Cutting Calories Without Cutting Customers

From today's Wall Street Journal:

At Romano's Macaroni Grill, Chief Executive Brad Blum is attempting to pull off a delicate balancing act: reinvigorate a struggling Italian-food restaurant chain by shrinking its fare.

Since taking the helm at the Dallas-based restaurant chain nine months ago, Mr. Blum has tried to reverse a steady sales decline by changing a menu heavy with calorie-rich foods such as fettuccini Alfredo and fried mozzarella while keeping loyal customers happy.

This may be tough because these changes are complicated by the competition that Macaroni Grill faces in this part of the restaurant market. Chains like Olive Garden and Bucca di Beppo are also vying for consumers who want Italian food at moderate prices.