Can Casual Dining Restaurants Survive Social Distancing Rules?

After only being allowed to operate with takeout and delivery for three months, restaurants in many states are beginning to reopen with dine-in seating as long as social distancing is observed. Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI), which operates a multitude of popular casual dining chains, highlighted during its recent earnings conference call the challenge restaurants face as they begin to allow diners back inside. Darden's Longhorn Steakhouse chain saw considerable comparable restaurant sales improvement when sit-down dining was allowed beginning in early June.