Soothing the Savage Diner

Restaurants are becoming acutely aware of the effect of music on dining, reports Restaurants & Institutions Magazine. For instance, when slow ballads are playing in the background, people only eat 3.2 mouthfuls a minute, but when fast march or rock music is played, they stuff in 5.1 mouthfuls a minute. A Hard Rock Cafe in Florida subtly prepares its customers for closing time by playing slower, softer music after 1 a.m., and even some classical music after 2 a.m. (Perhaps taking the hint, several 7-Eleven stores in Arizona have stopped high school students lounging out front by blasting Mantovani into the parking lot.)

Fish Now Fly Cheaper

With sushi-lovers’ interests in mind, the cargo division of Japan Air Lines has developed a special fish container that can keep fish in a state of suspended animation without seawater. Thus they can be shipped at one sixth the cost of carrying them in a fish tank.

Hey, Where’s the Beef?

Beef is selling well despite the recession and cattle prices have remained high. As a result, cases of rustling doubled in 1990.

A Bar Snack Milestone

The Father of the Buffalo Wing has died. Actually, Dominic Bellissimo was the son of the inventor: His mother, Theresa, whipped together the first ones in 1964 when a customer at Bellissimo’s Anchor Bar in Buffalo, N.Y., asked for a snack. Bellissimo’s family continues to run the Anchor Bar, which is said to serve 70,000 pounds of chicken a month.

Dictators, Take Heed: This Candy Bar Never Runs

In the afterglow of Operation Desert Shield, the Armed Forces have been evaluating the success of their food programs. One of the big hits: the Desert Candy Bar, designed not to melt at Saharan temperatures.

The Club’s Slogan: Semper Pepperoni

Domino’s has just signed an exclusive contract with the Marine Corps to set up restaurants (pardon us: pizza stores) on five bases, including California’s Camp Pendleton. Part of the deal is that 12%-18% of each store’s revenues will be contributed to the local Marine base military club system.

Champagne Hopes and Pretzel Dreams

Due to bad potato crops in ’89 and ‘90, the potato chip market took a dip and pretzel sales climbed for the first time in nearly a decade. Encouraged by this, and undeterred by the flop of the Oat Bran Pretzel, the J&J; company has been test-marketing soft pretzels in movie theaters.

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