Traditional Restaurant Chains Launch Fast-Casual Concepts to Lure Millennials

Many are in testing stages, trying to find the right size in the right market as they compete in a crowded sector.

Some well-established,casual-dining chains are rolling out more modern, fast-casual concepts to try to attract younger diners.They include Cracker Barrel, Tony Roma’s, Hooters and Denny’s.

These older chains want to capture market share in the hot fast-casual sector.After all, millennials dine out or get takeout five times a week, according to a study by Bankrate.com. That’s compared with just 2.5 times for boomers.

Since these chains have decades of experience in the restaurant business, spinning off a fast-casual concept to help revitalize their brand may be a natural progression...

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RSK: I agree that at times you need to start from fresh rather than trying to change something old into a new concept. Why so many restaurant owners cannot understand why someone doesn`t want to pay the price. It is usually because the concept is old or dying out.