Site name: Restaurants & Institutions magazine URL: www.rimag.com Background information: Restaurants & Institutions magazine is a leading trade journal for the restaurant and food service industry. Each year, the April 1 issue of Restaurants & Institutions magazine has a major article that features independent restaurants. Click on Archives to find articles from the last three years.

Exercises:

a. Read the article on independent restaurants for two different years. Based on the articles, what are independents striving to do well to maintain a competitive advantage with chain restaurants?

b. Based on the two articles you have read, what do you consider to be the strengths of independent restaurants as compared to chains? What are their weaknesses?

c. Review the list of the top 100 independent restaurants for any year. What are the themes (concepts) for these restaurants? What is their gross income and how does it compare to chain restaurants?