Five Guys rolling out Coca-Cola Freestyles nationwide

Coca-Cola announced today that Five Guys Burgers and Fries will be rolling out its 100+ flavor Freestyle soda fountains to all of its company-owned restaurants nationwide.

Five Guys will be the largest chain to carry the fountain nationally.

Five Guys currently has several locations in the Inland Empire, including Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Mira Loma, Corona, Moreno Valley and Temecula, and has locations planned for San Bernardino, Apple Valley and Riverside, but I believe the locations out here are franchised.

In other Freestyle location news, the Colton Del Taco at 834 W. Valley Blvd. now has one.

To read our take on the Freestyle machine, click here.

Click here to read Coca-Cola’s press release.

Baker’s serving up Boca burgers for $1 today

Baker’s Drive-Thru is offering its second Facebook coupon this week, this time in honor of World Vegetarian Day.

With the coupon, you can score a Boca burger for just a buck.

Baker’s is no stranger to the vegetarian menu, as all locations have several vegetarian items and several locations offer a vegetarian ground beef substitute.

Click here to visit the Facebook event page and get your coupon. As usual, you can either print the coupon or go green and simply display it on your mobile device. The coupon is good today (September 30) only.

Baker’s Drive-Thru restaurants can be found throughout the Inland Empire.

Kitchen Nightmares coming to La Verne…and you can be a part

Frequent visitors to Dine 909 are well aware of the effect the economy has had on several restaurants here in the Inland Empire, and it’s not good.

One local restaurant has chosen to take a drastic step to remain viable.

Fox’s Kitchen Nightmares show and Chef Gordon Ramsay are coming to La Verne next week to help out Charlie’s Italian Bistro and you can be a part of the show.

The producers have put out a call for local customers as the restaurant will remain open during filming and through the transformation.

Filming will take place Tuesday (October 4) through Friday (October 7), and if you want to participate, all you have to do is email lavernerest@gmail.com to request a reservation.

This isn’t the first time Chef Ramsey has come to the Inland Empire. In the first season, he attempted to help resurrect Lela’s in Pomona. You can watch that episode here.

Click here to find out more about the show (and watch more full episodes).

Update: Dine 909 was on hand for the filming of the show, as part of the restaurant’s reopening. You can read all about our adventures here.

A $25 restaurant gift certificate for $1? Wow!

For the uninitiated, restaurant.com is a site where restaurants promote themselves by offering gift certificates on the cheap.

Typically, restaurants will offer a $25 gift certificate for $10 or $15, but that’s not the real savings.

Once you buy from them, you’ll get on their email list and receive promo codes that offer additional savings.

I’ve seen 60%, 70%, even 80% off, but never 90% off…until today.

Today (September 29) only, by entering the promo code WOW, you’ll get 90% off your order at restaurant.com.

It’s not all sunshine and roses, however. There are a few restaurants that the promo code doesn’t apply to. Also, the promo code doesn’t apply to restaurant.com’s gift cards or their “Dinner of the Month Club,” where you can purchase a 3-, 6-, or 12-month gift card “subscription.”

Oh, and some of the restaurants have a limited number of certificates available each month (Gourmet Pizza Shoppe, for example) and have already sold out.

In addition, most of the restaurants require you to make a minimum purchase and tack on a gratuity of some sort, usually 18%. Here’s an example: The delicious La Costa Restaurant in San Bernardino has $25 gift certificates on restaurant.com for $10. With the promo code, that’s only $1. But, you have to spend at least $35, and they add in an 18% gratuity before the discount, so…for $35 worth of food, you end up paying $17.30.

Still a deal in anyone’s book. And the food at La Costa is amazing!

Click here to get started…and don’t forget the promo code!

Pulmonary fibrosis restraurant fundraisers tomorrow

Two Inland Empire restaurants will be participating in a fundraiser today (September 29) to benefit the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Dine at either Corky’s Kitchen and Bakery, 6403 Haven Ave., Rancho Cucamonga, or Guasti Cafe, 13526 Central Ave., Chino, between 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 15% of your bill will be donated to the organization.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a disease characterized by progressive scarring of the lungs.

For more information, click here.

Cool off for free at Baker’s Drive-Thru today

Baker’s Drive-Thru has done it yet again. They’re offering a free item via a Facebook coupon.

Today’s free item is one of Baker’s new Cool Creations beverages. You’ll be able to choose from:

  • Vanilla iced coffee
  • Caramel iced coffee
  • Iced coffee
  • Cherry Bomb
  • Annie Palmer
  • Rootzilla
  • Baker’s Blast
  • Lemon Berry

As usual, only one free item per car or per person per visit. You can either print out the coupon or display it on your mobile device. The free offer is good today (September 28) only.

Click here to visit the Facebook event page for the giveaway.

Baker’s Drive-Thru restaurants can be found throughout the Inland Empire.

Healthy Food Fight at L.A. County Fair this weekend

We’re all aware of the not-so-healthy food that can be found at the L.A. County Fair.

You know what I’m talking about…those deep-fried, bacon-topped, chocolate-dipped, oversized, calorie-laden temptations.

How ironic then, that Aetna has chosen the fair as the site of one of its Healthy Food Fight semi-finals.

Chocolate-covered bacon and deep-fried Klondike bars will be set aside in favor of Farmers Market stew and Southwest toasted brown rice, corn, tomato and avocado salad, at least for this event.

Aetna asked people around the country to submit their best healthy recipes, and narrowed the field down to 20 entrants from California, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona to compete at the fair this weekend.

The event is open to the public (with fair admission) and will take place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m both Saturday and Sunday near the Yellow Gate.

In addition to the recipe cook-off, the event will feature giveaways and cooking demonstrations.

Recipes will be judged on taste, presentation and nutritional value. Online votes will also be factored in.

The winner of this weekend’s semi-final will square off in December in New York against winners of upcoming contests in Dallas, Philadelphia and Atlanta.

The grand prize winner will take home $10,000 worth of groceries donated by Recipe.com.

For more information, visit www.healthyfoodfight.com.

Dine out and help eradicate childhood hunger

We are approaching the tail end of Share Our Strength’s Dine Out for No Kid Hungry week, which began Monday (September 18) and concludes Saturday (September 24).

The campaign is an effort to put an end to childhood hunger.

Several chains with locations here in the Inland Empire are participating, either by taking donations directly (and offering an incentive in return) or donating a portion of sales.

Here are a few examples:

  • Togos, 4077 University Parkway, San Bernardino: Donate $1 or more and get a free 20-ounce fountain drink on your next visit.
  • Corner Bakery Cafe, 12375 S. Main Street, Rancho Cucamonga: Donate $1 or more, receive a coupon for a free whoopie pie; $5 donation for a coupon book valued at $35.
  • P.F. Chang’s, 3445 Grand Ave., Chino Hills: 50 donated for every order of lettuce wraps purchased.
  • Boston Market, 70890 Foothill Blvd., Rancho Cucamonga: Donate $1 or more and get a coupon for a free side on your next visit.
  • Sizzler, 1800 S. Waterman Ave., San Bernardino: 10% of all kids meals will be donated.
  • Joe’s Crab Shack, 12327 Foothill Blvd., Rancho Cucamonga: Donate $1 or more and get a coupon for a free key lime pie; donate $5 or more get a coupon for a free crab nachos; donate $10 or more and get a free steam pot.
  • Dave & Buster’s, 4821 Mills Circle, Ontario: Through September 30, donate $1 or more and get a free appetizer or a $5 Power Card, redeemable in October.
  • Denny’s, 504 N. Vineyard Ave., Ontario: Through October 1, donate $3 and receive a coupon book worth $5.

Head to the Dine Out for No Kid Hungry website to search for participating restaurants near you and fill your belly to help fill others’.

Help Chili’s help kids

You can help in the research and treatment of childhood cancers and other catastrophic diseases and you don’t even have to go to medical school to do so.

You can help just by going out to eat.

And a meal out is much cheaper than medical school.

This Monday (September 26), Chili’s Grill and Bar will donate 100% of its net profits for the day to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The fundraising day is part of Chili’s annual “Create-A-Pepper” campaign to fight childhood cancer and to raise funds for the hospital.

Participants can also enlist friends to donate funds to the hospital and earn free food items from Chili’s.

Since partnering with St. Jude in 2002, the restaurant has donated over $35 million for the hospital.

Head to the “Create-A-Pepper” website for more info and to invite friends, set up a reminder email, add to your online calendar and RSVP on Facebook.

Chili’s Grill and Bar restaurants can be found throughout the Inland Empire, including San Bernardino, Redlands, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Montclair, Chino Hills, Beaumont, Victorville, Riverside, Moreno Valley, Corona, Lake Elsinore, Hemet, Murrieta and Temecula.
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Social Sunday returning to My Delight Cupcakery this weekend

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After an extended hiatus, Social Sunday is returning to Ontario’s My Delight Cupcakery this weekend.

The bakery is expanding its scope this time by including its shopping center neighbors — Toro Sushi, New Age Comics, Burger Zone, Chopsticks Wok and Juice It Up — in the festivities.

Also, the Humane Society will be on hand with information about pet adoption.

DJ Mike Styles will provide the beats. As is customary, the eats will be provided by a pair of food trucks: Nom Nom and White Rabbit. The treats, of course, will be supplied by My Delight, which will have a special cupcake menu for the day.

Those who RSVP via Facebook will receive a 10% discount. In addition, the first 25 customers will receive a special gift.

The event will take place from noon to 5 p.m. this Sunday (September 25) at the bakery, 1520 N. Mountain Ave. (at Sixth Street), Ontario.

For more information, click here to read the blog post on the event, or click here to go to the Facebook event page.