The Orlando Sentinel reports that Darden Restuarants is considering renaming and repackaging its Smokey Bones chain to Rocky River Grillhouse ( Smokey ).
The company revealed in a conference call with analysts that it had opened its second Rocky River Grillhouse restaurant in a suburb of Indianapolis on Monday. Darden also said it plans to convert a Smokey Bones in a St. Louis suburb to the new concept in April.
Drew Madsen, president of Darden, said during the conference call that Darden anticipated converting several more Smokey Bones in its next fiscal year, which begins in June.
After witnessing several successive quarters of sales declines at Smokey Bones, Darden last year halted expansion of the once-promising barbecue-and-sports-bar chain, citing concerns that too many customers — particularly women — were turned off by the restaurant’s “barbecue focus.”
I’m sure the Pensacola location ain’t gettin none of them complaints. Our women folk likes bbq.