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Financing

How Red Lobster got in over its head

Leadership problems, a tough economy and all-you-can eat shrimp have brought the nation's biggest full-service seafood chain to the brink of rock bottom.

Financing

How Wingstop fixed its chicken wing cost problem

A Deeper Dive: Michael Skipworth, CEO of the chicken chain, joins the Restaurant Business podcast to discuss wings, chicken sandwiches and technology.

Marketing Bites: The burger chain is counting down to warmer weather, restaurants look to soften the Tax Day blow and Cava turns to TikTok for menu inspiration.

Winners of the James Beard Foundation restaurant and chef awards will be named on June 10. Ruth Reichl was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award and The LEE Initiative was named Humanitarian of the Year.

The small company formerly known as Waitr ended its operations Tuesday. It had been struggling to compete with larger delivery players for years.

The combination restaurant and arcade chain is working on upgrading its menu offerings to bolster food attachment. But it is also planning to raise gaming prices to improve profits.

But the fast-food chain’s chief executive, who was recently given the chairman title, still makes less than he did two years ago.

CKE Restaurants, which also owns the burger chain Hardee’s, has separated its two fast-food brands and its international development under a trio of executives.

A Deeper Dive: The chief executive of the fast-casual chicken wing chain talks about how his restaurant chain solved the wing cost problem, how chicken sandwiches transformed the business, and the prospects for going 100% digital.

The Bottom Line: It’s not certain yet how the $20 wage will impact chain restaurants. But one thing is clear: Most of the companies affected are small businesses that are already facing profit challenges.

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