Restaurants Leveraging Gamming Platforms for Success

 

It is at the intersection of interactive participatory food marketing, branded restaurants, Gen Z, Millennial’s, and all online gamers that restaurants are finding an opportunity to drive top-line sales and bottom-line profits.

According to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® extending your brands invitation in a new nontraditional channel of distribution is key to evolving your brand with relevance.

In case you did not know or have not heard, Liifer Technologies and Virtual Dining Concepts announced they are teaming up to allow users to instantly order MrBeast Burger directly within video games.

So, Liifer’s food ordering app for PC and Xbox consoles now includes all 1,500+ MrBeast Burger locations in the US and Canada and is supported within over 1,000 different video game titles. To kick off the partnership, MrBeast Burger orders through the Liifer app will be free of delivery charges for a limited time.

Louis-Philippe Ostiguy, Founder and Chief Gaming Officer at Liifer, stated, “Gamers don’t want to interrupt a gaming session to fumble about with a separate phone or computer app—they want to order their food instantly without having to stop playing,” … “This is a real win for gamers; not only can they now order directly in-game, but they also get free delivery on MrBeast Burger orders as part of this introduction.”

The Liifer app and platform uses keyboard hotkeys and controller buttons to instantly bring chosen food menu items to the forefront of most popular game titles, allowing users to place real orders in seconds without stepping away from their game.

Stephanie Sollers, CEO of Virtual Dining Concepts, stated, “MrBeast Burger is increasingly popular with gamers, especially after MrBeast was included in Epic Game’s Fortnite in December,” … “Being able to order MrBeast Burger within Fortnite and other games is the next logical step in making this brand even more accessible to gaming audiences, and it’s an organic integration that works perfectly for our brand.”

You’re going to like this part as will your customers. Once an order is placed, Liifer automatically finds the cheapest delivery service without adding any additional fees, allowing users to save both time and money while staying focused on their game.

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 us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

At KFC Gamers are Welcome

 

Are you a Gen Z or Millennial Gamer? If you are KFC is looking for you, and has a gift.  That gift is a early beta access to play Diablo IV.  Now According to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® one again the one-time leader within the grocerant niche is doing all the right things when it comes to extending its brand invitation. 

Kentucky Fried Chicken, the one-time leader of the grocerant sector, is collaborating with Blizzard Entertainment to offer fans early beta access to one of the most anticipated games of the year, Diablo IV, the next generation installment in the genre-defining series, which will be released on June 6, 2023. This marketing partnership is sure to drive new electricity into KFC brand messaging adding consumer focused relevance.  Johnson went on to say, “KFC’s use of interactive participatory food marketing here is simply stellar.”

Now through March 18th, customers who order KFC’s iconic Double Down, which made its triumphant return to KFC U.S. menus nationwide March 6, or any eligible sandwich at KFC.com or via the KFC App, will receive a code for Early Beta Access to Diablo IV.

Diablo IV is the next installment in the genre-defining series and will be released on June 6. The game invites players to join the fight to save the dark and gothic world of Sanctuary, where demonic hordes battle for the souls of humanity. To unlock their early beta access, customers will receive a code to their email provided at the time of eligible purchase from KFC.com or the KFC App for early beta access to play Diablo IV between March 17 and March 19.

Eligible purchases include:

·         KFC’s iconic Double Down – a bunless sandwich with two of KFC’s Extra Crispy™, 100 percent white meat filets, two slices of cheese, and two pieces of crispy, hickory-smoked bacon, with either the Colonel’s Mayo or spicy sauce. KFC originally debuted the Double Down in 2010 and is available now for a limited time following a nearly 10-year hiatus.

·         The Kentucky Fried Chicken Sandwich, which debuted in 2021 as KFC’s best sandwich ever, and features an all-white meat, double-breaded, Extra Crispy™ chicken breast filet, freshly toasted buttery brioche bun, thick, crispy pickles and the Colonel's real mayo or spicy sauce.

Both the Double Down and Kentucky Fried Chicken Sandwich are available in both classic and spicy versions, perfect for Diablo IV fans who love the heat.

After placing their order at KFC.com or on the KFC App, fans can avoid waiting in line, head to their local KFC, park in a dedicated VIP parking spot, and go inside where their order will be hot, ready, and waiting on KFC's Quick Pick-Up shelf. Mobile ordering available at participating locations.

According to Johnson, “Brand relevance is in part driven with innovation in new food 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, developing brands, 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 tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  Visit GrocerantGuru.com for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may have the clue you need to propel your continued success.

TOUS les JOURS Baking in Technology

 

If you are a food retailer and want to be in business five years from now you have better be integrating technology every day according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® who stated, “flavor, freshness, fast service is important but how, where and why customers come to you and then come back may require a degree of technology you might not yet have.”

Take for example, TOUS les JOURS, a French-Asian bakery café chain offering more than 300 different kinds of artisan pastries, gourmet cakes and desserts baked in-store daily, revealed its Among Us Impostor Cake based off the popular online multiplayer social deduction game created by Innersloth. The Among Us game gained huge popularity during the pandemic, where it drew nearly 500 million monthly active users and received the “Favorite Video Game” award at the 2021 Kids’ Choice Awards.

Now did you understand that their branded game drew nearly 500 million monthly active users?  That’s very big, very, very big. 

In a Battle for Share of Stomach

You Too Can Win

Joon Kwon, Marketing Manager for TOUS les JOURS, stated, “This unique collaboration with Innersloth allowed TOUS les JOURS to channel our inner kid as we created this fun and delicious new character cake,” ... “We’re confident that online gamers throughout the country are going to love the new Among Us themed cake that’s perfect for birthday parties or just sharing with fellow fans of the game.”

So, inspired by the Red Impostor from Among Us, the new cake features chocolate cake layered with ganache-infused whipped cream and choco crunch balls. The cake is finished with a beautiful red glaze and packaged in a themed Among Us box. Perfect for any of life’s celebrations, the new Among Us Impostor Cake joins TOUS les JOURS’ lineup of Among Us-themed treats, including the Among Us Choco Crunch Cake which debuted last year and remains on the menu due to popular demand.

Victoria Tran, Community Director at Innersloth, stated, "We're so excited to collaborate with TOURS les JOURS to create a delicious experience our communities can enjoy. It's such a fun way to celebrate a special occasion or even just treat yourself! We can't wait to see the cake in stores all around the country and the joy it'll bring to people's faces,".

The new Among Us Impostor cake is permanently available at participating locations. Availability may vary by location. You do not need to be a big chain, there are bloggers, gamers, and marketing companies in your home town looking for a start in drive new partnership relationships.  Are you ready to drive new electricity into your brand?

According to Johnson, “Brand relevance is in part driven with innovation in new food 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, 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. 

For international corporate presentations, regional chain presentations, educational forums, or keynotes contact: Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions.  His extensive experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert, and public speaking will leave success clues for all. For more information visit GrocerantGuru.com, FoodserviceSolutions.US or call 1-253-759-7869

Are Restaurants Ready to Evolve and Devour Customer Migration

 

At what point in time will chain restaurants and or independent restaurants be both willing to accept and or accommodate cryptocurrencies? Where will the tipping point be?  What’s next after bitcoin? Circle K accepts Bitcoin, Most, Landry’s Restaurants accept Bitcoin, KFC Canada accepts Bitcoin, some Subway franchisees and some Pizza Hut franchises accept bit coin.

Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® believes that the undercurrent of consumer acceptance of cryptocurrencies continues to rise, while restaurant consumer influencers are migrating to crypto. Industry press, chain restaurants, and independent restaurants are slow to elevate the conversation. 

There is another new crypto product on the market that just might help drive incremental restaurant adoption, one that is restaurant focused, and restaurant employee targeted.  Elevating this is the advantage for restaurants to avoid or at least reduce the cost for each benefit transaction if they accept a cryptocurrency.

Did you know that the first cryptocurrency designed specifically for restaurants and the hospitality industry is officially available for buying and selling? Well, it is here and it’s called; Devour Token ($RESTAURANTS).  

Devour Token is the first token of its kind solely focused on restaurants and is designed to have utility far beyond ordering food. The ERC-20 tokens are traded on the Ethereum network and accessible via a smart contract. 

Devour launched on December 21, 2021 and has already created a passionate community around the project. According to the project's developers, Devour has plans for multiple utilities, including NFTs (non-fungible tokens), games, apps, and charitable work through its Devour Foundation. 

Shelly Rupel, one of Devour's founders, "Restaurants are the heart and soul of this entire project for us," ... "There are more than 10 million restaurant workers in the U.S., and these employees have been hit especially hard by the pandemic. Through the Devour Foundation, our project will help restaurant workers across the country pay for their education, purchase uniforms, and better their lives. We're building a community empowered to give back to those who need it most." 

As the project grows, it will partner with restaurants as a platform for branded NFTs, interactive games, integrations into loyalty programs, and more. Rupel says the first restaurant partnerships will occur during Phase 1, alongside the project's first NFT releases and charitable donations. 

To help fund the project, a small portion of each buy/sell transaction is set aside for future development, marketing efforts, and charitable giving. How can you drive employee relevance?  There is a good chance it can be with some from of crypto.

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

Is Chipotle Gambling with Success

 

If your house is anything like our house, I’m sure you have heard the words, ‘turn off the computer and come to dinner’.  There is more than one family meal in America that has been eaten cold when a child or errant adult just could not get off the computer while playing games.

Gamification is not gambling; it is an excellent way to edify brand relevance with a growing base of consumers according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® who stated, “gamification empowers brand interaction and edifies participation.”

For those of you who don’t know, Gamification by a brand, is the strategic attempt to enhance systems, services, and branded activities in order to create similar experiences to those experienced when playing games in order to motivate and engage customers.

So, when Chipotle Mexican Grill and livestream gaming platform Twitch announced a partnership naming Chipotle the exclusive limited-service restaurant of /twitchgaming, a new channel on the platform, the team at Foodservice Solutions® knew it was a sound thoughtful strategic decision.

This is the first partnership of its kind for Twitch the successful social media platform.  Chipotle, will be the official marketing partner for the channel, which is being described as a place for gamers by gamers on the platform.

So, the channel will have sessions about the future of gaming, news related to gaming, celebrity participants and more. Throughout the summer, Twitch will host multiple events to boost the channel’s reach, and some of those will be in partnership with Chipotle.

Grocerant niche interactive participatory marketing will play a big role as part of the sponsorship, Chipotle will host a new game. “Chipotle Build Your Own PC,” inspired by Chipotle’s burrito bar format, will have players will build their own PCs with streaming “extras” (e.g. lighting panels and soundproofing equipment), and donate the PCs to a non-profit organization.

Chipotle is also launching a branded feature where hosts and guests provide their unfiltered opinions on the gaming topic at hand adding incremental authenticity to the game.

Regular readers of this blog know that Chipotle is no stranger to Twitch. In April 2020, the Newport Beach, Calif.-based brand began its Chipotle Challenger series, which allows amateur gamers to compete against gaming stars and celebrities.

They also remember that, last August, in anticipation of the launch of the chain’s Tony Hawk-inspired burrito and the professional skater’s new video game, Chipotle and Hawk teamed up for a 20-hour livestream on Twitch. The livestream gave away 5,000 burritos to fans watching and featured Hawk along with fellow skateboarder Jagger Eaton and actor Finn Wolfhard playing the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2 Warehouse Demo. How are you extending your brand invitation?

Chipotle has been experimenting with alternate forms of marketing and technology this year, including accepting Bitcoin as a form of payment, TikTok, a livestreamed YouTube event with Trixie Mattel for Pride Month and sponsoring a Top Chef challenge.

Don’t give in and don’t forget, that in 2018, Wendy’s began using Twitch as a marketing tool. The brand was already known for its social media presence and began on the platform livestreaming Fortnite. Later that year, Wendy’s introduced its own Fortnite character, Wendy. The quick-service chain still has a channel on the service where it runs occasional livestreams of games including Animal Crossing and Fortnite.

So, in 2020, Wendy’s teamed up with Uber Eats to offer a new “Never Stop Gaming” menu featuring five Twitch streamers’ signature Wendy’s meals available exclusively on the delivery app.

New faces use new ideations. U.S. House representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) streamed herself playing the video game Among Us on Twitch. While on the livestream, which was one of the platform’s biggest broadcasts, she encouraged viewers to vote. Senator Bernie Sanders joined the livestream platform during his presidential run, as did President Joe Biden, to reach younger voters.

Are you looking for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  Visit GrocerantGuru.com for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may have the clue you need to propel your continued success.

At Taco Bell Gaming Partnerships Renews Relevance

Success does leave clues and partnerships expand your customer base, extend your brand messaging, engage your customers with relevance in a non-traditional channel according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions.  Johnson continued saying “partnerships can drive new electricity into your brand messaging with they are both interactive and participatory.”

Starting last week, consumer who buy Taco Bell’s Double Chalupa Box have the chance to win an Xbox One X Eclipse Limited Edition Bundle every 10 minutes on average. The bundle gives consumers everything they need to become the ultimate gamer: an Xbox One X Eclipse Limited Edition console with Taco Bell’s iconic ring at startup, the brand-new Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, and a six-month Game Pass Ultimate membership. Now, gamers of any age have to like that.

Here is how it works: Winners will get their Xbox One X Eclipse Limited Edition Bundle on their doorstep in as early as 48 hours after completing registration and receipt of verification, Taco Bell and Xbox’s fastest delivery time yet in the history of this campaign. With six months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, fans will get all the benefits of Xbox Live Gold, including online multiplayer and access to more than 100 high-quality games on console and PC, exclusive member deals and discounts and more as soon as they turn on their console and hear Taco Bell’s iconic ring.

The bundle also equips fans with the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2, so you can play like a pro with the world’s most advanced controller. For a chance to win the bundle, all fans need to do is enjoy a Double Chalupa Box from Taco Bell and follow the instructions on the box or the instructions received through the free method of entry process for entering in the code, with a bundle awarded on average every 10 minutes.

“Taco Bell and Xbox have continued to raise the bar through our partnership, and this year we’re excited to give fans even more ways to become a winner,” says Tracee Larocca, Senior Vice President of Brand Experience at Taco Bell. “Whether fans are unboxing their Double Chalupa boxes or the new Xbox One X Eclipse Bundle, this is yet another opportunity for us to give them a one of a kind experience.”

The Double Chalupa is available in a box served with guests’ choice of a Double Chalupa or Spicy Double Chalupa, a Crunchy Taco, Cinnamon Twists and a Medium soda.

In case you are gamming and to busy to go to Taco Bell, A separate and exciting offer is also available to fans who order the Double Chalupa box online at ta.co or through the Taco Bell app for in-store pickup at a participating Taco Bell restaurant by 11/23/19, who will receive via email, following verification, instructions to register and submit a code by 11/24/19 for, a 2-week Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership while supplies last. Fans can redeem a maximum of two 2-week Xbox Game Pass Ultimate codes at microsoft.com/redeem by 4/30/20, making even more fans winners this year. Any existing Gold/Game Pass membership(s) will upgrade to Ultimate at a conversion ratio. See xbox.com/gamepass for details. Online offer void where prohibited. 

Taco Bell and Xbox have been teaming up since 2001 when they launched the original Xbox. In 2017, they launched the newest Xbox One X together and last year brought fans an Xbox One X Platinum Limited Edition Bundle. Consumers are dynamic not static how is your brand keeping up with consumer demand for fresh fast food? How are you driving new electricity into your brand?

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as fresh foods, plant based  foods,  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 food and beverage retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food and beverages that are portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different.  Does your retail path forward look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Why?

Looking for success clues of your own? 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, www.Linkedin.com/in/grocerant/  or www.twitter.com/grocerant