Like their laundry service providers, COVID-19 rocked many restaurants to their foundations. Not all will survive the pandemic that rekindled in late summer with the “delta variant” creating doubts about the efficacy of U.S. and global efforts to stamp out the virus.

Yet Roshan Mendis, executive vice president and a co-founder of a national chain of casual restaurants, saw through the COVID gloom. Instead, his team pursued new opportunities to deliver value to customers through carry-out or dine-in meals in any of the 30-plus restaurants that he and founder Chris Simms launched in 2003 in Huntington Beach, CA. Inspired by ...