228. Is Casual Dining Dying

The Restaurant Report

In this episode, we dive into the brand-building elements for legacy brands to break thru and connect with a new generation of consumers. Dawn Petite serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Friendly’s Restaurants, which operates over 130 (company-operated and franchised) friendly, full-service restaurants. Dawn began her career at Friendly’s Restaurants as an operations manager and has been with the Friendly’s brand for over 40 years. She oversees a multi-functional team of employees from corporate operations to franchise operations and training.
Casual Dining has seen a new challenge of consumer sentiment decline in the past couple of years, with 2023 scores already reaching a new high of declining consumer sentiment.
Data provided by Foodable Labs
We break down some of the key elements that are changing the future of casual dining and its place in the foodservice landscape - that is, to deliver hospitality back into the business and create a new generation of loyal fans.