“My mom made two dishes: Take it or Leave it.”

Are you wondering why we see restaurant customer migration? “My mom made two dishes: Take it or Leave it.”  Is a line made famous by comedian Stephen Wright?  Today restaurants need to battle the 75 inch TV’s demand for time and attention. Brands must be multi-channel or consumer will simply dial out.

Take it or leave it has come and gone. Today all food consumers are empowered with choice driven by preferences in flavor profiles, portion size, packaging and portability. Below are 5 clues to consider when considering customer migration.

U.S. consumers under the age of 25 spend an average of 40.9% of their food expenditures on food away from the home The Food Institute reported May 11, 2012.

Americans ages 23-34 spent 45.2% of food expenditures away from home the same report found.

Here is the kicker, those ages 75 and up spent the least at 31.8% all this and more can be found in The

Food Institute’s 2012 edition of its Demographics of Consumer Spending report.

Restaurants in France are increasingly offering “café gourmand,” a desert dish featuring an espresso and multiple small desserts on a single plate.  Mix and Match bundling anyone is a key driver of retail success.

The U.S. Census found in 2012 that 50% of U.S. adults over the age of 18 are single.

The grocerant niche is filled with ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared meal components.  Around the world consumers are refocusing how, where and when they chose to buy food. Are you positioned within your niche to build sales? 

Steven Johnson is Grocerant Guru at Tacoma, WA based www.FoodserviceSolutions.us , with extensive experience as a multi-unit operator, consultant and brand/product positioning. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for  visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant