Top 5 Lessons For Chain Restaurants In 2012

Top 5 Lessons For Chain Restaurants In 2012
This undated image provided by Red Lobster shows the restaurant's new Chicken with Portobello dish. The chain that brought seafood to the masses is hoping to broaden its appeal by revamping its menu on Oct. 15 to boost the number of dishes that cater to diners who don't want seafood, including lighter options such as salads. Red Lobster also is increasing the number of dishes that cost less than $15 to attract customers who have cut back on spending. (AP Photo/Red Lobster)
This undated image provided by Red Lobster shows the restaurant's new Chicken with Portobello dish. The chain that brought seafood to the masses is hoping to broaden its appeal by revamping its menu on Oct. 15 to boost the number of dishes that cater to diners who don't want seafood, including lighter options such as salads. Red Lobster also is increasing the number of dishes that cost less than $15 to attract customers who have cut back on spending. (AP Photo/Red Lobster)

It's that time of year when chain restaurants report their year-end earnings and industry rags scramble to report and explain all that went right and wrong for the industry over the past 12 months. People in boardrooms ponder these lessons, and sit around trying to think up ways to gain our business in the coming year. It's easy to be smug at this time of year, to sit back and think, "yeah, no shit that dumb promotion of yours didn't work." But it's also a little depressing -- who would have thought a Dorito shell could be such a lifesaver for Taco Bell? So here are the 5 lessons learned from 2012's chain restaurant successes and failures.

Popular in the Community

Close

HuffPost Shopping’s Best Finds

MORE IN LIFE