Macaroni Grill, Bravo Cucina Italiana, Brio Tuscan Grille, Olive Garden and others are seeing a decline in sales likely due to the gluten-free diet craze.
The NPD Group has stated that a third of consumers are cutting back on gluten and 11 percent are gluten-free. Most have not been diagnosed with a gluten-intolerant disease.
Most pasta contains a lot of gluten, and with 41 percent of adults believing gluten-free foods are desirable, Italian chains could continue to see a decline in customers.
Read the full article here: Gluten-free diets might be hurting Italian chains
[sc:mbta]
