Experts Available to Discuss "Restaurants Close as Diners Reduce Spending"

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- ExpertSource:

TOPIC: A recent New York Times article comments on the closings of once-popular casual dining chains as the latest blow to not just the restaurant industry but also to shopping malls. As consumers deal with higher gas prices and tighter budgets, they are no longer supporting restaurants and stores that were once "mall mainstays." Industry analysts have expressed concern over the difficulty of finding replacement tenants.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/30/business/30restaurant.html?_r=1& em&ex=1217649600&en=0928dcc2cdf07a32&ei=5087%0A?ef=slogin (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)

EXPERTS: ExpertSource can offer several highly qualified experts to comment on this story:

Jim Stone is chief development officer for geoVue and has over 25 years experience in the commercial real estate industry, spending his first eleven years working for commercial development firms in the areas of finance, property management, and acquisitions. He is a recognized leader in the geospatial industry.

Jim Stone speaks and writes about location intelligence issues; he is often quoted on issues relating to how retailers and restaurant chains can best enter, expand or exit markets, how they should optimize store networks within each market and how they can determine the proper sites.

PR Contact: George Cohen

Title: President

Email: george@gccpr.com

Telephone: 617/325-0011

Harry Balzer, The NPD Group: There are not many people in the United States that have followed the actual eating patterns of Americans as long as Harry Balzer, vice president of The NPD Group. A national expert on food and diet trends, Balzer and The NPD Group have been tracking the eating and drinking patterns of Americans for nearly 30 years. He is the author of The NPD Group's Annual Report on Eating Patterns in America, which is in its 22nd year. That's why more than 90 percent of the nation's food and beverage manufacturers and restaurant operators rely on Harry and NPD data. Balzer is widely known within the industry as a consistent source for information on actual consumer eating habits -- not just what they say they are doing -- but what they really do! NPD conducts over 30 different on-going food-related consumer research studies. Balzer is available to offer insight and commentary on many industry-related questions, including: --What and where are Americans eating - at home or away from home? --What's happening in the restaurant industry? --How many Americans are dieting and what kind of diets are they on? --How often do Americans exercise? What are people's attitudes about health and nutrition? --How often do people cook and what appliances are being used more or less often? --Which foods are gaining or decreasing in popularity for each meal? --How do food safety concerns, including mad cow disease and trans fat, affect food consumption?

Research and Publications: Balzer received recognition from Self Magazine for being one of 25 people in the United States who has changed the way the nation eats, cooks and thinks about food. His television appearances include Today, Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and CNBC. Balzer has been extensively quoted in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, Fortune, Forbes, Time, Newsweek and a host of other business and trade publications. In addition, Balzer speaks about the latest food-related trends at several prestigious food industry events. He also speaks regularly at prominent universities including Northwestern University, Cornell University and the University of Pittsburgh.

PR Contact: Kim McLynn

Title: Senior PR Manager

Email: kim_mclynn@npd.com

Telephone: 847-692-1781

ExpertSource cannot guarantee the immediate availability of these experts or their familiarity with this specific issue.

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