, and group ordering – a function we call “feasting.”

Our online delivery application beta-launched successfully in early December of last year and we are now de-junking offices throughout Manhattan. If you’ve tried it, please send us your comments, if you haven’t? Please join the hundreds of 4foodies that have and share your experience with family, lovers, and friends.

On the subject of shared experience, we have added a “bubbling under” section to the Buildboard Chart to give more visibility to newly created builds.

On the chart, the New Year starts as the old one ended, with Aharris’s Brioche-Beef-Avocado & Chili Mango-Avocado-Manchego-Dijon Mustard-Lettuce & Tomato Caliburger at #1 for the 14^th straight week. This silver certified smash had been purchased 372 times through the end of last week. It is the best selling user-build in 4food’s short, glorious history. Aharris proves the 4food maxim, that there is such a thing as a free lunch (so long as you are prepared to work for it). The MGR Lamb Burger (228 sales to date) takes the #2 spot - though you might want to watch this one closely as Roger has been overheard plotting an assault on first place from his perch on top of the bleachers. The big news on the chart is Newmanra’s Multigrain, Turkey, Spinach & Pinenuts, Avocado, Manchego, Hummus, Sweet Chili Cali4nication, which after an investigation into systematic under-reporting of sales, storms in at #3. Nicolle513’s Faceburger is at #4, looking for a Social Network driven Oscar boost. Crispy Aardvark’s, CrispyAardvark, (169 sales to date), rests at #5, closely followed by The Dark Knight (76 sales to date) at #6, Cindy’s The Low-Cal Sal (187 sales to date) at #7, Nickster623’s Mac & Cheese Main Squeeze!!! (65 sales to date) at #8, and Jennydeluxe’s Bed Intruder Burger (70 sales to date), at #9. Tying the knot at #10 is Gracomal’s Multigrain, Veggie, Brussels sprouts, Butternut Squash, Guacamole, Hummus Office Marriage - a particularly welcome new entry on the chart as it evokes the coming of spring.

“Bubbling under” this week’s chart is Candykid1’s Beiburger followed by four new entries -

Kentam’s Multigrain, Breakfast Pork, Mofo, Manchego, Sweet Chili Grainy Piglywiggly, which deserves success on name recognition alone
AnnieR007’s Rice bun, Salmon, Avocado Chili Mango, Avocado, Lettuce, Salsa Verde, Tzatziki Slammin Salmon, a burger created by and for and containing secret agents
Mkatz’s braggadocios, protein packing, Pumpernickel bun, Beef, Avocado Chili Mango, Cheddar, Hummus, Ketchup, Lettuce, Tomato Mighty Burger. And on that same smash mouth theme -
Ginger Flashs’ Brioche, Lamb, Mushroom & Onions, Pancetta, Cheddar, Sweet Chili, Lettuce, Tomato Ginger Flash’s Meaty Mouthful

In a New Year, on a new chart, the good news is that your new builds continually bring new perspective to de-junking.

Thank you!

Editorial 12/13/10

2010-12-13T07:53:00.000-08:00

And now for something completely different!

Michael Shuman (Managing Partner and 4food’s Architect), Khahlidra Levister (EVP & General Manager), and I would like to invite you to the 4food New Year’s Party – a celebration of next year featuring live broadcasts of New Year’s celebrations from around the world on our fabulous 240 square foot media wall. The event starts at 7 AM on New Year’s Eve, with New Year’s celebrations in Suva (Fiji), Anadyr (Russia), Kamchatka (Russia), and Majuro (Marshall Islands), and runs through the wild celebrations on Baker Island, an uninhabited Pacific Island we apparently own, for whom the ball drops at 7 AM EST on New Year’s day. Our celebrations run all the way until 3 PM on New Year’s Day, at which point we will have been open for 32 marvelous hours straight, serving our regular menu, along with Champagne, Beer and Wine from around the world.

Yes there will be music and dancing (a live DJ from 8 PM), and yes there will be Karaoke (from 2 AM on New Year’s Day and I promise to sing), and yes there is a cover charge of $10 from 8 PM to midnight, and $5 from midnight to 4 AM, after which admission is free.

Why go and suffer stale pretzels in Times Square when you could watch the ball drop from the 4food bleachers eating a truly famous burger – perhaps one of yours!

Aharrise’s Brioche-Beef-Avocado & Chili Mango-Avocado-Manchego-Dijon Mustard-Lettuce & Tomato Caliburger is #1 on the Buildboard Chart for the 9^th straight week outselling Erica’s Erica at #2 by a 2-1 margin. The big news is 11 year old Sydney Seiff’s Brioche-Beef-Winter Slaw-Lettuce & Pickles Bieburger, which buzzes the chart at #8, and becomes the first chart entry ever by a pre-teen, and pushes Low-Cal Sal into oblivion.

Chart:

1. Caliburger

2. Erica

3. Crispy Ardvark

4. Mac & Chees Main Squeeze

5. Dark Knight

6. MGR Lamburger

7. Gooble Goble

8. Bieburger

9. Bed Intruder Burger

10. Cougar

Editorial 11/16/10

2010-11-16T07:52:00.000-08:00

Yet another week at #1 for Aharrise’s Brioche-Beef-Avocado & Chili Mango-Avocado-Manchego-Dijon Mustard- Lettuce & Tomato all-seasons wonder, Caliburger. The question becomes, is Aharrise the Right Said Fred of (W)holeburgers or a marketing machine – in other words where’s the 2^nd single? CrispyAardvark’s beefy Crispy Aardvark burrows itself up to #2 and may be the first real threat to Caliburger domination. Rodgersmg’s lamb MGR burger treads water at #3 in spite of the fact that its creator had his mom in-store plugging his creation (or was it the other way around). Cindy’s salmon Low-Cal Sal slips a couple of places down the chart to #4 – is this a temporary swoon, or a sign that low-cal and cold weather are at odds. Jorjor’s Gobble-Gobble takes full advantage of 4Dave’s departure from the chart to peck its way into the top-5, a beak in front of Vmangual’s Pluckin Burger, which is perched at #6 with sights on Thanksgiving laps. Jennydeluxe’s The Bed Intruder Burger rises a bunk or two to #7, helped out by a ridiculous commercial that’s been running on the in-store media-wall. Swooping in to snatch the #8 position is the first of 3 new entries on the chart, Padrote’s pumpernickel powered Beef-Potato & Chorizo Hash-Pancetta-Cheddar-Jerk Sauce-Mayo-Lettuce & Tomato superhero burger, Dark Knight. Nickster623’s Mac & Cheese Main Squeeze!!! is the joker on the chart mixing a Multigrain Bun-Beef-Mac & Cheese-Avocado-Cheddar-Hummus-Mayo-Ketchup-and Tomato-with Pickles? And rounding out this week’s top-10 is the gorgeous Erica by Ericakeller23, which is what happens when you combine the goodness of Brioche-Veggie Patty-Avocado Chili Mango-Avocado-Sweet Chili Sauce-Lettuce-Tomato-Pickle-and Onion.

To thank you for having us and to mix up the chart a little we’ve decided to run a “create-your-own-(W)holeburger-commercial” contest. The rules are few – create a commercial for your named burger and send it to info@4food.com on or before Christmas Day and we’ll pick a winner by New Years Day 2011. The Prize: $250 (4food$) deposited into your 4food account.

Further proof that de-junking pays the bills.

Editorial 10/26/10

2010-10-26T07:49:00.000-07:00

4food location #1, at 286 Madison Avenue, is the testing ground for the environmentally responsible technologies and business processes we will use and improve as we roll out additional stores.

Our exterior sunshade louvers reduce glare and unnecessary heat gain
Energy efficient LED lighting and clean energy kitchen equipment maximize energy efficiency
Our poured concrete floors keep cool in summer and warm in winter like the best stone barns
We use regenerative hardwood pine as bleacher seating, and for table and counter tops
We compost up to 400 pounds of food waste and packaging in-store every day, reducing trash removal, land fill, and the energy used in trash management
We purchase produce at fair prices
We pay our team higher than industry average wages

Our contention is that you are far more than what you eat! You are our impact on the environment, on the lives of our team, and on the prosperity of the farms and farm workers that supply us. You are our partners in De-junking fast food.

4food Soft Launching This Week

2010-09-01T11:52:00.000-07:00

4food will be open for limited hours leading up to our Grand Opening on September 7th. To find out when we're open, please follow us on Twitter (@4foodnyc) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/4food)

Press Release

2010-08-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

New Restaurant -4food -Opens in Midtown Manhattanon September 7, 2010,offering Guests Millions of Ways to Customize a (W)holeburger™

New York, New York -August 26, 2010-4food is the newsocially networked restaurant set to de-junk™ fast food by bringing fast, fresh, delicious, and nutritious food, made of local produce purchased at fair prices, to people of all ages, lifestyles, and ethnicities. Opening September 7, 2010, 4food is located at 286 Madison Avenue, on the corner of 40th Street in Manhattan, an area with the highest density workday population in the US. 4food redefines counter culture through the use of highly adaptive personalized recommendation technologies and by upgrading food that people already eat.

Traditional items such asburgers, nuggets, fries, salads, and teasare transformed into new menu items that are convenient, and almost infinitely customizable to guests' lifestyles and cultural preferences.No fads, fillers, nor anything artificial.No hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats or oils.Nothing is fried, modified, or genetically engineered.4food's menu is made of quality, natural ingredients and prepared with simple straightforward cooking techniques.

The food is measurably healthier than existing products and reasonably priced.The signature 4food itemnamed the (W)holeburger™ is a donut shaped patty made whole with a VeggieScoop center.There are more than 140 million ways to make a (W)holeburger™ and more than 25 VeggieScoop centers. And what does 4food make with the patty-hole? Skewers: the perfect bun-less low-carbsharing food!
With 120 seats -50 upstairs and 70 downstairs, fixtures like bleachers and communal tables, 4food's design invites social interaction.A 240 square-foot LED monitor provides up-to-the-minute information about special information pertinent to guests' experience.The monitor narrowcasts 4food User generated commercials, mood video, de-junking video mashes, seasonal and occasional products, special events and current news items.Guests can order their food on-line, in the restaurant at the counter, at ipadkiosks, or from hawkers -4food staff registering new customers inside the restaurant.

Social networking gives 4food guests ownership in their dining experience as Registered Users who complete a profile survey (enabling smart recommendation) receive (12) 4food dollars into their 4food accounts.Additionally, Users can then customize, name and market their builds (promoting their burgers) online.Users receive $0.25 in their 4food accounts for every burger sold.

Community and environmental responsibility play an important role in 4food's model:the dynamic menu boards which reduce waste, the use ofsustainable materials and techniques including composting 24/7 by transforming hundreds ofpounds of trash into drainage water daily, apartnership with the New York City Human Resources Administration to provide hands on work experience and life skills training to New Yorkers transitioning from public assistance into the workforce.

As food that is fast is equally important to food that is made of quality products, 4food makes dining the responsible eating choice.

“Two decades ago I wrote a business plan for a chain of fast, healthy food restaurants.My goal was (as it is today) to provide fast, fresh, nutritious, delicious, reasonably priced foods made of natural ingredients, and customizable to our taste, to fuel our fast-paced and globally influenced lives. We serve 4food in immaculate, modern, flagship restaurants that are designed to function as community hubs. We have developed a suite of online tools that allow 4foodies to match their nutrition goals with particular menu items, and enable them to name and market their builds in socially networked ways, and we reward them when they succeed. The sum total of our innovations is a scalable and sustainable model built around a menu of differentiated dejunkedproducts such as the (W)holeburger.” –Adam Kidron -Imagineerand Co-founder.

Partners in 4food include the founders Adam Kidron and architect Michael Shuman; Bill Niman-the founder of NimanRanch; Dr. Woodson Merrill -the founder of Beth Israel Center for Integrated Medicine; Ed Winter -one of the foremost experts in marketing to young people in the US.