Generational Difference in Foodservice Matter

Students today are your employees and consumers tomorrow often it is the case that the undercurrents of customer adoption beginning with students evolve into full-fledged trends in a couple of years according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Recently UNiDAYS, uncovered some interesting information in its Gen Z study: “What Restaurant Need to Know,” highlighting key tips for restaurants to make inroads with Gen Z. Exploring the attitudes and behaviors of Gen Z consumers. They found four key themes restaurants need to pay attention to:

1. Move Past the Broke Student Mentality

According to the report, 78 percent of Gen Zs spend the majority of their money on food. However, Gen Z has already proven to be more financially savvy than their Millennial counterparts. So, even though they have the money to spend, they want to be careful about how they spend it.

2. Community-Based Incentives Are Key

Nearly 93 percent of Gen Zs say they “are more likely to try a restaurant that offers discounts.” UNiDAYS recommends creating a personalized experience for students in a scalable way. Out of the Gen Z-ers surveyed, 41 percent said they learn about new menu items in the restaurant, and the remainder rely on social media networks (20 percent) and friends (19 percent). The best way to market these local offers are through community-based platforms that build brand affinities.

3. Embrace Spontaneity

Gen Z’s are spontaneous by nature. Only five percent of them said they plan their meals in advance while 48 percent said they try a new quick-service restaurant chain every month. Restaurants can take advantage of their willingness to try new things by using real-time tactics such as mobile push alerts for promotions of menu items and pricing geared towards Gen Z. Since they often communicate in images, it’s critical to dedicate “resources to leverage images and video snippets of your food across social and in promotions targeted at Gen Z.”

4. What Gen Z is Craving: It’s Not About the Meal Plan

Almost 48 percent of students don’t have a campus meal plan, and UNiDAYS says, “if they’re not coming to you, then they’re checking out your competition - which includes local and independent restaurants.” Students share that almost half of local eateries provide special offers for them and 78 percent are taking advantage.

Success does leave clues www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  is the global leader in grocerant niche business development.  We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities.  Has your company had a Grocerant ScoreCard completed a Grocerant Program Assessment, or new Grocerant niche product Ideation?  Want one?  Call 253-759-7869 Email: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us