Coco’s, Carrows offer up meal dealsCoco’s, Carrows offer up meal deals

Lisa Jennings

CARLSBAD Calif. Adding to the growing number of restaurant chains offering value-positioned meal deals to drive traffic, the 110-unit Coco’s family restaurant and bakery chain, along with its 90-unit sister chain, Carrows Restaurants, have added lunch and dinner meals starting at $6.99.

At Coco’s, a new two-course dinner option, which includes an entrée and either an appetizer or dessert, is available for $7.99. At Carrows, a similar two-course value promotion is available for $8.99, and a prime-rib dinner offer, starting at $13.99, is set to debut on weekends from April 2 through June 24.

The offers are designed to convince families that dining out can be more affordable than eating at home. These types of meal deals have run rampant throughout the industry as it battles to garner more customer traffic. Other deals at family-dining chains include an offer of a free slice of pie with purchase of a dinner entrée on Wednesdays at Shari’s Restaurants, which launched the deal this week. The Marie Callender’s family-bakery chain is offering all-you-can-eat soup and salad bar for $6.99 for a limited time at participating locations.

In other segments, T.G.I. Friday’s this week began offering top-selling entrees for $9.99 for a limited time. Outback Steakhouse has reworked its menu to include 15 meals for less than $15.

At Coco’s, entrée choices for the meal deal include parmesan-crusted chicken with marinara sauce, or Texas chopped steak with sautéed onions and chopped herbs. Appetizer options are the soup of the day, the Green Chile & Jack Quesadilla or Cheese Fries. Dessert choices include the Just Right Slice Chocolate Cream Pie, Just Right Slice Apple Pie, or Just Right Chocolate Sundae. The “Just Right” slice is a half-slice of pie.

At lunch, Coco’s is offering $6.99 value options, including a pastrami melt sandwich or Southwest chicken wrap, served with a Caesar salad, fries and a crock of soup. At breakfast, value-positioned Big Bite Breakfast combos, which are priced at $4.99, include pancakes with various sweet or savory fillings served with eggs, applewood-smoked bacon or sausage and syrup.

Officials said the offer would be available throughout 2009, though the menu items would change.

Coco’s and Carrows are owned by Carlsbad, Calif.-based Catalina Restaurant Group.

Carrows value-meal deals are also across all dayparts, including a two-course dinner option for $8.99, with the choice of appetizer or dessert. Entrée options at Carrow’s include Salisbury steak and gravy with mashed potatoes and Caesar salad; or pork schnitzel with mashed potatoes and Caesar salad.

Atwo-course, $6.99 value meal is available at lunch and a breakfast special priced at $3.99 includes various egg combination meal options.

Carrows’ prime-rib dinner offer will be available on Friday and Saturdays after 4 p.m., and Sundays starting at 11 a.m., until they sell out.

Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected].