October 22/Telecommunications Weekly -- Family dining restaurants represent one of the largest segments of the foodservice industry and a unique American tradition. They are trust-worthy brands that serve up values for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night snacking. While some chains need to revitalize their menu and decor, family dining has managed to weather the recessionary storm better than its casual dining counterparts. In fact, recent Technomic research indicates that many of today's value-conscious consumers actually prefer family dining restaurants for several dining occasions.

"Moms in particular are often likely to choose a family-dining restaurant due to their kid-friendly menus and atmospheres, and the real value offered by these restaurants," says Ron Paul, president of Technomic. "At this time, we believe our supplier-clients should pay special attention to family dining. Few other operator-customers offer the breadth of menu items, often serving at least three meals a day."

From the October 26, 2009, Prepared Foods E-dition