Survival tactics 2.0

Restaurant chains agree the economy stinks. But their ways of contending vary more than Sen. Burris’ recounts of his Blago dealings. Here’s a rundown of what several brands have recently identified as their updated coping strategies:

Applebee’s: The near-term emphasis, executives said during their conference call, will be on restaurant operations, both to bolster unit-level profit margins and to provide a better experience for the guest. One of the butt magnets to be used near-term is an updated menu sporting new types of foods and beverages, according to Julia Stewart, CEO of franchisor DineEquity Inc. The introduction is slated for mid-April, with more products to be introduced and promoted throughout the year, she said.

Cracker Barrel: Management spoke less during its conference call about speeding service, the focus of past confabs, and far more about delivering value. The chain is about to roll out a line of lunch and dinner skillet meals that will be priced from $7.99 to $8.99, including salad and bread. Executives acknowledged that their Best of the Barrel initiative, an effort to streamline the menu by loping off less-popular selections, proved a mistake. “Customers were disappointed to see their favorite food items no longer available,” said CEO Michael Woodhouse. It was a lesson, he said, “we learned the hard way.” No mention was made of an initiative to speed service by using holding equipment for items like bacon and sausage.

Domino’s: “We’re working very hard to be a bigger player in the late night business, particularly with some of our new products,” said CEO David Brandon. He asserted that the pizza chain’s initiative for stretching its sales day the other way, into lunch, has been successful. All stores are now open for the meal, which Domino’s is pursuing with its new line of delivered oven-baked sandwiches.

Famous Dave’s: The emphasis appears to be on helping franchisees survive the downturn. The assistance includes a switch to shorter-term purchasing contracts and the development of more secondary suppliers, to increase competition. Meanwhile, development requirements for franchisees have been suspended through 2010. Licensees that open a store get a cut in royalties for the first year of operation. Advertising royalties have been halved, to .5% of sales.

Texas Roadhouse: Management stressed this week that traffic and guest spending levels are the big problems confronting the bargain-priced chain. Longer term, said CEO G.J. Hart, the company is focusing on the cost of new restaurants. Hart said the home office hopes to bring down the current outlay of $4.1 million, or roughly what the unit will do in annual sales, in part by locating stores in strip malls. “We’re also evaluating conversions,” he said.

Another super-sized franchsee goes bankrupt

A reader of my blog on the Fohboh social networking site pointed out another major restaurant bankruptcy that came to light earlier this week. John Gantes, head of the 110-unit Breckenridge Group, a multi-concept franchisee in southern California, reportedly filed for personal bankruptcy in late 2008 and is now trying to reorganize his sprawling operations.

Breckenridge is a franchisee of El Pollo Loco, Famous Dave's, Johnny Carino's, Burger King, Applebee's, Bruegger's, Ruby's Diner and Arby's, according to the Orange County Register.

The OCR story sites court documents indicating that Gantes owes $280 million.

The week also brought an acknowledgement from Domino's that nine of its franchisees had gone bankrupt, and a Ch. 11 filing by the parent of the Black Angus steakhouse chain.