Article: Core-menu plan offers quality, consistency and economy: McCormick & Schmick's buying program protects the brand while allowing for regional tastes.

McCormick & Schmick's just isn't what it used to be. In the 25 years since Bill McCormick and Doug Schmick founded the first McCormick & Schmick's upscale-casual seafood restaurant in Portland, Ore., the company has grown to encompass more than 50 locations in 22 states, operating under a half-dozen different trade names. The founders sold their chain to Applebee's in 1997, bought it back in 2001 and then went public earlier this year in a bid to launch a new era of growth.

Throughout its evolution, McCormick & Schmick's challenge has been to protect the indigenous, local nature of individual restaurants while taking advantage of increased buying power and market ...

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