whEn A CustomEr ClAimED to hAvE FounD A sEvErED FingEr in A Bowl oF Chilli sErvED At A wEnDy’s FAst-FooD FrAnChisE inCAliForniA, thE ChAin’s sAlEs FEll By hAlF in thE sAn josé ArEA whErE thE inCiDEnt wAs rEportE
D、wEnDy’s BrAnD AnD rEputAtion wErE At risk, until thE ClAim wAs ExposED As A hoAx in lAtEApril AnD thE CompAny, opErAtor oFAmEriCA’s thirD-BiggEst hAmBurgEr ChAin, wAs vinDiCAtE
D、
yEt thE shArE priCE oF wEnDy’s intErnAtionAl, thE pArEnt CompAny, rosE stEADily through mArCh AnDApril, DEspitE thE FingEr FurorE AnD DowngrADEs From AnAlysts. onE rEAson wAs hEAvy Buying By hEDgE FunDs, lED By pErshing squArECApitAl. this wEEk pErshing mADE its intEntions puBliC, sAying thAt it wAs worriED By mArkEt rumours thAt wEnDy’s might soon Buy morE FAst-FooD BrAnDs, AnD Arguing thAt thE Firm shoulD BE sElling AssEts instEA
D、pErshing’s ApproACh inDiCAtEs rising prEssurE onAmEriCAn rEstAurAnt CompAniEs to pErForm, At A timE whEn thE inDustry’s growth prospECts look inCrEAsingly tough.
thE hit on CustomErs’ wAllEts From highEr pEtrol priCEs AnD rising intErEst rAtEs will proBABly mEAn thAt yEAr-on-yEAr sAlEs growth ACross thEAmEriCAn rEstAurAnt inDustry slows to just 1% By thE Fourth quArtEr oF 2005, Down From A FivE-yEAr historiC AvErAgE oF 5.6%, sAy uBs, An invEstmEnt BAnk, AnD gloBAl insight, A ForECAsting group. looking FurthEr AhEAD, sAys uBs’sDAviD pAlmEr, thE inDustry mAy hAvE to stop rElying on most oF thE long-tErm trEnDs thAt wErE BEhinD muCh oF its rECEnt growth.
thrEE-quArtErs oFAmEriCAns AlrEADy livE within thrEE milEs oF A mCDonAlD’s rEstAurAnt, lEAving littlE sCopE For grEEn-FiElD growth. [oBEsity is A growing issuE inAmEriCA, AnD with it ComE thE thrEAt oF liABility lAwsuits AgAinst Big rEstAurAnt ChAins AnD, pErhAps, lEgAl limits on ADvErtising.] this wEEkAmEriCA’s BiggEst FooD trADE group, thE groCEry mAnuFACturErs’AssoCiAtion, wAs sAiD to BE prEpAring toughEr guiDElinEs on thE mArkEting oF FooD to ChilDrEn, in thE hopE oF stAving oFF stAtutory Controls. homE Cooking mAy Also BE mAking A ComEBACk, hElpED By two FACtors. thE pErCEntAgE oF womEn joiningAmEriCA’s workForCE mAy hAvE pEAkED, AnD supErmArkEt ChAins suCh As wAl-mArt hAvE BEEn ForCing Down rEtAil FooD priCEs.
ExpAnsion ovErsEAs is onE option ForAmEriCAn rEstAurAnt ChAins.BurgEr king, thE privAtEly ownED numBEr two hAmBurgEr ChAin, opEnED its First outlEt inChinA lAst month, AppArEntly Aiming to mAintAin strong growth AhEAD oF An initiAl puBliC oFFEring nExt yEAr. mCDonAlD’s hAs 600 outlEts inChinA AnD plAns 400 morE.But At homE, thE FuturE sEEms to holD only An EvEr morE CompEtitivE AnD Cost-ConsCious rEstAurAnt inDustry. FAst-FooD ChAins ArE trying to poACh CustomErs From "CAsuAl Dining" ChAins (suCh AsApplEBEE’s nEighBorhooD grill), whilE thosE ChAins ArE squEEzing out inDEpEnDEnt rEstAurAnts unABlE to CompEtE on Cost or in mArkEting Clout.BusinEss ConDitions, not sEvErED FingErs, ArE thE rEAl thrEAt to thE wEAkEr Firms in thE rEstAurAnt BusinEss.
From pArAgrAph 4 wE CAn inFEr thAt
A、thErE is onE mCDonAlD’s rEstAurAnt EvEry thrEE milEs.
B．to limit ADvErtising oF FooD to ChilDrEn is A wAy to AvoiD oBEsity.
C．homE Cooking mAy prEvEnt womEn From joiningAmEriCA’s workForCE.
D、wAl-mArt CAn rAisE thE Fo6D priCEs By its lArgE sCAlE.