Founded by lobbyist Richard Berman in 1995 (as Guest Choice Network), the Center for Consumer Freedom represents “a coalition of restaurant operators and concerned individuals working together to defend your right to a full and varied menu of dining options.” (http://www.consumerfreedom.com/main_faq.cfm; accessed 7/10/02). The group was initiated by a $600,000 grant and a subsequent $300,000 grant from Philip Morris. (http://www.prwatch.org.improp/ddam.html; accessed 5/20/02; PR Watch, 2002;9(1):7-8) Members of CCF’s 1998 advisory panel included: - Dave Albright, National Steak and Poultry
- Jane Innes, Perkins Family Restaurants, L.P.
- Steve Bartlett, Meridian Products Corporation
- Robert Basham, Outback Steakhouse, Inc.
- John F. Berglund, Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association
- Lou Chatey, Sebastiani Vineyards
- H.A. “Andy” Divine, University of Denver
- Timothy J. Doke, Brinker International, Inc.
- Richard Fisher, Tetley USA, Inc.
- William L. Hyde, Jr., Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
- James Spector, Philip Morris, USA
- Michael Middleton, Cargill Processed Meat Products
- Daniel J. Popeo, Washington Legal Foundation
- Richard G. Scalise, Armour Swift-Eckrich
- Daniel Timm, the Bruss Company
- Carl Vogt, Fulbright & Jaworski
- Richard Walsh, Darden Restaurants, Inc.
- Terry Wheatley, Sutter Home Winery
(http://www.prwatch.org.improp/ddam.html; accessed 5/20/02; PR Watch, 2002;9(1):7-8) [CCF] does not disclose the identity of its funders, but some information has become publicly available thanks to a whistleblower that provided internal documents to PR Watch. Pre-2001 Contributions: | 4 B's Restaurants | $200 | | Advantica Restaurant Group | $10,000 | | Armour-Swift Eckrich | $5,000 | | Bestfoods Foodservice | $1,250 | | Buca, Inc. | $500 | | Carlson Hospitality Worldwide | $1,000 | | Chart House Enterprises | $2,500 | | Comarco Products | $2,000 | | Country Kitchen International | $1,000 | | Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. | $1,500 | | Louise's Trattoria | $500 | | Max & Erma's Restaurants, Inc. | $2,500 | | Ruby Tuesday, Inc. | $500 | | Ruth's Chris Steak House, Inc. | $1,000 | | Standard Meat | $17,500 | | Trinchero Family Estates | $10,000 | 2001 Contributions: | Anton's Airfoods, Inc. | $3,000 | | Applebee's International, Inc. | $15,000 | | Cameron Mitchell Restaurants | $1,250 | | Campagna-Turano Bakery, Inc. | $500 | | Casual Restaurant Concepts | $3,300 | | Coca-Cola Company | $200,000 | | Coldwater Seafood | $15,000 | | Crystal's International | $252 | | Custom Cuts | $1,500 | | Daisy Brand | $1,000 | | Excel/Cargill | $100,000 | | Fired Up | $6,000 | | Hatfield Quality Meats | $33,700 | | HMS Host Corporation | $50,000 | | Jeff's Gourmet Pies | $1,000 | | John R. Daily Company | $750 | | Kagome, Inc. | $1,086 | | King and Prince Seafood | $9,200 | | KorBert, Inc. | $300 | | KPR Foods | $1,000 | | LTP Management Group | $3,250 | | Marie Callendar Pie Shops | $11,900 | | Mexican Restaurants | $750 | | Monsanto | $200,000 | | National Steak and Poultry | $10,000 | | North American Enterprises | $500 | | North American Provisioners | $150 | | Not Your Average Joe's | $347 | | Outback Steakhouse | $164,600 | | P.F. Chang's China Bistro | $15,000 | | Packaging Corporation of America | $10,000 | | Performance Food Group | $15,000 | | Pilgrim's Pride Corporation | $100,000 | | Pro Edge | $2,400 | | Quantum Foods | $18,000 | | Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers | $1,000 | | Rare Hospitality | $15,000 | | Real Food Marketing | $500 | | Restaurant Concepts | $6,000 | | Rosemount Estates (Southcorp) | $5,300 | | Royal Cup | $1,000 | | Save-on Seafood | $2,000 | | Sugar Foods Corporation | $5,000 | | T. Marzetti Company | $10,000 | | TriOak Foods | $5,100 | | Tyson Foods, Inc. | $100,000 | | Wendy's International, Inc. | $200,000 | | White Castle System | $43,872 | | Worldwide Restaurants Concepts | $1,500 | 2002 Contributions: | Brinker International, Inc. | $25,000 | | Cameron Mitchell Restaurants | $1,250 | | Campagna-Turano Bakery, Inc. | $500 | | China Mist | $400 | | Coffee Reserve, Inc. | $140 | | Darifair Foods | $5,000 | | Dean Foods Company | $5,000 | | Eli's Cheesecake Company | $1,000 | | Excel/Cargill | $100,000 | | Good Humor/Breyer's Ice Cream | $1,500 | | HMS Host Corporation | $25,000 | | John Soules Foods | $1,000 | | Ken's Foods Inc. | $5,000 | | Michigan Turkey Producers Coop. | $7,000 | | National Everclean Service | $500 | | Not Your Average Joe's | $347 | | Paradise Tomato Kitchens, Inc. | $7,500 | | Perdue Farms, Inc. | $40,000 | | Pro Clean | $1,500 | | Revolution, Inc. | $1,000 | | Royal Cup | $1,500 | | RTM, Inc. | $64,872 | | Simmons Foods, Inc. | $5,000 | | Sun Orchard, Inc. | $2,000 | | Syracuse's Italian Sausage | $500 | | Tyson Foods, Inc. | $100,000 | (http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Center_for_Consumer_Freedom; accessed 7/10/03)
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