Casual chains pay more attention to lunch

Chains including Outback Steakhouse and Darden Restaurants-owned Olive Garden and Red Lobster have expanded their lunch efforts, adding menu options more suitable for the midday meal and experimenting with ways to speed service. Lunch accounts for 34% of overall restaurant traffic, but most of that goes to quickservice chains, according to NPD Group, while casual chains derive as little as 15% of their total sales from lunch traffic. Full Story.