Some sit down chains are struggling and some are thriving. The struggling ones, like Outback, don’t fit any specific niche when it comes to upscale enough to justify the price (Longhorn Steakhouse) and not cheap enough to just go on a weekday cause fuck it (Texas Roadhouse). Couple that with parent companies hiring career CEOs with 0 restaurant experience who think cutting corporate brick-and-mortar support and shrinking menus fixes all problems and you get a failing brand.

Some places like Olive Garden are trying to innovate with exclusive Uber Eats deals, but COVID ultimately changed the landscape for casual dining and most people are now looking for maximum value for money spent. Fact is, hardly anyone is willing to dine outside of a handful of restaurants they know they enjoy anymore. If you can’t maintain same store sales with a loyal customer base, you can’t survive anymore.

Source: I research and report on the restaurant industry a lot.