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Casual Dining

Food

Red Lobster's iconic Cheddar Bay Biscuits change shape

 By Patricia Cobe on Apr. 01, 2024

April Fool’s joke or permanent switch? The classic biscuits get elongated into breadsticks on Monday.

Emerging Brands

Punch Bowl Social plans growth with two acquired concepts

 By Lisa Jennings on Mar. 29, 2024

Chicago-based eatertainment chain Punch Bowl Social has acquired two new brands that it plans to grow. One is karaoke-concept Voicebox and the other is an immersive art experience called Sweet Tooth Hotel. Both have cocktail bars.

Leadership

BJ's agrees to listen to another activist investor

By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 27, 2024

The casual-dining chain will take input from PW Partners on how to boost shareholder value. In exchange, PW will withdraw two board nominees.

Financing

Benihana deal makes The One Group one to watch in full-service dining

By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 27, 2024

Acquiring the 86-unit teppanyaki chain will make the owner of STK and Kona Grill a $1 billion company. And it's just the beginning of an ambitious long-term growth plan.

Financing

STK parent One Group to acquire Benihana owner for $365M

By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 26, 2024

The deal for Safflower Holdings, which also includes the RA Sushi brand, will nearly triple One’s footprint to 168 locations worldwide.

Emerging Brands

3 concepts from Asia are making their U.S. debut

By Lisa Jennings on Mar. 25, 2024

These three chains are big in Asia and elsewhere, but they opened units in the U.S. for the first time last week. Two are full-service concepts, from China and Mongolia, and a third is an innovative pastry shop from Taiwan.

Leadership

Red Lobster names restructuring expert as new CEO

By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 22, 2024

Industry veteran Jonathan Tibus will take the reins as owner Thai Union Group prepares to sell the seafood chain. He replaces Horace Dawson, who is retiring.

Financing

Lower-income consumers pull back at Olive Garden

By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 21, 2024

Guests earning less than $75,000 are visiting the casual-dining chain much less than last year, parent Darden Restaurants said Thursday.

Operations

Early birds are perking up traffic at Olive Garden

By Joe Guszkowski on Mar. 19, 2024

More customers are visiting the Italian casual-dining chain in the late afternoon and early evening, which has helped lift transactions, according to data from Placer.ai.

Financing

Is Chili's cheaper than McDonald's? It's complicated

By Jonathan Maze on Mar. 18, 2024

Fast-food price increases have made price points between the two brands closer than ever. But there is a better comparison for the casual-dining restaurant chain.

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