Ruby Tuesday Tries the Upscale Approach

By Ian Ritter | Updated on November 09, 2009

Ruby Tuesday menus are now suggesting what wine to pair with your lobster entree. The New York Times takes an inside look at the 900-restaurant chain and its founder Sandy Beall.The changes at the chain has lost it a few customers, but “very few people miss the roller skates on the wall and the bad food,” Beall says. The hope is that when the economy bounces back, Ruby Tuesday will differentiate itself from competitors as a place a notch above other casual-dining chains. But one analyst points out that it still has a long way to go to convince the public. During its first quarter, same-restaurant sales dropped 3.1% at company-owned units, and 6.5% at franchised restaurants.Will Ruby Tuesday’s plans work?ALSO: Nordstrom, Saks and some other department stores fared well in October, but the sector also had its rough spots last month.

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