A New Bob Evans

Bob Evans Farms Inc. (Columbus, Ohio), the meat-and-potatoes restaurant struggling with the nationwide health food and nutrition trends and an economy that is forcing people to cut back on spending when dining out, has unveiled a new store style in Cincinnati.

The space has a fireplace, more dining areas, oak ceiling beams and other accents in an attempt to create a casual atmosphere.

The new 160-seat restaurant is about the same size as the adjacent restaurant that it replaced.

“We're trying to attract more families with younger children, but we also don't want to alienate our older clientele, which have been extremely loyal,” said Joe LeGros, Bob Evans vp, director of regional operations.

The new look and several new menu items are among a number of changes the 57-year-old chain is testing to reverse flagging same-store sales. The company recently reported a 49 percent drop in first quarter profits and a 1.9 percent decline in same-store sales (only partially offset by higher food-product sales).At about the same time, chairman and ceo Stewart Owens resigned suddenly after five years on the job, citing personal reasons. It wasn't clear whether or not he was forced out, but many industry analysts noted at the time that he had come to the job without a background in restaurant operations. He was replaced, as interim ceo, by Larry Corbin, the company's former executive vp of restaurant operations, who had retired in 2004.