People just don't dine out as frequently as they used to - it's the new reality. And that's bad news for seafood, about three-quarters of which is consumed away from home in the United States.
USA Today reported yesterday that share values at the 26 largest U.S. chains have dropped 49.3 percent in the past year. Yikes.
But there's good news amid all the bad news - restaurant operators aren't giving up. In fact, they're working harder than ever to drum up restaurant traffic in this challenging economic climate.
SeafoodSource contributing editor Mercedes Grandin reported late last week that many restaurant operators are promoting seafood for Lent, which kicks off tomorrow with Ash Wednesday. Of course, Lenten seafood promotions are nothing new. But when was the last time a major quick-service chain went all out to promote its fish sandwich? For example, Wendy's is advertising its Premium Fish Fillet Sandwich, made with Pacific cod, on TV and its Web site.
Yesterday, just in time for Lent, Joe's Crab Shack introduced Steampots, designed for friends and family to share. There are six Steampot menu items - Bucket of Shrimp; Orleans Steampot (crawfish, shrimp and sausage); Bean Town Bake (lobsters, clams, shrimp and sausage); Chesapeake Steampot (rock crab, clams, shrimp and sausage); Long Islander (mussels, clams, shrimp and sausage); and Joe's Steampot (Dungeness crab, snow crab, shrimp and sausage).
In today's economic climate, just getting people through the doors is half the battle, and promoting an affordable "luxury" like seafood is an ideal way to lure customers. Setting your business apart from the competition is paramount.
Best regards,
Steven Hedlund
Editor
SeafoodSource
