As Consumers Seek Affordable Meals, the Restaurant Franchise Finds Renewed Appeal
- Shoney’s benefits from growing demand for affordable, all-you-can-eat dining.
- Chairman and CEO David Davoudpour said value, variety and hospitality have always defined Shoney’s.
- The 79-year-old restaurant franchise embraces innovation while preserving its legacy.
- Shoney’s seeks single- and multi-unit franchisees to fuel growth.
The Shoney’s restaurant franchise is enjoying renewed popularity as inflation-stressed consumers turn to all-you-can-eat value dining. “People are asking restaurants to make every dining dollar count,” said David Davoudpour, Shoney’s chairman and CEO. “That is a very different definition of value, and Shoney’s understands it deeply.”
Value means more than paying less, Davoudpour said in a news release about Shoney’s renewed popularity. “It’s about getting more. More choice. More freshness. More hospitality. More confidence that the meal was worth it. Value is not a coupon. It is the feeling that you made a good decision.”
That good-value vibe turns out to represent a major restaurant trend for 2026, according to the National Restaurant Association’s 2026 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast. Value ranked No. 3 in the association’s report.
Renewed Interest in All-You-Can-Eat Dining
Davoudpour said there’s a lot of buzz about value right now, but it has been a constant at Shoney’s. “The headlines around value may be timely, but the idea isn’t new to Shoney’s. It’s been our calling card from the beginning.”
The importance of value is just magnified today. That’s because U.S. consumers reel from economic strife, including September’s one-two punch of 3.7% inflation and wage gains of only 3%, NBC News, Associated Press and other media reported.
Diners find value at Shoney’s through the dining experience and the variety of quality foods as well as affordability, Davoudpour said. The brand’s All You Care to Eat Fresh Food Bar is a big winner, he said, and helped Shoney’s win acclaim as Newsweek Readers’ Choice as the Best Buffet Chain.
“The renewed interest in all-you-can-eat is real,” said Davoudpour, a statement affirmed by news reports such as NBC’s Today coverage. NBC’s Today Show cited Yelp searches for restaurant buffets climbing 250% last year after being nearly wiped out by the COVID pandemic. “Our Fresh Food Bar is absolutely part of the value story, though our role resonates beyond that. What people are really rediscovering is the satisfaction of getting their money’s worth. Abundance matters because choice matters. Freshness matters. Taste matters. Being treated well matters. Value is the combination of all of it.”
Shoney’s Long-Game Approach
Davoudpour charted a different path for Shoney’s to maintain value compared to most restaurant franchises, which usually offer temporary discount deals. His philosophy is that value should be built into the experience rather than being switched on and off as market conditions fluctuate.
“A restaurant can introduce a promotion overnight,” he said. “It takes years to earn trust. Shoney’s has never wanted value to feel temporary. The goal is for a guest to walk out feeling that Shoney’s delivered — on the food, the choice, the service and the experience.”
Whether customers dine in or order Shoney’s Family Meals To-Go, the brand aims to deliver consistent value beyond a single meal or promotion. It is the cumulative experience of consistently receiving something worthwhile, Davoudpour emphasizes.
“Value ages well, and it still matters. So does a brand when it stays faithful to what people have always cared about. Fresh food. Delicious food. Choice. Hospitality. Value that is immediately recognizable. Those things worked when Shoney’s began [in 1947]. They matter right now, and they will matter long after today’s promotions are gone.”
Menu Appeal of the Shoney’s Franchise
Davoudpour mentioned delicious food, and Shoney’s menu does measure up as a palate pleaser. Shoney’s menu also reflects three other trends in the National Restaurant Association’s 2026 top 10 list:
- Comfort foods ranked as the No. 2 trend. The Shoney’s franchise, which bills itself as America’s Dinner Table, checks off many U.S. consumers’ comfort-food choices, among them steaks and sandwiches, fries and macaroni and cheese and desserts like hot fudge cake and apple pie. Its breakfasts include perennial American favorites such as eggs, bacon and pancakes.
- Smashed burgers weighed in at No. 4. “This diner staple has reemerged as a social media favorite,” according to the National Restaurant Association’s 2026 forecast. Shoney’s has offered these burgers periodically, although they are not permanently on the menu.
- Shoney’s also appeals with its salad offerings, which fall under the No. 8 ranking on the National Restaurant Association’ trend list: “‘cleaner’ recipes with fewer additives and dyes.”
Shoney’s Innovations
While Shoney’s is protective of its legacy, Davoudpour ensured the brand maintains its competitive edge through modernization. He recently informed franchisees about how artificial intelligence would improve their restaurants’ performance through 2030. And he showed them an architectural blueprint for Shoney’s new-look restaurants, a model that will apply to all new and existing locations.
Keeping pace with other multi-location restaurants, Shoney’s technology offers online food ordering, easy web purchasing of its gift cards (“Share the gift of comfort food,” its online pitch states) and a loyalty program.
Franchise Growth
Since acquiring the iconic American eatery in 2007, Davoudpour has led a mission to expand Shoney’s with single- and multi-unit franchisees. The Nashville, Tenn.-based Shoney’s franchise provides owners with a full suite of operational, marketing and training support. Shoney’s currently has 45 restaurants in 11 states and seeks qualified franchisees.
For details about ownership opportunities, visit Shoney’s franchising webpage. The Shoney’s website presents additional information about this legacy brand and its restaurants.
