Patent Application
20170323322
The present application relates to fortune cookies including “fortunes” that promote products and/or include messages related to the theme of the restaurant that provides the cookies.
The roots of the traditional fortune cookie are in the American frontier, specifically San Francisco in 1894. These tiny, inexpensive cookies have been provided at the end of Chinese meals for over a century. However, the fortune cookies distributed by Chinese restaurants with the check are not particularly interesting, and have no intrinsic value. Typically, the cookies are bland and the messages inside relay a Confucian saying or other witticism. In recent years, the reverse sides of the messages also may include “lucky” numbers and/or a simple statement in the Chinese language. However, other than a minimal entertainment value, traditional fortune cookies do not serve a purpose. It is desired to provide fortune cookies with messages that promote the theme of the restaurant providing the fortune cookies and provide promotional material that will enhance customer loyalty (and enhanced business for the restaurant) through promotional advertising, giveaways, and the like.
A fortune cookie is provided that includes messages that promote the theme of the restaurant providing the fortune cookie and that provide promotional material that enhances customer loyalty (and enhanced business for the restaurant) through promotional advertising, giveaways, and the like. For example, a fortune cookie specifically designed for Cracker Barrel, an American chain of combined restaurant and gift store with a Southern country theme headquartered in Lebanon, Tennessee, is formed from cornbread and includes messages on one side with a home-spun country theme and promotional materials on the other side. In addition to cornbread, the fortune cookie may be flavored as shortbread, red velvet, pecan pie, honey and biscuits, molasses, or other American Southern or country-style flavor. The promotional materials may include free items such as candy from the country store for the children and giveaways or discounts on purchases from the country store or for future food purchases from the restaurant. The promotions also may be directed to cross-promotions with other retail and online establishments.
It is contemplated that the fortune cookies described herein may be adapted for use in other styles of restaurants with different themes. For example, matzoh fortune cookies may be provided in Jewish delis, pita bread fortune cookies in Greek restaurants, tortilla fortune cookies in Mexican restaurants, Portuguese sweetbread fortune cookies in Spanish or Portuguese restaurants, rice cake fortune cookies in Japanese restaurants, gingerbread or chocolate chip cookie fortune cookies in ice cream parlors, etc. The messages would match the theme of the restaurant and the promotions would be designed to enhance customer loyalty through giveaways and promotions suited to the restaurant. The cookies would be distributed with the bill in the restaurant and would include coupons or discounts correlated with the point of sale, thus driving traffic through the store on the way out as well as coupons or discounts that would encourage return visits.
The features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description with relation to the accompanying figures, of which:
Certain specific details are set forth in the following description with respect to
In exemplary embodiments, the fortune cookies include printed messages that promote the theme of the restaurant providing the fortune cookies. The printed message may include an educational fact or expression of culture or folk wisdom. For example, in the case of Cracker Barrel, the messages provide multicultural American historic value by providing pithy home-spun country sayings that bring back fond memories of old family sayings passed down through generations. As illustrated in
Those familiar with the frontier and Southern dialect of the Southern country theme promoted by Cracker Barrel will recognize that this dialect is rich with both expressive, entertaining and amusing expressions that can fit the 10 word “fortune” format as well as the fascinating history that keeps guests returning to such stores. In exemplary embodiments, a roster of over 5000 expressions may be in rotation at any given time. The following are a few examples of the vast array of colorful Southern, country and frontier expressions that actually bear traces of Elizabethan English that are still found in the rural parts if America today:
You can't get blood out of a turnip.
If the shoe fits, wear it.
Butter your own biscuit.
Sparks are going to fly at the square dance!
You enter a room with bells on.
To get ahead, get the bee out of your bonnet!
You can argue the horns off a billy goat.
In two shakes of a lamb's tail, your dream comes true!
Similarly, there is a vast array of Southern country facts that may also be provided on such fortune cookies. The following are a few examples of the country-style facts that could be presented on the reverse side of the country-style cornbread fortune cookie designed for sale and use by Cracker Barrel:
Native Americans used the beaver's front tooth to carve tools in the 1700s.
Early American women tied pockets on the outside of their skirts.
Phrenologists analyzed a person's character by examining the location of the bumps on their head.
Bone marrow was an early delicacy that required a special instrument to extract.
Also, as shown in
The cartoon of
“You can't get blood out of a turnip.”
A promotion specific to Cracker Barrel such as this would be on the reverse:
“Take 10 additional percent off any item on the clearance rack”
Or
“Use this number to take 10 percent off of any purchase in our online store.”
Or
“You won a Hershey bar.”
Or
Take 20% off our Cracker Barrel Country Maple Syrup
Or
Your lucky number is 123. See the casher in the Old Country Store to claim your prize.
Etc.
On the back, there is a fact about early American Rural Life. For example:
“The incisor of a beaver was used by 17th century native Americans as a tool to cut stone.”
These promotions are designed to cause the customers to spend more time in the store after or during the process of paying the bill and/or to provide the incentive for a return visit.
While specific embodiments have been described in detail in the foregoing detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure and the broad inventive concepts thereof. For example, the fortune cookies themselves may be made from edible materials appropriate for the culture or theme of the restaurant and the associated messages and promotions would be adapted accordingly. The promotions could be redeemed in person in the store or in a related or cross-promoted online store as desired. It is understood, therefore, that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the particular examples and implementations disclosed herein, but is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope thereof as defined by the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof
The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/332,181, filed May 5, 2016. The content of that patent application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62332181 | May 2016 | US |
