DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Red Lobster brought seafood to the masses. Now it’s on the verge of bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

While it was a delicious deal for customers, it was terrible for the company: Red Lobster lost $3.3 million in seven weeks. The deal was once again too popular, and Red Lobster was unprepared for its customers’ insatiable lust for discounted shellfish. Red Lobster is now reportedly considering filing for bankruptcy protection to restructure its debt and shed some of its 650 US locations. Red Lobster stallsBut Red Lobster fell behind its sister brand Olive Garden under Darden. In 2021 and 2022, Red Lobster brought on a new CEO, chief marketing officer, chief financial officer and chief information officer.

Persons: Lobster, “, ”, John Gordon, Michael Nagle, Alex Susskind, General Mills, Bill Darden, Charley Woodsby, Darden, ” Woodsby, Jonathan Maze, Betty Crocker, Red, Glen Martin, Mills, ” Joe Lee, Olive, Red Lobster’s, “ Darden, ” Les Foreman, Justin Sullivan, they’ve, Les Foreman, Thiraphong Chansiri, ” “, ” Chansiri Organizations: New, New York CNN, Lobster, Thai Union, Bloomberg, Getty, Red Lobster, CNN, Cornell University, Baby Boomers, General, Howard, Restaurant Business, Darden, Denver Post, Harvard Business School, Longhorn, Darden Restaurants, Gate, ‘, Thai, “, ” Thai Locations: New York, United States, Bangkok, Thai, underinvestment, Lakeland , Florida, Orlando, America, Olive, Sale, Thai Union, Thailand

☆ Red Lobster Isn't Nearing Bankruptcy Because of Endless Shrimp
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

While Red Lobster increased traffic somewhat, people coming in to chow down on all-you-can-eat shrimp was a money bleeder. But the story about what's gone wrong with Red Lobster is much more complicated than a bunch of stoners pigging out on shrimp (and, later, lobster) en masse. Red Lobster first opened in Lakeland, Florida, in 1968 and was acquired by the food conglomerate General Mills in 1970. "What's truly happened with Red Lobster is that the consumer base has changed and Red Lobster hasn't," he said. "Red Lobster isn't losing to a competitor in their space — they're losing to competitors outside their space."

Persons: It's, what's, Jonathan Maze, Mills, General Mills, Olive, Darden, Red, Eileen Appelbaum, isn't, they've, it's, Keith Bedford, Darren Tristano, John Gordon, Kim Lopdrup, Red Lobster's, He's, Jonathan Tibus, Gordon, Tristano, You've, Emily Stewart Organizations: Bloomberg, Restaurant Business, Olive Garden, LongHorn, Darden, Golden Gate, American Realty, Lobster, Center for Economic, Policy Research, Thai Union, Seafood Alliance, Thai, Fortress Investment Group, Reuters, Business Locations: chow, Lakeland , Florida, San Francisco, Thai, Thailand, Thai Union, Golden, San Diego

☆ Wendy’s says it won’t use surge pricing
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( John Towfighi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It was never our plan to raise prices when customers are visiting us the most.”But the questions over what to call Wendy’s experiment – surge pricing? Dynamic pricing? Surge pricing refers to dynamic pricing, which is a way for businesses to charge more (or less) based on how many people want their products at any given time. “Surge pricing sent the message to everybody that this is mostly about increasing prices. “After considerable public pushback, Wendy’s is now framing their dynamic pricing strategy as discounts during off-peak times instead of surge pricing during peak times,” she wrote.

Persons: CNN —, Wendy’s, ”, Juan Castillo, Castillo, Chuck Bell, Uber, Mario Tama, ” Bell, ” Castillo, Jonathan Maze, ” Maze, Lindsay Owens, “ Organizations: CNN, University of Pennsylvania, “, Consumer, Los Angeles International Airport, Ticketmaster Locations: Los Angeles , California

☆ Wendy's New Dynamic Pricing Plan Isn't As Crazy As It Sounds
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Knee-jerk reaction and poor messaging aside, dynamic pricing isn't really novel and may actually make some sense. Platforms such as Ticketmaster often use dynamic pricing models for concerts and sporting events. While dynamic pricing may have a long history and other fast-food chains may be watching with interest, Wendy's may have doomed its own experiment. AdvertisementWhen people think of dynamic pricing, they think of Uber and airlines. "When people think of dynamic pricing, they think of Uber and airlines.

Persons: Wendy's, it's, Kirk Tanner, aren't, John Shearer, Sean Dunlop, Jonathan Maze, Uber, they're, Dunlop, what's, doesn't, —, Biggie, Emily Stewart Organizations: Ticketmaster, Morningstar, Business, CNN, Wendy's Locations: —

☆ Wendy’s will soon begin testing surge pricing
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —The price of a Wendy’s Frosty could soon fluctuate throughout the day as the chain looks to introduce Uber-like surge pricing on its menu. The practice, known as “dynamic pricing,” will begin testing in 2025, Wendy’s recently revealed in an earnings call. Surge pricing is common with sports and concert tickets and for ride-hailing apps, with services like Ticketmaster and Uber using sophisticated dynamic pricing algorithms that change minute by minute, based on demand. However, there hasn’t been widespread adoption from restaurants because of the labor it takes employees to change menus. McDonald’s has also dabbled with dynamic pricing and new order-suggestion capabilities at some of its upgraded drive-thrus and on its app.

Persons: Wendy’s, Kirk Tanner, ” Tanner, Jonathan Maze, ”, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Ticketmaster, Uber, CNN Locations: New York, upselling

☆ Wendy’s newest breakfast item is made by another fast-food chain
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Wendy’s is sweetening its breakfast lineup with a new treat that comes from an unusual place: Another fast food chain. Also, most Cinnabon locations haven’t yet opened for the day when Wendy’s sells breakfast, which ends at 10:30 am. Perhaps Wendy’s adding cinnamon pull-aparts might entice some dissatisfied customers of McDonald’s, which last year scrapped its McCafé bakery lineup that also included a cinnamon roll. The “Cinnabon Pull-Aparts” are made from sweetened dough that’s dunked in a glaze then baked with cinnamon, brown butter and sugar. The chain previously predicted that breakfast would make 10% of its sales, with figures reaching 8.5% in 2021 before Wendy’s stopped reporting individual sales for the morning menu.

Persons: New York CNN —, Wendy’s, Cinnabon, Jonathan Maze, “, ” Maze, McDonald’s, It’s, ”, John Li, “ Cinnabon, Todd Penegor, it’s, Wendy’s Li, ” Li Organizations: New, New York CNN, Subway, CNN, Culinary Innovation, Bell Locations: New York, Indiana, Kentucky

☆ The all-you-can-eat buffet line is crowded again
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The owner of Old Country Buffet and Furr’s Fresh Buffet filed for bankruptcy in 2021. “The higher quality concepts that stuck it out are reaping some rewards, like Golden Corral and Pizza Ranch,” said Jonathan Maze, the editor-in-chief at trade publication Restaurant Business Magazine. “People wanted the buffet back,” Golden Corral CEO Lance Trenary told the trade publication. The company plans to add up to 250 more Golden Corral buffets around the United States over the long run. The median household income of Golden Corral, Cicis and Pizza Ranch customers is below the national average, according to Placer.

☆ The Happy Meal inventor says McDonald’s didn’t want it at first
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But four decades ago, when the first Happy Meal debuted, the company didn’t quite get it. They didn’t immediately embrace it,” Bob Bernstein, an advertising executive who created the Happy Meal in the late 1970s, said in a video interview from his Kansas City office, which is decked out with Happy Meal memorabilia and original art. The meal’s name was an offshoot of a 1960s McDonald’s jingle, in which it called itself the “happy place.” “It’s such a happy place / Hap, hap, hap, happy place,” it went. For some reason, the company’s corporate offices outside Chicago were reluctant to roll out the Happy Meal nationally. Mario Anzuoni/ReutersIn the 1990s, Beanie Babies, Transformers and Power Rangers Happy Meal toys were massive hits for McDonald’s.

Search resuls for: "Jonathan Maze"

8 mentions found