Tackling tough issuesTackling tough issues

An understatement, surely, but worth stating nonetheless: It is a darn difficult environment for restaurants today.

The economy hasn’t recovered since its downfall in 2008, consumer sentiment is skeptical at best and jobless claims remain too high, with the latest U.S. unemployment rate at 7.5 percent. While that was the lowest unemployment number in four years, pre-recession unemployment levels hovered at or below 5 percent. We’re just not back yet.

But those are storms the restaurant industry has weathered before, like in the recessions of the early 1980s and mid-1970s. Other than the dips of 2008 and 2009, aggregate restaurant sales continue to increase each year, as both menu prices and unit counts rise, and people keep craving food aw...