Hottness...literally

So this week was a packed one for the R/West PR department.

On Monday, we had our usual client meetings and email extravaganza (seriously, does anyone keep up on their Google Alerts and Media Post newsletters over the weekend? If so, please share your secret...)

But the coolest thing about Monday was that we got to go "behind the scenes" at Franz Bakery. Check out the hotness that is JulieAnna, Kendall and Brittney in our super cute hairnets and glowing faces (more about that in a sec.)

So after learning that Franz is one of only 7 companies in Portland that are more than 100 years old (pop quiz: can anyone name the other 6?), we got to see where the magic happens. And let me tell y'all that boy does that magic happen @ Franz.

First, they have this thing called the Bun Highway. It reminded me of a really cool train set, except instead of trains there are just buns whizzing by at super high speeds (not like Speedracer fast, but more like Brittney behind the wheel fast...)

They make all kinds of buns for most fastfood restaurants in the Northwest...Wendy's and Burger King to name a few (our fave is Burgerville...shout out to former R/West client and long-lost love!) Fact: each restaurant has their own recipe and the "bun bakers" at Franz have to memorize each one. Tough stuff. They make this mixture called a "sponge" first, which is like flour, water and shortening (don't quote me on that) and then they add in the "secret ingredients." Basically, it's a lot harder than I thought to make buns. Who knew?

Of course, the best buns are the Franz label ones...they don't have high fructose corn syrup and they're just generally healthier for you. Way less gluten...

So thanks for catching up on Franz with us. We think they're super cool. And they are really nice and their bakery smells yummy. And you can get really cheap bread at their outlet stores (check it.)

Stay tuned for more "behind the scenes" action in an upcoming segment on KPTV's On the Go with Joe V. Who else likes to get up at 5 a.m. cuz we do!

Oh and last but not least, go to Franz's Web site and enter the "Grilling Days" giveaways... we wrote a super fancy press release on it. Read about it.

And get ready for some major bun action on May 28...National Hamburger Day (hollah!)