Burger Brand Bingo

In the ever increasing battle for the consumer attention in the QSR burger space Andy’s Burgers
Shakes & Fries has changed its name to Highway 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries in order to grow.  This is not the first regional chain to try this.  Winerschnitzel converted stores to Hamburger Stands garnering a short term pop in sales then flat-lined.

Our question is: Are legacy hamburger chains the ilk of Burger King and Wendy’s franchisees ready to swap brand names?  Will a group of franchisee say enough is enough and simply revolt creating a new company or will they simply drop the current under-performer for say 5 guy’s,  Smashburger or Highway 55?

The ready-2-eat heat-N-eat hamburger niche consumer are on the move.  Legacy chains that are simply copy-cat companies pontificating brand protectionism are now on the ropes and being sued often by failing franchisee it appears the focus in not on food or the customer.

Given the similarity with the footprint it might be time for an aggressive regional to step up and out by offering “special deal” to existing operators of other brands too swap names.  Clearly some of the legacy hamburger operators without dynamic leadership are winding down.  Let me know who you think is prepared to step up and win the Burger Bingo Name Game.

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, brand, product placement or positioning assistance.  Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

McDonalds abandoned brand protectionism for global success.

McDonalds has long understood that strategy trumps tactics in a global marketplace. McDonalds clearly is the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) leader in the United States and the World. Over the past 30+ years McDonalds has leveraged its consumer qualitative and quantitative attributes via marvelous menu magic, building a better brand for global success.  While a majority of QSR copy-cat companies continue to pontificate brand protectionism. Those copy-cat companies are also capitulating market share to McDonalds.  What is it they don’t understand? Here are some menu magic success clues:

In Germany you can find cold beer in most McDonalds. Canada, have a lobster dinner with the McLobster lobster roll. In fish-loving Norway, they have the McLaks, a sandwich made of grilled salmon and dill sauce. In Hong Kong,  Rice Burgers, where the burgers are in between, not burger buns, but two patties of glutinous rice.

Australians can order Vegemite with your English muffin.  Australian Happy Meals serve something called the Pasta Zoo which is a vegetable and cheese ravioli in the shape of zoo animals, served with a side of "Zoo Goo," made of tomato

In Asia the shrimp burger is called the "EBI Filet-O" in Japan. In Hong Kong, it's formally titled the Shrimp Burger and comes on bread with lettuce and spicy sauce.  In addition you my Japan's own shrimp tempura. These shrimp are encrusted in a light batter and dunk nicely into tempura sauce.

In Malaysia you can find a cup of porridge with bits of chicken, ginger, onion, shallots and chili peppers.

“Porridge isn't soup, but rather sodden rice. Malaysians buy their version from food carts or hawker centers, where vendors sell just that dish. While the McDonald's adaptation is heavy on the rice, the Malaysian version comes in generous layers, with the soft rice boiled in chicken or seafood broth on the bottom and sauces, chopped vegetables and shredded chicken added on top”.

Singaporean McDonald's serve Shaka Shaka Chicken. You'll get a breaded, deep-fried chicken patty in a wax-paper bag. You dump spicy powder into the bag, and as you "shaka" it, the spices stick to the patty with the help of the frying oil. If you're too lazy to leave the hotel, you can always order a chicken sandwich online, add some jasmine tea and make it come to you with a McDelivery.

In India there are no beef burgers at McDonald's in India try the McVeggie -- a rice, bean and vegetable patty that McDonald's treats predictably with breading -- or the McAloo Tikki -- a potato-vegetable burger. Then there is the  Maharaja Mac, which is a Big Mac made of lamb or chicken meat.

In Egypt, but across the Middle East. It serves the McArabia, two chicken or beef patties in pita bread with lettuce, tomato, onion and tahini sauce. We see this more as a transplanted hamburger than shawarma or falafel.

QSR brand protectionism is not a success tactic nor is it a strategy. If success leaves clues in the restaurant industry one clearly is incorporating consumer qualitative and quantitative attributes into a

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, brand, product placement or positioning assistance.  Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

Foodservice Solutions® Success Clues.

Cultivating a brand is more important that managing a brand. Brands are dynamic not static, they develop and grow with the consumer. Identifying distinctive differentiated programs, positioning and consumable’s by day part that reflect the brand, industry trends, consumer preferences is an area that I Foodservice Solutions excels. Is your company ready to leverage the 5P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price into a national, regional, zone or local marketing plan? 

Outside eyes can bring new light and assist in your pace of growth, redevelopment and deployment of your new products and brand positioning. Foodservice Solutions can work with you identifying distinctive differentiated food consumables, trends, and day-parts to create a point of additional differentiation for your company or one of your brands. Setting ambitious goals and objectives is something you may be very good at. Assisting people reach their goals is what I Foodservice Solutions® best at.  

Understanding the unique balance between palate, price, pleasure and the consumer’s drive for qualitative distinctive differentiated new messaging places Foodservice Solutions® in a select industry grouping The food value proposition equilibrium for the consumer today balances; better for you, flavor, and traditional products all blended into something with a twist. In industry speak, differentiated does not mean different to the consumer it means familiar.  

Success leaves clues; transformational times require focus and experience with a qualitative edge Foodservice Solutions® has that edge. If you are ready to build retail foodservice success within yheready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food space contact Tacoma, Washington based Foodservice Solutions® today at: grocerant@q.com

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand leveraging integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Wawa Food Fuels Florida Focus.

Love Wawa Coffee? This summer Wawa will open its first of many units in Central Florida in and around Orlando and Tampa.  Wawa the convenience store sector leader in fresh food sales has been much copied by competitors over the past 10 years. None of the competitors have been able to match the continued success Wawa has had with fresh food sales.   Are you ready for your favorite Wawa Hoagie? Here is a link to follow all of Wawa’s progress in Florida: www.wawa.com/florida

Wawa has been one of the retail foodservice industry leaders in the grocerant niche with a focus on ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food.  When it comes to customization, mix and match meal component bundling Wawa is one of the very best.  Why, simple Wawa understand the consumer is dynamic not static. Wawa continues to evolve with the consumer.

With close to 600 stores in the Northeast, Wawa will have built-in name recognition when they open in Florida.  With a focus on food that is ready-2-eat and easily bundled into a family customized meal Wawa will be a hit in Florida.  Filled with a consumer relevant look and feel from digital menu boards to touch screen ordering and filled with fresh food Wawa is evolving into a food focused Grocerant power house.

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand leveraging integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Coffee Positioning Innovation Provides Foodservice Growth.

Coffee and breakfast are driving success in retail foodservice growth today.  Mix and Match beverage and food offerings during the AM daypart are success clues for all grocerant niche players looking for success.

Packaged Facts found “Sales of coffee and tea at restaurant and drinking places are projected to reach $18.7 billion in 2012. Sales spiked 11% in 2011, driven by the return of consumers to the restaurant industry, aggressive coffee and tea menu innovation, increased penetration of coffee and tea among restaurant units, and menu price increases.” …

 “The Big Four” in this market — Dunkin Donuts, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, McDonald’s, and Starbucks — each generate coffee and tea revenue in excess of $1 billion. Led by these mavericks, coffee and tea players continue to outperform restaurant industry growth, with restaurant brands across the foodservice spectrum pursuing incremental profits through improvements in coffee and tea quality and variety.  Did you know:

1.       Coffee statistics show that coffee is the most popular beverage worldwide with over 400 billion cups consumed each year.

2.       Coffee industry statistics show that only 20% of harvested coffee beans are considered to be a premium bean of the highest quality.

3.       Coffee market statistics show that coffee is grown commercially in over 45 countries around the world.

4.       Coffee trade statistics show that over 5 million people in Brazil are employed by the coffee trade.

5.       Those employed in the coffee industry are involved mostly with the cultivation and harvesting of more than 3 billion coffee plants.

6.       Coffee consumption statistics show that coffee represents 75% of all the caffeine consumed in the United States.

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand leveraging integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Safeway is renewed and seeking consumer relevance.

Safeway one of the largest grocery stores chains in America for years was simply another legacy food retail stuck in the middle of the pack, with copy-cat positioning trying to be all things to all people. Then they found success with newly remodeled stores they called “lifestyle” stores.  When in fact the remodeled units were simply Grocerants niche units.  Lifestyle stores serve ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food driving in customers with relevant products all the while building customer frequency levels.

While the strategy of garnering customer attention with the lifestyle units was successful it reinforced with consumer why they like restaurants and fresh prepared food for Take-Away.  Safeway utilizing tactics from a legacy playbook decided to have a cook-off.   This cook-off will focus on natural food cooked for “Skillet Meals” incorporating consumer relevant Natural food prepared for meal component options. Here again back to consumer relevance. Mix and Match meal components are a prime driver of grocerant niche success as regular readers of this blog know.

With “lifestyle” stores and “Culinary Kitchens” Safeway is on track to build a new and relevant contemporary following of consumers.  Ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food continues to drive top line sales and bottom line profits within all food retail sectors.  The vast majority of grocery store chains are not growing as faster than food inflation which is 5.5%.  When coupled with manufacture shrinking product size, there is no real growth with most Food CPG Retail grocery stores.  The only real sales expansion is with companies like Target, Trade Joes and the Dollar stores.

Safeway is building success with fresh food prepared that is ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat all are grocerant niche mix and match options that are consumer relevant. Success does leave clues.

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand leveraging integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.

Food Preferences of College Students may Leave Clues.

Are college students buying “better for you” food today and how?  They are utilizing a confluence of new tools including mobile app’s, from wireless phone, On-line ordering from computers and PDA’s, IPad’s to name just a few.  More over the younger the consumer the more likely they are to find any of these alternate forms of ordering preferable. This is also perceived as better for you from the consumer perspective.

Foodservice consumer responded to a research survey conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) on Functional Foods.  The survey found that “89% of Americans agree that certain foods can have benefits for long term health including reducing the risk of disease or other health concerns.  Consumer identified the following:

1.       Fruits and vegetables

2.       Fish / seafood

3.       Milk & Yogurt

4.       Meat & poultry

5.       Herbs & spices

What is most interesting to me is that the number one item on the list also appeared as the number one food preferred by college students in dorm meal plans for the past 20 years!

Now think about it, our customers are looking for a better for you food products when they go out to eat and at home.  Grocerant ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat prepared food must be comprised of better for you food attributes and available in better for you formats for contemporize consumer relevance.

Prudent retailers will soon understand the power of the Grocerant niche!  Ready-2-eat or heat-N-eat quality bundled meal options that are better for you, create demand in new and alternative channels of sales and distribution.

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand leveraging integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant.