美国国家公共电台 NPR Applebee's Gives Up On Millennials After Failed Rebranding Efforts
时间：2019-01-16 作者：英语课 分类：2017年NPR美国国家公共电台8月
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:
Applebee's announced this month that more than 130 of its restaurants will close by the end of the year. The reason - millennials.
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
The casual dining chain rebranded itself in the past few years as a modern bar and grill 1. Applebee's executive John Cywinski recently told investors 2 that the company had hoped the effort would attract a new kind of customer.
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JOHN CYWINSKI: A more youthful and affluent 3 demographic with a more independent or even sophisticated dining mindset, including a clear pendulum 4 swing towards millennials.
SIEGEL: Applebee's tried to lure 5 millennials with dishes like barbecue shrimp 6 in a Sriracha lime sauce, chicken wonton tacos and this item.
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UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We dare you - yes, you - to try ham topped with pulled pork topped with bacon. Yep, we double-dog dare you to try the triple hog 7 dare you.
CORNISH: That's a pork-ham-bacon sandwich, but that triple pork bonanza 8 and the rest of the company's makeover didn't seem to catch on. Sales at Applebee's dropped more than 6 percent from last year. Applebee's executive John Cywinski again.
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CYWINSKI: From my perspective, this pursuit led to decisions that created confusion among core guests as Applebee's intentionally 9 drifted from its - well, I'll call its middle America rules and its abundant value positioning.
SIEGEL: In other words, millennials didn't go for it and the regulars got turned off. In fact, Applebee's is not the only big restaurant chain struggling.
JOE PAWLAK: You see very weak results from people like Ruby 10 Tuesdays, Fridays and Chili 11's as well.
CORNISH: That's Joe Pawlak from Technomic, a food service research firm.
PAWLAK: Consumers are saying that all these people are offering the same food items. The decors are the same and also that prices have become very high in these places.
SIEGEL: So it may be time for yet another new look at Applebee's if they really want to stand out in the crowd. Step one, Applebee's has announced a return to all-you-can-eat specials and an expansion of the popular two-for-20 menu. Mozzarella sticks and chili lime chicken, anyone?
- Put it under the grill for a minute to brown the top.放在烤架下烤一分钟把上面烤成金黄色。
- I'll grill you some mutton.我来给你烤一些羊肉吃。
- a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
- a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会
- He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
- His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。
- The pendulum swung slowly to and fro.钟摆在慢慢地来回摆动。
- He accidentally found that the desk clock did not swing its pendulum.他无意中发现座钟不摇摆了。
- Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
- He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。
- When the shrimp farm is built it will block the stream.一旦养虾场建起来，将会截断这条河流。
- When it comes to seafood,I like shrimp the best.说到海鲜，我最喜欢虾。
- He is greedy like a hog.他像猪一样贪婪。
- Drivers who hog the road leave no room for other cars.那些占着路面的驾驶员一点余地都不留给其他车辆。
- Bargain hunters enjoyed a real bonanza today.到处买便宜货的人今天真是交了好运。
- What a bonanza for the winning ticket holders!对于手持胜券的人来说，这是多好的运气啊。
- I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
- The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。
- She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
- On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。