Mid-market menus expand sales, and waistlines

[marmar]

(Midmarket Pulse) What do a burger, fries, and milkshake have in common with a company’s balance sheet? According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) the winners of the latest Xtreme Eating Awards are all midmarket companies. Among them the Cheesecake Factory holds the dubious honor of serving up the most calorie and saturated fat laden dishes alongside posting sales increases and positive profit margins.

Could the quickest way to a healthy business be through the consumer’s (ever-expanding) stomach? Let’s take a look at the numbers for the “winner.”

Winner of CSPI’s ignominious XXXtreme Eating award because it snagged three of the nine slots on the list, Cheesecake Factory’s gut-busting menu items include its Bruléed French Toast which boasts 2,780 calorie, 93 grams of saturated fat 2,230 milligrams of sodium, and 24 teaspoons of sugar. If you haven’t had a heart attack just reading that, consider the chain’s Farfalle with Chicken and Roasted Garlic smothered in a rich cream sauce that tips the calorie counter to over 2,400. The CSPI believes you’d need to have a leisurely swim for seven hours or jog for five respectively, if you became a member of the clean plate club after ordering one of those meals.

On the business side, Cheesecake Factory is touting 16 consecutive quarters of positive comparable sales -those measured against locations open for at least a year- among its now 180 locations worldwide. The company credits its success in part to its dedication to improve operating margins. The recession hit the restaurant industry hard as cash-strapped consumers preferred to stay in and save their pennies for other expenditures. Cheesecake Factory’s annual report shows that in the five years since, it’s operating margins improved from 5.6 percent in 2008 to about 8.6% in 2013. Its guest satisfaction surveys improved 20 percent during the same period, according to the report. .................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.mid-marketpulse.com/mid-market-restaurants-menus-expand-sales-and-waistlines/#!/

[AndreaCG]

1. Yikes!

As a vegan I won't eat any of those. Not that it's not possible to eat very caloric vegan food too. I have no idea how many calories are in the special chocolate peanut butter stuffed French toast at the vegan restaurant I ate at but I'm sure it's a lot. (No I didn't order it. Had the tofu Hollandaise, not exactly a zero calorie item but I did leave most of the potatoes).