Show us the yummy; trend developing in foodish line extensions

Last May, we reported that Saltscapes magazine of Halifax was going into the restaurant business with a motel chain by opening eponymous eateries around the Atlantic provinces. While that idea hasn't matured, yet, making food and dining a line extension of magazine titles is looking like a trend. According to a story in Marketing Daily:

• Dennis Publishing's Maxim magazine is to open a chain of steak houses;
  
• Hearst's Country Living is pairing with a Heritage Family Specialty Foods to launch the Country Living Specialty Food collection; and
  
• Rachel Ray, the namesake of the magazine Everyday with Rachel Ray (a one woman media brand) is to open a burger joint in Manhattan;

The Country Living line has had a so-called 'soft launch' with various products for Christmas available at the Heritage website since early this month after the Country Living Fair in Chicago. The complete line of products, including dessert toppings, preserves and something called "pie in a jar" (illustrated is 'pecan pie in a jar') will be introduced in January at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco.