From Lauren Shepherd of The Associated Press: "Beef may not be
what’s for dinner at your favorite restaurant come 2009. Restaurants,
now working to secure supply and price contracts for meat and other
commodities for the upcoming year, are expecting big increases in food
costs - increases that will likely lead to menu changes and price hikes.
Some chains are already adjusting their menus to reflect current
high costs for both beef and chicken. CKE Restaurants Inc., which
operates the Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. chains, stopped offering Double
Cheeseburgers in its 2 for $3 promotion at the end of August and
replaced them with Jumbo Chili Dogs and Hot Ham ‘N’ Cheese Sandwiches
to avoid selling pricey beef at a lower price. Even fast-food leader
McDonald’s Corp. is considering making some changes to its popular
dollar menu - either by changing the items on the menu or bumping up
prices - saying the cost of selling meat at such low prices might be
too high."