Channeling Dave Thomas

Don't ask me his name now, but the president of Taco Bell took the unusual step of appearing in a recent commercial.

There were no chihuahua sightings, but he tried to assuage fears after the restaurant's recent troubles with patrons sickened by vegetables in its Mexican entrees. Nothing kills restaurant business quite like food poisoning.

Fast food giants regularly hide their real images behind slick advertising spawn such as Ronald McDonald and the Burger King (who's not tired of that masked goon already?) targeted at children, who then rope their parents into visiting the drive-through.

Corporate guys aren't pitchman for something you scarf down at 11 p.m. to soak up the night's libations. But here he took a page from the Dave Thomas playbook and appealed directly to the consumer.

It's a shame companies cannot do that more often. Thomas initially did the commercials himself because he didn't have to hire professional pitchmen. But his folksy demeanor took the company to the pinnacle of the fast-food pyramid (I won't get into what disturbing batch of food groups that involves). The Taco Bell prez's move reeked of damage control, but it worked; it said, "I'm willing leave the executive boardroom, be accountable, and to ease your concerns about our food."

Wendy's, of course, has yet to regain its moxie since Thomas died and took his cult of fast-foot personality with him.

And no other pitchmen has taken those reins for any fast food company. That's the number one reason I don't eat - except for its sheer unhealthiness. Reading Fast Food Nation will make quickly install a "Wrong Way" sign at the entrance to the Drive-through lane.