Restaurant brands tread carefully when expanding into retail

When Red Robin Gourmet Burgers decided to make its Seasoned Steak Fries available in the supermarket frozen food case, the process was more complicated than it might seem. For Red Robin and a growing number of other restaurant brands that launch retail versions of popular dishes, the process is complex and involves finding manufacturers that can adjust recipes for mass production without sacrificing quality. “Where with our restaurants we own our brand standards and the adherence to them, retail products require a greater reliance on our partners,” said Dana Benfield, Red Robin’s vice president of engagement marketing. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Food & Beverage