More Buck for your Burrito

Chipotle Mexican Grill posted its first profit decline since going public in 2006 on Wednesday, as it battled higher ingredient costs and a slowing U.S. economy. The restaurant operator said sales were still positive but growth has slowed. The quarterly results from Denver-based Chipotle, a former Wall Street darling, comes amid worries financially stressed consumers will skip even more restaurant visits as they weather a housing slump, credit crisis and rising unemployment. "These tough economic times make it harder for customers to afford to eat out," Monty Moran, president, said during a conference call. "We know that some of our customers are forced to visit us a little less frequently than they were a year ago." Chipotle, known for serving premium-priced naturally raised meat, said third-quarter net income fell to $19.5 million, or 59 cents per share, from $20.6 million, or 62 cents per share, a year earlier. Chipotle said it plans to raise prices in the fourth quarter.

ISF: Yeah, that's interesting. You want to increase sales, yet you increase prices. Hey, Monty--don't you think people will be LESS inclined to dine at your restaurants if they see that they're not getting the value they're used to? Just a thought from someone who's NOT a company president, but understands the value of his dollar and would rather see it go towards something of more importance in HIS life than YOUR salary and bonus this year.

Exxxxxxxxxxxxcellent...

The standoff between "The Simpsons" voice cast and series producer 20th Century Fox TV is over. After months of negotiations, the cast of Fox's long-running animated series reached a new four-year deal with the studio during the weekend. Under the pact, the top actors will be paid nearly $400,000 per episode. While this is lower than the reported $500,000 the cast originally sought, it remains a significant increase from their current paychecks of about $300,000 an episode. (By contrast, Charlie Sheen is the highest-paid sitcom star, reportedly earning $350,000 per episode in 2006.)

WP: What a relief! I was worried they might actually have to go out and get real jobs instead of coming to work in their jammies and sitting in a soundproof room for a couple of hours.

Pretty, please? With millions of dollars on top?

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon flew into Myanmar's disaster zone Thursday as he pressed the country's leaders to open the doors to critical international aid for some 2.5 million cyclone survivors. In a meeting with Prime Minister Thein Sein, Ban stressed that foreign aid experts needed to be rushed in because the crisis had exceeded Myanmar's national capacity, according to a U.N. official at the talks.

WP: Please, oh please, won't you take our millions of dollars in aid while our own country struggles with the rising cost of gas, airline prices, food prices, a recession, a falling stock market, rising unemployment, Katrina victims who still don't have a place to live, etc.? C'mon? Please?

Harry Potter and the Great Accounting Adventure

Harry Potter was the center of seven novels, but he'll star in eight films. The final book in the wildly successful series will be made into two films, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday. Producers are expected to announce Thursday that J.K. Rowling's last "Potter" installment, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," will be split into two parts on the big screen. The first film is slated for release in November 2010, with part two following in May 2011. The two final "Potter" films will be shot concurrently, much like the blockbuster trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy novel "The Lord of the Rings." "It was born out of purely creative reasons," producer David Heyman told the Times.

WP: That, and they received news from the accounting department that they could actually make TWICE as much money if they made two movies instead of just one.