restaurants
...es with a population of less than 50,000. Applebee’s recognizes that small town represents a market with significant potential. As of December 30, 2001; there were 1,082 franchise restaurants (International, 2004, Applebee’s). The Company has set certain specifications for the design of its restaurants. Restaurants are located in free-standing buildings, end caps of strip shopping centers and shopping malls. Each restaurant has a bar, and many offer patio seating. The décor frequently displays photographs, magazine articles and newspaper articles highlighting local history (International, 2004, Applebee’s). Their results continue to be driven by the execution of integrated strategies, including improved food, promotions backed by effective advertising, meeting our guests’ desires for more convenience, our focus on operations excellence and the retention of better people. Outback The Outback Steakhouse is an international dining restaurant with seven restaurant concepts, they are: Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and WineBar, Lee Roy Selmon’s, Roy’s, Bonefish Grill, and Cheeseburger Paradise. There are restaurants in all 50 states and in 21 countries internationally. Most establishments are company owned stores but some are also under partnerships and franchises (Yahoo, 2004 – OSI). They are one of the largest casual dining restaurant companies in the world. The primary focus is to provide a quality product together with quality service. The Outback Steakhouse menu includes several cuts of freshly prepared, seasoned and seared steaks, as well as prime rib, barbeques ribs, pork chops, chicken, seafood, butter and cheese, pasta and produce. Outback tests new menu items to replace slower selling items and regularly upgrades ingredients and cooking methods to improve quality and consistency of its food offerings. The menu also includes several specialty appetizers, desserts, and coffees, together with full bar service featuring Australian beers, wines and specialty drinks. The average Outback ticket is approximately $15.00-$25.00 including beverages (International, 2004, Outback). The Outback made famous the “Bloomin’ Onion” and their world famous Cheese Fries as an appetizer. The average table turnover time at the outback is approximately an hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and a half. The restaurant industry is characterized by a high initial capital investment coupled with high labor costs. They are not a company focused on growth of the number of restaurants just to generate additional sales. The combination of these factors underscores the initiatives to drive increased sales at existing stores in order to raise margins and profits, because the incremental sales contribution to profits from every additional dollar of sales above the minimum costs required to open, staff, and operate a store is very high. Chili’s Chili’s Restaurants are operated by Quality Dining, Inc. as a franchise from Brinker International, Inc. Incorporated in 1983, Brinker International Inc. is principally engaged in the ownership, operation, development and franchising of the Chili’s Grill & Bar (Chili’s) and other assorted restaur...