I do disagree with Blair's suggestion that fine dining is going through a bit of a crisis. Well, let me rephrase ... going through a crisis only.
The entire industry has been in a crisis. Fine dining like casual dining faces tougher challenges because of their price points. That's no different then high-end retail or luxury goods. I have a friend whose retail store in Atlanta, Sid Mashburn, is well, pricey. However, Sid was rated as one of the 10 best in men's style by GQ. That's very Mac. Does Sid face a recession-influenced crisis? Sure. Is he losing customers to lesser quality retail. Probably. And so all brands, even five-star hotels are having to be creative with their pricing. And because some consumers are heading down stream right now doesn't mean they won't turn upstream sooner rather than later when the market makes its way back. Until QSR can elevate their experience to a Mac-like environment -- better service, cleaner stores, innovative products, it will always be PC. Ironically, we have been spending a fair amount of time in the Apple stores as it relates to our Planet Smoothie brand, but we don't see Planet Smoothie as QSR especially as we move to elevate our brand as an ultra healthy and natural brand. We are moving upstream and so we have a better shot at being a Mac. We see our category as remaining stagnant and therefore, PC. Sorry if that wasn't the PC thing to say.
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