sales and profits

Operations

Should Cracker Barrel get out of the gift shop business?

Reality Check: The retail component of the family dining concept drew off sales and profits during the brand's most recent quarter. Maybe it's time to leave the shops out of future Cracker Barrels.

Financing

Winners and losers from a weird quarter

The Bottom Line: Burger King operator Carrols, Cava and Wingstop were the big winners. But there were plenty of concepts that would rather have that one back.

The Bottom Line: After “pent-up demand” kept customers coming back in 2022, restaurants have to work harder in 2023 to get customers coming in the door.

Steering more customers toward self-ordering will be a major strategic objective through 2024, executives say. The chain will also strive to cut its development and construction costs by 10%.

The drop-off pushed traffic into negative territory, but executives say a simultaneous rise in on-site business is better for the concept.

Both companies say market conditions are complicated by the particulars.

A Deeper Dive: Jim Balis, managing director with CapitalSpring, joins the podcast to talk about the state of the restaurant industry and mergers and acquisitions.

A new survey found that 63% were hit with an increase in 2023, leaving 45% unable to cover their June fee.

The fast-growing Japanese brand wants to bring sushi to the American masses by outsourcing much of the work to machines.

Earnings roundup: Results from smaller operators and several industry suppliers also cast light on the industry’s performance, particularly by independents.

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