After a wave of public outrage over the near-extinction of the Twinkie, and brushes with death for the toasted sandwich, the distressed dust has mostly settled for over-leveraged food purveyors. As Sbarro enjoys a new mostly debt-free post-bankruptcy capital structure, and Quiznos inches toward a less levered balance sheet, national restaurant chains are kicking it into high gear to serve up a taste of awesome.
Gone are the days of loose purse strings and flavorless competition, raising the bar for the dining chains fighting to attract customers and keep them coming back for more. In their bid for foot traffic, some operators are broadening their menus and experimenting with new business models, while others look to connect with guests via a more tech-savvy route, according to the 2014 North America Restaurant and Foodservice Review from AlixPartners.