General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOlive Garden, Red Lobster Struggle To Revive Sales (O.G. "didn't emphasize value enough")
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/22/olive-garden-red-lobster-sales_n_1620102.html
NEW YORK -- Darden Restaurants Inc. is struggling to revive sales at its flagship Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants. A key sales figure fell at the chains during the latest quarter, and the company issued a profit forecast that fell short of Wall Street expectations.
The Orlando, Fla.-based restaurant operator has been reworking the menu and pricing to reverse declining sales at Olive Garden, which is its biggest chain and accounts for almost half its revenue. The 10 percent rise in Darden's net income for the quarter came primarily from the opening of new locations, including those for its smaller specialty chains.
Revenue at Olive Garden restaurants open at least a year fell 1.8 percent in the quarter. At Red Lobster, the figure fell 3.9 percent. The metric is an indicator of health because it strips out the effect of newly opened and closed stores.
Darden attributed the drop at Olive Garden in part to its "Taste of Tuscany" promotion, which it said didn't emphasize value enough at a time when diners are watching their budgets and have so many more casual dining options.
hlthe2b
(101,700 posts)either to fail... More so Red Lobster, although I am not a frequent customer there either.
Amerigo Vespucci
(30,885 posts)...that there are no "chefs" at Red Lobster. Everything is nuked in the microwave. They have employees who re-heat food in the microwave. That's it. Nothing is "cooked," just "nuked."
hlthe2b
(101,700 posts)Last edited Mon Jun 25, 2012, 05:03 PM - Edit history (1)
But, since i generally only go for the steamed shrimp, I suppose it doesn't really matter.
Few restaurants now-a-days truly cook everything from scratch-- thus I don't feel like eating out much, even if money were not an issue. I can eat processed food all day, if that was my goal--and it is NOT. Perhaps others are feeling similarly.
antigone382
(3,682 posts)They're mixed with water and shredded cheddar cheese, and then brushed with a version of the scampi sauce--a mix of a buttery vegetable oil, a bag of seasonings, but without the white wine. At least that's how they made them when I worked there a couple of years ago.
I don't even know if they still make the scampi sauce in the restaurants, given that the shrimp scampi now comes in pre-frozen little disks, complete with a dollop of frozen sauce, all the way from their processing plant somewhere in Southeast Asia (Viet Nam or the Philippines, I forget where). You just pop the little frozen arrangement in the scampi dish and run it through the broiler.
Everything is not microwaved. There's a steamer, a grill, and a broiler. But the veggies and most of the sauces that go on the pastas, etc. are microwaved, and most everything comes frozen solid--the shellfish, soups, sauces, mashed potatoes, etc--to be thawed and mixed as minimally as possible.
Fresh fish and fresh produce do come in a few times a week. But a lot of things are basted with super-salty, MSG heavy seasonings. Some things are done well, but all in all I don't really miss it much.
Puddy
(51 posts)but I believe that poster is mostly right. I've always thought their baked potatoes tasted nuked.
B2G
(9,766 posts)That they were changing their menus to reduce calories and sodium?
I guess folks aren't liking the change.
MadHound
(34,179 posts)Prepared by real people from scratch. Not this frozen, pop in the microwave shit that currently passes as their standard fare.
Amerigo Vespucci
(30,885 posts)UnrepentantLiberal
(11,700 posts)Woody Woodpecker
(562 posts)when we could get a fresh one for the same price elsewhere - a bistro nearby called Nonna's Chicago Bistro is a current favorite.
WCGreen
(45,558 posts)I use to stop in at Olive Garden for their salad and soup lunch.
But for Italian Food, Frankie's or Angelo's are my first bet and for fish, many local options.
My aunt use to love going to the Lobster so we would take her a couple times a year.
grasswire
(50,130 posts)He attributed the downturn in their business to economic fear in the consumers. Fear driven by European economics, and fear at home. I was surprised at his bluntness.
Turbineguy
(37,206 posts)Obviously they should stop advertizing on Fox.
Politicalboi
(15,189 posts)From seafood wouldn't be the cause. I think about that ALL the time.
TeamPooka
(24,155 posts)very very soon.
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)SDjack
(1,448 posts)senior managers. Restaurant margins are just too thin to carry a large super-structure.
Mosby
(16,158 posts)that cost the same as Olive Garden but are WAY better.
Red Lobster needs to start selling fish again, instead of just shrimp and lobster.
railsback
(1,881 posts)and it was ok. Then, for some reason - maybe for nostalgic reasons - my oldest daughter wanted to celebrate her final day in 5th grade by going there again. What a difference a few short years make. Smaller portions, tasteless, the kids menu (for my youngest daughter) was now a crappy black and white xerox with one crayon, and the desserts were really tiny. This is what happens when corporations favor quantity (money) over quality. We'll never waste money there again, and I'm sure that's a general consensus among former consumers. I don't think the disappearance of Olive Garden is going to make anyone sad.. other than those who work there for a paycheck.
antigone382
(3,682 posts)Speaking as a one-time Darden employee. I've never worked in a place that combined such a high stress level with so few rewards.
Freddie Stubbs
(29,853 posts)Dirty Socialist
(3,248 posts)It must be other OGs which are suffering.
Response to Dirty Socialist (Reply #19)
SalviaBlue This message was self-deleted by its author.
lpbk2713
(42,696 posts)I usually try to avoid the mega chain restaurants. I find them too noisy and impersonal.
Give me the established local mom and pop operation any time.
TrogL
(32,818 posts)Make7
(8,543 posts)Hugabear
(10,340 posts)For those who aren't aware, Darden is a very heavy sponsor of right-wing politicians
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00108282
leveymg
(36,418 posts)They offer nothing but blandness and uniformity to a country that already has too much of both.
FLAprogressive
(6,771 posts)meaculpa2011
(918 posts)and The Capital Grille. Great food, great service. If they can import these concepts to their other brands they might lift them up. I've been to the Olive Garden once and same with Red Lobster. The Olive Garden is to Italian cuisine what Castrol GTX is to extra virgin olive oil.
BTW: Drinks and dinner at Season's 52 was very reasonable and the food was outstanding. The Capital Grille, expensive, but they make an incedible dry-aged porterhouse and everythinhg else is fabulous. It's a once-in-awhile splurge.
TBF
(31,919 posts)and they especially aren't going to choose over-priced food if they do manage to eat out.
Welcome to the new 3rd World United States of America.
sadbear
(4,340 posts)'cause if they'll eat Olive Garden, they'll eat anything.
POW!
TlalocW
(15,358 posts)I normally get my orders to go, and I insist on the all you can eat salad and breadsticks along with it.
TlalocW