Some restaurant chains are turning to the bottle during the rough economy, but the liquoring up has produced mostly headaches, not happiness.
Outlets that specialize in quick and cheap daytime meals — including Starbucks, Sonic and Guy & Gallard, the New York chain — have been experimenting with adding alcohol to their menus. Pret a Manger, the British sandwich maker, is considering adding wine in its new Paris stores, and Burger King last year began selling beer at its more expensive Whopper Bars in the United States.
With alcohol one of the highest-margin items on a menu, selling beer and wine can lead to increased revenue.
“Alcoholic beverages are highly, highly profitable,” said Bonnie Riggs, a restaurant industry analyst at the market research firm the NPD Group. “It’s been such a challenging time for the restaurant industry, I think they’re trying to pull out all the stops and try different ways of getting consumers to the restaurant.”