Published January 15, 2016

Setting Yourself Apart in Casual Dining

Casual dining is a crowded sector in the American food scene. Casual full-service chains must constantly think of innovative ways to make themselves stand out from the competition. Applebee’s Senior Vice-President of Operations Sanjiv Rasdan has a great piece out in FSR Magazine where he discusses how Applebee’s tries to maintain a unique identity in the casual dining sector.

Of course, the number one concern for any restaurant business is food. At Applebee’s the focus is on maintaining the quality of the chain’s core bar-and-grill menu while expanding that brand in ways that respond to customer demands. Last year, that meant introducing a healthy ‘Pub Diet’ menu and a new premium burger option.

The next key component of a successful food business is delivering a quality experience and environment to diners. This is especially important for a casual dining chain like Applebee’s that is competing with other restaurants serving bar-and-grill food. This year, Applebee’s big initiative on this front is a bar revitalization project. The chain is focusing on making its drink options more modern and training its bar staff to provide a more polished experience.

No matter how successful your restaurant is right now, if you don’t innovate you’ll soon be dead in the water. Applebee’s is a great example of a company updating itself within the parameters of its established brand to ensure its continued success.

Read the full article here: Casual-Dining Innovation and Differentiation