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Most Red Robin Gourmet Burger joints See Business the Same or Slower than A Year Ago, Survey says

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. was polled this month as the company's stock flounders on Wall Street with recent closes on new lows. Representatives at 30 locations around the country were interviewed and asked which shift was busiest, which food sells best, what two people usually spend per visit and what specifically about the restaurant brings customers back? Lunch and dinner were equally busy, according to our poll, with lunch cited as busiest by 47% of respondents and dinner cited by 53%. Four people or 13% said their location was new. 87% said it was older than a year. Ten people or 33% said the atmosphere, menu and prices attracted customers equally. Nine people or 30% said it was the atmosphere exclusively, 7 people or 23% thought it was their menu that the customers liked and five or 17% said it was the prices. Twenty people or 67% said two people spend about $20-$30 per visit. Only 10 people, 33%, said bills for two reached $32-$40. The Whiskey River BBQ Burger was the best selling menu item (7 mentions, 23%) and the Red Robin Bacon Cheeseburger was next (6 mentions, 20%). Other one or two-off mentions included the chocolate shakes, Caesar Wraps, Prime Rib Dip and A-1 Peppercorn burgers. And business is reportedly the same as a year ago according to 47% respondents. Nine people or 30% say it is busier and only 3 people, 10% say business has slumped.

Parties of Two Spend Frugally (Under $25) at Cracker Barrel

Cracker Barrel was consulted for a survey this week. Our researchers asked respondents at 30 locations what menu item sold best? Which time of day was busiest? What attracted their customers? What does a party of two typically spend? And has the respondent seen an increase in business this year? Only two menu items dominated the survey: The Chicken n Dumplings (10 people or 33%), and the Country Fried Steak (8 people or 27%). 21 respondents or 70% of those polled reported dinner to be their busiest shift. Nine people or 30% said it was lunch. 20 people or 71% felt the atmosphere was most attractive to their customers. Six people or 20% thought it was a particular menu item that their customers liked while two people or 2% felt it was the prices. None of the locations were new, so every restaurant was over a year old, at least. Most people, 16 respondents or 53% of those polled, reported business to be exactly the same as this time last year. 11 people or 37% felt it was busier. Only three people or 10% felt that business had slumped. And while 16 people or 53% of those surveyed said parties of two will spend $15-$25 per meal. 14 people or 46% reported heftier bills of $30-$40

Steak N Shake Workers Say their Menu is Ancient with no Change in Years

The Steak n Shake Company was quizzed by Tickermine researchers this week. This is after the company reported in May that its total revenues were $190.5 million compared to $202.2 million a year earlier. We asked respondents at 29 locations whether lunch or dinner were busiest? Are promotions attracting more business? What is the most popular menu item? And how long has this menu item being around? Business at Steak and Shakes around the country is evenly spaced between lunch and dinner. 16 or 55% of those polled reported dinner to be the busiest shift. 13 people or 45% reported it to be lunch. Nine people or 31% of those interviewed said special menu items failed to generate more customers. 10 people of 34% said special offers helped. The same amount of people said no specials were offered. The Original Steakburger with Cheese was resoundingly the most popular menu item this survey (21 responses or 76% of those polled.) The Frisco Melt got four mentions (14%) and milk shakes were cited only three times (10%). The menu may require an overhaul however, because all 29 respondents or 100% of those polled said these items had been around forever. And all 29 locations or 100% of those interviewed said their location was older than a year.