The chain owns 55 restaurants with the balance franchised. A major factor in the chain's decision to try live music in an effort to attract a larger clientele is the declining revenue from merchandise sales over the past 10 years, according to company officials.

On the culinary and hotel side, Richard C. Kessler, developer of the 250-room Downtown Westin Grand Bohemian hotel, has contracted with Manny Garcia, one of Orlando's best-known restaurateurs, to run all of the $30 million hotel's food and beverage operations when the asset opens next year.

Garcia and his partners Tony Pace and Hal Valdes, all principals in Culinary Concepts, will also handle room service, catering, the Bosendorfer Lounge and the 120-seat Boheme Restaurant.

The 14-story hotel is on the northeast corner of South Street and Orange Avenue, directly across from the City Hall building.

In a similar deal, Johnny Rivers, a former executive chef at Walt Disney world, is introducing a restaurant with a Bahamian/Caribbean ambience at the 167-room Embassy Suites when it opens at Capital Plaza Downtown Oct. 9. The hotel is sold out for its first weekend, thanks to the Notre Dame vs. Navy football game at the Florida Citrus Bowl Oct. 14.