OPINIONMarketing

What happens when promos don’t work as expected

Restaurant Rewind: If the offer proves more or less enticing than anticipated, chaos can follow. Here are some prime examples from the industry’s past.

Red Lobster has been making headlines for offering an all-you-can-eat deal that worked too well as a traffic driver. Management acknowledged that the spike in food costs ate about $11 million in profits for the third quarter.

The situation is hardly unprecedented in the restaurant business—even for Red Lobster itself. Two decades ago, it similarly saw margins crunched by an all-you-can-eat crab legs deal.

Join us as we look back at some of the memorable instances of restaurant chains over- or underestimating how popular a bargain deal would prove to be. Hit the Play button for a crash course on Riblets gluts and Mighty Wings over-supplies.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Financing

Restaurant buyers have little interest in actual restaurants

The Bottom Line: There is a clear line in what restaurant chain buyers want right now. They want franchisors, not the restaurants themselves.

Workforce

Want happy restaurant employees? How's a relocation to Sweden sound?

Reality Check: New research shows how far the U.S. industry still has to go in improving its image—and what a difference an upgrade could make when it comes to retention.

Financing

Most customers think restaurants are getting expensive

The Bottom Line: A pair of studies by Revenue Management Solutions provide a sobering look at the views of consumers on restaurant prices and their dining habits.

Trending

More from our partners