63% of Buca Restaurants Say Business is the Same or Slumped From a Year Ago

Buca di Beppos restaurants were revisited by Tickermine researchers this month. We asked whether customers came in for lunch more than dinner? What attracted the customers, which menu items were selling the best and what the average check was for a party of two? 26 locations were consulted. Dinner remained the busier shift according to 22 respondents or 85% (this was slightly down from a previous survey which had 90% of respondents reporting dinner as busiest). Four respondents or 15% said that lunch was busiest. 96% of respondents (all but one person) said that their location was old. 65% of the survey said it was the atmosphere that attracted their clientele. 23% said it was something on the menu and 12% said it was the reasonable prices. This is fairly consistent with our previous report. The average check for a party of two is $25-$35 according to 38% of those polled. 35 % placed it at $40-$50 and 27% said $60-$75 was the norm. This differs to our previous survey which had fewer people citing checks over $60. Lasagne, Chicken Parmigana, the Quattro al Forno and the Buca Trio Platter were each cited as best-selling menu items, but only by 6% of those polled. No menu item scored higher than that. And 42% of respondents said business had not changed at all since last year. 21% said it was less busy and 31% said it was busier.

78% of Landry's Restaurants have Steady or Less Business from a Year Ago

Landry’s Restaurant Inc. the restaurant chain was polled this week. The company operates Landry's Seafood House, Willie G's Seafood & Steak House and The Crab House and its owners insist the restaurant market has room for more players. Its revenues were up to $294.8 million versus $283.6 million a year ago. We polled 23 locations and found that 78% of respondents say dinners are busier than lunches, and only 22% have lunch as their busier shift. All 23 respondents, 100%, said their location was not new. 15 respondents or 65% said it was the atmosphere that their customers liked. Seven respondents or 30% said it was a particular menu item and only one person or 4% said it was the prices. The most popular menu items included The Red Snapper (17%), the Halibut (also 17%), the Shrimp Fresca (13%), the Snow Crab (13%) , the Mahi Mahi, Seafood Platter and the Seared Ahi Tuna (each were cited by 9% of those polled) and the Chilean Sea Bass, Fried Shrimp and Maya's Combo Platter , where each mentioned once. But while 22% of respondents said business was up from last year, 39% said it was slower and another 39% said it was the same. One thing helping the chain may be their prices. 49% said the average check for a party of two was $40-$50. 35% said it was $25 to $35 and 17% put it at $60-$80.