Bottom of the Barrel: Patient Investors May Like What's Cooking at Luby's

If you have the appetite for a turnaround -- filled with all the usual risks and potential reward -- this cafeteria chain may hit the spot.

San Antonio-based Luby's (LUB Quote) operates 202 cafeteria-style restaurants in Texas and across the Southwest. Although its brand name resonates among Texans, Luby's has never fully recovered from the 1997 suicide of former president and CEO John E. Curtis.

It's been a downhill ride since then. In 1998, the company turned a profit of $1.45 a share. Last year, it lost 27 cents a share. During that time, it also eliminated its 80-cent dividend. ...