Smashburger

Ruby Tuesday’s narrowly averted cheese-biscuit apocalypse demonstrates how social media’s role is evolving from marketing to operations. The chain has spent several years working through a major brand refresh, migrating from a down-home bar-and-grill to a more upscale-casual concept. To that end, the company decided to phase out the free cheddar biscuits given to diners, testing the new program in one area where the biscuits went AWOL. The reaction was telling: customers had a fit, sharing their displeasure through social media.

The life cycle of a restaurant might better be measured in dog years. The accepted wisdom says something like 90 percent of eateries close in the first year of operation; and around three-fourths of the survivors won’t make it past year five. So actually, maybe mouse years is more accurate.

Former Smashburger CEO Dave Prokupek joined the fast-casual chain’s board of directors as part of the deal, which the chain says will help fuel the concept’s expansion plans.