Millennials Mirror Memories

Millennials are growing up and having children of their own.  Without any doubt Millennials have adopted the habits of their parents when it come to deciding ‘What’s for Dinner’. They are ordering grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh food simply because they liked it when their parents bought it for them according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Let’s look at some facts from Hudson Riehle  Senior Vice President for research at the National Restaurant Association:

1.       69% of US Adults have viewed a restaurant menu on line in the past year

2.       50% of Millennials are more likely to have a restaurant meal delivered today than 2 years ago

3.       44% of US Adults have placed an order for restaurant food to be delivered in the last year

4.       43% of US Adults are more likely to incorporate non-restaurant prepared meals into home meals than two years ago.

The NPD Group reported in a new study that” “Millennials outlets of choice for a family meal are quick service restaurants, which includes fast casual restaurants. Millennials with kids made 7.3 billion visits to quick service restaurants in 2018. Dinner is the meal when they are most likely to turn to foodservice, but lunch and morning meal get their share of visits as well.”

The NPD report continued “Millennial families choose to eat their foodservice meals or snacks varies with 46 percent eaten at home, 30 percent eaten at the restaurant, and the remaining percentage spread out among eating in the car, eating at work, at another location, and other places. When at home, Millennial parents will often blend a restaurant item with items they prepared. These types of blended at home meals are forecast to grow over the next few years”

Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh food continues to drive customer adoption in every sector of food retail today according to Johnson.  Is your restaurant, service deli, dollar store, or convenience store looking a customer ahead?

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Grocerant Program Assessment, Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or call our Grocerant Guru®.  Since 1991 www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869

Domino’s Moving Mobile Magic Driving ‘New branded Electricity’

Brand relevance is important for any chain restaurant.  Staying a customer ahead is one thing all food companies would like.  There is one company that continues to excel edifying the brand with customer relevance and that company is Domino’s Pizza according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  Domino’s ability to leverage technology and partnerships in building ‘new branded electricity’ that continues to lead the foodservice industry.

Focusing on consumers, Domino's Pizza knows that some people practically live in their car, so why not make the car a great place to order pizza? Domino's has a new partnership with Xevo Inc., the global leader of in-vehicle commerce and services for automakers, to launch the latest AnyWare pizza ordering platform pre-loaded in cars. This new in-vehicle Domino's app is powered by Xevo Market, an automotive commerce platform for connected cars will create ‘new electricity’ according to Johnson.

Chris Roeser, director of digital experience at Domino's stated "At Domino's, we want pizza ordering to be simple and always within reach, no matter where a customer happens to be," .."This new AnyWare platform will make ordering pizza easy, whether you're in the car waiting for the kids to finish soccer practice or you're on your way home from work."

Here is how it works, customers will be able order their Domino's favorites with just a few taps on their vehicle's touchscreen. Once the customer is logged in, they can save time by ordering their Easy Order or most recent order, and then track it with Domino's Tracker, so they know when it's out of the oven. Customers can locate their local store and call in an order from the in-car interface as well. The Domino's ordering feature will be automatically loaded on millions of cars with the Xevo platform starting in late 2019.

How is your brand building new electricity? According to Johnson, “Brand relevance is in part driven with innovation in new menu related products in combination with new avenues of distribution all of which are the platform for the new electricity.”

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as fresh foods, free food / sampling, toy’s, beer, developing brands, unique urban clothing, grocerant positioning, Fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food that is portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different. 

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced food marketing and business development ideations. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities, technology, or a new menu product segment.  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

Growing Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams Turns Heads Adds Dairy-Free

The ability to drive top line sales and bottom-line profits while creating loyalty in a social setting is extremely important and plays a vital role in foodservice today, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams is creating distinctive differentiated branded messaging while expanding the halo of better-for-you according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Turning the table upside down on ‘cream’ Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams has launched its first dairy-free product line nationwide. As with all of Jeni's imaginative flavors, its take on a dairy-free frozen dessert is so satisfyingly delicious, even steadfast dairy lovers will love them. The collection is available now in Jeni's Scoop Shops nationwide and online creating new points of distribution for dairy-free desserts while empowering a new platform to garner a new generation of branded consumers according to Johnson.

Regular readers of this blog remember Foodservice Solutions® four steps to continued innovation success Build, Measure, Learn, and Repeat. Well, a few years ago, Jeni's set out to make the best dairy-free ice cream in the world. They tried all the trendy ingredients (pea proteins, algae, nut milks). Not one lived up to their standards of flavor and quality. Taking a step back, Jeni's realized their premise was all wrong because it's impossible to ask ingredients that are not milk or cream to act like milk or cream.

They returned to the roots of what it is they do every single day: source the best ingredients they can find and use their expertise to make them shine. Which is how Jeni's came to use pure coconut cream—the most delicate and delicious part of the coconut and the reason Jeni's new flavors are so impossibly creamy. And it means these flavors are as enjoyable licked from a cone as they are from a spoon.

Jeni Britton Bauer stated "This is dairy-free ice cream that's not jealous of dairy, made by people who love dairy,”  “Bringing people together is the core of what Jeni's is all about—building and inspiring our community. And we're excited to be able to offer the pleasure of ice cream to our dairy-free, vegan and dairy-loving friends."

Jeni's launched its collection with four flavors, Dark Chocolate Truffle, Cold Brew with Coconut Cream, Texas Sheet Cake and Roasted Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam. From the complex and ethereal flavors of Dark Chocolate Truffle, to the light and bright Slingshot Coffee-infused Cold Brew with Coconut Cream, the savory Roasted Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam with a hint of sea salt and the decadent Texas Sheet Cake with chocolate cake crumbles, bittersweet fudge and palate-gripping cocoa, Jeni's dairy-free collection offers something for everyone.

Is your brand looking beyond traditional product ideations? Is your brand prepared to target another sector of foodservice consumers?  Is your brand building customer counts or capitulating customers? You can find Jeni’s retail outlets, grocery store shelves, or online.  Where does your brand sell food?

Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.

A Robot Restaurant Touting Freshness & Food Safety

Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared continue to drive change in every sector of retail foodservice today according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. 

Once again technology is driving change in real time with patented technology ‘Sally’ for a robot restaurant. The Salad Station in partnership with a Silicon Valley-based food robotics company, Chowbotics, have created a new point of distribution that is closer to customers, cost less, and elevates both freshness and food safety. Creating new electricity for both brands while driving top line sales and bottom line profits.

Earlier this month Louisiana’s first and only salad robot debuted at North Oaks Medical Center. “By utilizing Sally the Robot’s patented technology, The Salad Station is able to expand its footprint by offering local, seasonal salads beyond its brick-and-mortar locations, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Chowbotics recently announced a similar partnership with French multinational plant-based food company, Bonduelle.

Located just outside the cafeteria and available after-hours, Sally benefits patients, visitors, and more than 2,600 North Oaks Medical Center employees, especially those who work through the night.

Extending the ‘halo’ of better-for-you customers who enjoy building their own creations at The Salad Station can recreate the experience with Sally by crafting custom salads from any combination of up to 22 ingredients. Users can fine-tune the calorie total by adding or subtracting ingredients, as well as view full nutritional details for each recipe.

The robot also features several pre-programmed recipes from The Salad Station including the Strawberry Spinach Salad and the Louisiana Farmer’s Salad. The Salad Station plans to regularly sub-in seasonal ingredients, spicing up staples like spinach and roasted chicken with fruits and vegetables from local farms.

“The Salad Station is built on fresh produce and fast service,” says Scott Henderson, founder and president. “We’re excited to introduce Sally the Robot, a new and innovative way to order Louisiana’s favorite salads.”

This is important; Sally reduces the risk of foodborne illness, as ingredients are kept sanitary and separate. Each of Sally’s ingredients is replenished on a regular basis and contained within the robot, greatly reducing the potential for contamination.

“We’re thrilled to help Scott and the team at The Salad Station expand the availability of their salads beyond the store level,” says Dr. Deepak Sekar, founder and CEO of Chowbotics. “Sally brings nourishment day and night to those visiting or working at North Oaks Medical Center as well as the Hammond community at large.”  How is your brand creating new electricity?  

What partnerships have you formed to drive sales? Where is your brands new electricity? According to Johnson, “Brand relevance is in part driven with innovation in new menu related products in combination with new avenues of distribution all of which are the platform for the new electricity.”

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as fresh foods, free food / sampling, toy’s, beer, developing brands, unique urban clothing, grocerant positioning, Fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food that is portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different. 

Are you looking for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.

Are You Winning The Battle for Share of Stomach

Costco Fresh Food that is Flavorful Wins Customers

Costco has become a destination for consumer looking for Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  Regular readers of this blog understand that within the fresh food sector the Price, Value, Service Equilibrium is evolving and Costco is one company that is driving change, while garnering incremental customers.

Most consumers think of Costco as a place to buy a rotisserie chicken that is more flavorful, fresher, and larger than other companies sell.  Most important is Costco’s rotisserie chicken is only $4.99.  According to Johnson move over chicken as consumers continue to migration to Costco’s Take-N-Bake or Ready-2-Eat fresh made and fresh baked pizza.

In fact according to its most recent Pizza Consumer Trend Report,  found that 43% of consumers eat pizza at least once a week.  The report found that Costco foodservice consumers surveyed, called the pizza “affordable,” “delicious,” “reasonably priced,” and “cheap,” along with being craveable and unique.

What is important to note is that both the rotisserie chicken and pizza have consumer definable differentiated flavor profiles that separates, elevates, and distinguishes them from many legacy competitors.

The report found that 49% of shoppers want more authentic pizza offerings, and 44% of shoppers choose pizza operators who use high-quality/fresh toppings and ingredients. Clearly Costco has differentiated authentic full-flavored fresh food according to Johnson. 

Business Insider recently reported that Costco “sells generous pizza slices for $1.99 and whole 18-inch pies for $9.95, is now the 14th largest pizza retail chain in the country”.  That’s right Costco is the 14^th largest pizza chain in the US.  It’s clear Costco is driving change within fresh food retail specifically the Price, Value, Service Equilibrium.

Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions 5P’s of Food Marketing can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization? Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.

McDonald’s Embraces The 65 Inch HDTV Syndrome

Consider this; the undercurrents of Foodservice Solutions® 65 Inch HDTV Syndrome have now reached the manufacture of La-Z-Boy, Uber Eats, and the world’s most successful global chain restaurant McDonald’s.  Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® identified, quantified, and qualified The 65 Inch HDTV Syndrome back in the day.

Not only is McDonald’s embracing The 65 Inch HDTV Syndrome they have partnered with two other companies to give consumers what they want.  Simply put McDonald’s meals delivered to their home so they can enjoy the meal in from of their 65 Inch HDTV on their couch.  While no HDTV as given the La-Z-Boy is outfitted with built-in coolers, light-up cup holders, phone chargers, adjustable seats and a McDonald’s-Uber Eats blanket that says “Going out is overrated.” So, how are expanding your brand?

Elizabeth Campbell, senior director of brand and menu strategy for McDonald’s stated “The McDelivery Couch sweepstakes celebrates our shared love of staying in, as well as our mission to bring people together over food and fun experiences,”

McDonald’s is giving away the couch in a sweepstakes that runs through April 8. Customers enter by tweeting about menu items they like to have delivered and can enter as often as once a day. They began working with Uber Eats on delivery in 2017 and now has the service in about 9,000 of its 14,000 U.S. locations.

The 65 Inch HDTV Syndrome found that consumer like Eating-Out when Eating-In. How is your brand creating new electricity?  What partnerships have you formed to drive sales? Where is your brands new electricity? According to Johnson, “Brand relevance is in part driven with innovation in new menu related products in combination with new avenues of distribution all of which are the platform for the new electricity.”

Who Will Win the Battle for Share of Stomach

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as fresh foods, free food / sampling, toy’s, beer, developing brands, unique urban clothing, grocerant positioning, Fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food that is portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different. 

Are you looking for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.

How the Undercurrents of Dollar General’s Fresh Food Initiative will Food Drive Industry Change

Success does leave clues and once a chain reaches 15,370 stores most everyone would say they have found success.  The question is for Dollar General not have we found success but how do we continue to evolve, grow while edifying the relationship with the consumers.

According to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® the answer for most retailers today is focus on grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat Fresh food.  I’m sure by now you guessed that Dollar General is doing just that.

Dollar General has begun a move to self-distribute fresh. The Dollar General Fresh (DGF) initiative has already launched through a cold-storage facility in Pottsville, Pa., which earlier this year began serving approximately 300 Dollar General stores in the Northeast, as we previously reported.

DGF expects to be distributing its own fresh foods to as many as 5,000 stores by the end of its fiscal year next January. Dollar General has used fresh, frozen and refrigerated foods to help build store traffic and comps as it has expanded to a nationwide discounter.

Dollar General said it would open 975 new stores in fiscal 2019 and renovate another 1,000—with half of the remodeled stores moving to the “Traditional Plus” format which includes expanded cooler space for fresh foods.  

Consumers want convenient, portable, good for you and sweet: Fresh-cut fruits satisfy consumer demand for healthful snacks that can be eaten on the go according to Produce Marketing Association (PMA) finds that healthy and fresh can’t drive this category alone. Fresh fruit sales and fresh food will drive incremental sales and profits according to Johnson. 

The consumer is dynamic not static?  Does your chain have 15,370 stores? How many are you opening next year? Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a new menu product segment and brand and menu 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/

Delivery, Technology will Drive Food Sales and Blaze Pizza wants to Grow

When all of the facts shout out ‘get on board’, there are times you simply have to put your head down and jump in according Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  When it comes to delivery the facts are clear: “By 2023, the global food delivery mobile app market that was put at $3.78 billion in 2017 should grow to a whopping $16.61 billion in value, which is a compound annual growth rate of 27.9 percent, according to Allied Market Research.” 

Jumping into delivery is simply not that easy, here is an example how Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza had to create a new size pizza and form a new partnership to help evolve the brand.  That platform is a large 14-inch pizza as part of a campaign to grow its digital delivery and carryout business. The partnership is with Postmates.

Jim Mizes, CEO and president stated “Most delivery pizza is consumed at home with family and friends,” “Since 2012, Blaze Pizza has focused on the dine-in experience—serving personal size pizzas at lunch speed and lunch price point. Adding large pizzas will allow us to serve the at-home market, too.” 

Large pizzas are similar to the chain’s original 11-inch personal pizzas—made with fresh dough and real ingredients—but their 14-inch size, cut into 8-slices, make them perfect for sharing.  Pizza varieties include Build-Your-Own, Meat Eater, Green Stripe, Veg Out, BBQ CHKN, and Red Vine. 

“Now you can get real artisanal pizza in a more sharable size delivered to your house,” says Brad Kent, Executive Chef. “When compared to processed pizza made with frozen dough and cooked in a conveyor-belt oven, our large pizzas are a real game changer.”  New products and new points of distribution create new electricity according to Johnson.

Once again, I ask, how is your brand creating new electricity? According to Johnson, “Brand relevance is in part driven with innovation in new menu related products in combination with new avenues of distribution all of which are the platform for the new electricity.”

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as fresh foods, free food / sampling, toy’s, beer, developing brands, unique urban clothing, grocerant positioning, Fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food that is portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different.  Consumer like Eating-Out when Eating-In. It’s time to call the Grocerant Guru®

Are you ready for some fresh ideations or new partnerships? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.

Jersey Mike’s Subs Looking A Customer Ahead

Restaurant chains now days seem to run hot and cold.  There is a reason for that according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® that reason is they focus on short term tactics vs. strategy.  One chain that continues to do most things right is with a solid focus on strategy is Jersey Mike’s Subs according to Johnson.

Looking a customer ahead is mandatory when building a brand.   While regular readers of the blog know the importance of partnership in driving top line sales and bottom line profit; while creating a platform for new electricity, well so does Jersey Mike’s Sub’s now in a new partnership Huddle. Huddle is the leader in high school event tickets and marketing, the program reaches nearly 3,000 high schools throughout the country. The new program elements include: 

1.       Naismith Awards— Jersey Mike’s is now the title sponsor of the Naismith High School Awards, administered by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, and official sub sandwich of the Naismith Awards. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, these are the most prestigious national awards in high school basketball.

2.       The Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Trophy: Presented annually since 1987 to the most outstanding boys’ and girls’ high school basketball player nationwide. The award focuses on the 50-player watch list, a midseason team of 25, 10 national semifinalists, five finalists and the winner.

3.       The Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Coach of the Year Award: Honors the best boys’ and girls’ coaches with announcements to recognize five finalists as well as the winner of each award.

4.       The Jersey Mike’s National High School All-American Teams: Awarded to the top five boys’ and girls’ players on each of the first, second and third teams along with 15 additional honorable mentions. 

5.       Gridiron Gang— Football coaches and players will have access to discounts and offers from Jersey Mike’s and includes a season-long award program.

6.        Above and Beyond Award: Coaches will recognize players who go above and beyond each week and will name the overall winner at the end of the season.

7.       The School Spirit Award: Jersey Mike’s will recognize the most spirited student football fans. The top 10 schools will receive $1,000 in school scholarships and a catered pep rally.

8.       Coaches’ Club: Each coach will receive a package containing discount sub cards for players, catering deals and VIP coach’s cards. 

Rich Hope, chief marketing officer, Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems, stated “High school sports teach valuable life lessons about teamwork and leadership, and we are proud to support a high school sports program that positively impacts athletes, coaches and students,” says. “Jersey Mike’s Founder Peter Cancro bought his first sub shop at age 17 with the help of a former football coach, so sports have played an important role in our history.”

Joey Thacker, CEO, Huddle stated “We are excited to partner with Jersey Mike’s to engage with high school coaches, athletes and administrators to bring value throughout the school year,” says. “Jersey Mike’s new partnership with the prestigious Naismith High School Basketball Award further demonstrates their commitment to excellence within high school athletics and the local communities they serve.” 

How is your brand creating new electricity? According to Johnson, “Brand relevance is in part driven with innovation in new menu related products in combination with new avenues of distribution all of which are the platform for the new electricity.”

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as fresh foods, free food / sampling, toy’s, beer, developing brands, unique urban clothing, grocerant positioning, Fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food that is portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different.  Consumer like Eating-Out when Eating-In. It’s time to call the Grocerant Guru®

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a new menu product segment and brand and menu 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/