Casual dining is eating fast food’s lunch right now

After shelling out to the point of self-destruction on its $20 “Endless Shrimp” deal, and thus learning the true meaning of “all you can eat,” Red Lobster is back, having emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy last September.

This time, though, the company’s new management is betting on a different (limited) crustacean to lure consumers back, on Monday announcing the return of “Crabfest” following a four-year hiatus — not to be confused with “Endless Crab,” another financially devastating promotion that the company ran in 2003. 

But if ever there were a time to revive a casual dining business with a familiar playbook, it’s now. 

As reported by The Wall Street Journal last Friday, brands like Red Lobster and Cracker Barrel that have seen traffic slump in recent years are planning to spend millions to overhaul their locations and offerings. Their goal? To emulate the success of some of their casual dining peers.

See the full article here.