Set a spell--and buy, buy, buy

Restaurants once competed with home kitchens. Now the challenge is shifting to the living room.

Fast-food places wove themselves into the social fabric in part by moving customers in and out before their French fries could cool. The faster the service, the faster the meal could be consumed, the quicker fast-paced lives could resume.

But now the quick-service sector is recasting itself as a place to sit for a spell. New design packages invite patrons to kick back and relax. Sip your cappucino! Surf the net! Check out our new entertainment features! What's the rush, Bunkie? Rest up a bit before resuming the grind.

That about-face is evident in the new prototypes of virtually all the major chains, from McDonald's to Panera Bread, Jack in the Box, Burger King, even Baskin-Robbins and Krystal. Today brought news that Taco Bell is similarly turning part of its dining rooms into a living-room-away-from-home, at least on a test basis. A new store in Baton Rouge, La., will outfit a portion of its eating space with cushy seats and computer hook-ups, so students from nearby Louisiana State University can hang out and study.

Some contend the residential trend in fast-food design was set in motion by Starbucks, which wanted to be a lifestyle destination, not the place to gulp down a $4 coffee. Not surprisingly, the java king continues to outpace all others in positioning its units as away-from-home dens. It's not only experimenting with highly localized cafes, each sporting a unique name inspired by the localation, but also Starbucks-branded units where you can nurse a beer or sip a chardonnay while chatting online.

If any retailer should be worried about the trend, it's Barnes & Noble, a lounge that just happens to sell books. I'd love to see the analysis of how it's come-and-linger strategy has affected sales.

But I think my desire would be second to Taco Bell's at this point. You have to wonder if kids shopping for a $2 meal will want to give their skateboards a prolonged rest.

The newest jolt on quick-service menus

McDonald's isn't convinced that energy drinks would make a good addition to its beverage mix. Indeed, it's betting the public will more readily embrace liquid snacks like frappes or smoothies, or thirst quenchers like flavored waters.

But that hasn't stopped three of its quick-service rivals from taking the plunge. Carl's Jr. and its brother in burgers, Hardee's, jointly announced today that they're adding Monster-brand energy drinks to the menus of all stores starting this month. The statement noted how popular the jolt in a can has become among young people. "You can’t walk down the street without seeing a young guy holding a can of Monster," remarked Andrew Puzder, CEO of the chains' parent, CKE Restaurants.

CKE's decision to start selling cans of Monster follows the introduction last month of a proprietary energy-drink brand for Krystal, the regional square-burger specialist. Krystal not only decided to market its own drink, called Blitz, but to offer it in fountain form. Patrons can either have it served over ice, or "frozen," like a slush.

They're clearly seeing opportunity where McDonald's reads at best a possibility. "The jury is still out relative to energy-based drinks," McDonald's USA president Don Thompson reportedly remarked after the company's annual shareholders meeting.

What seems to be missing from the deliberations is how the public will perceive the chains' addition of the highly caffeinated and often heavily sweetened drinks, which are clearly aimed in part at high-schoolers and older teens. Some watchdogs are going to equate the sales push with peddling espresso to children. There very well could be a backlash.

But first, watch for other chains to follow the leads of Carl's, Hardee's and Krystal.