Eating-Out While Eating-In Continues to Delight Consumers

 

We have been told that as a result of the tax cuts to expect higher wages, a booming economy, and growth which means time starved consumers will see an increase demand on their time according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® So in 2018 expect to see an increase in consumers desire for Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food.

Sometimes looking back at some facts adds relevance to today’s numbers. According to foodservice industry icon back in the day Bonnie Riggs of The NPD Group found that, “50 percent of dinners purchased from restaurants are consumed at home, and Riggs expects that to grow in 2018.”  Now consider that was then.  Once again,  our own Grocerant Guru® was the first identify, quantify, and qualify Eating-Out while Eating-In. Is your food portable?  Are you selling meals for both inside and outside your four walls? 

Price just might trump portability in 2024 as McDonalds value promotion are all but gone beginning in January keep a close eye on all of the fresh food and fast food companies discounts incentives to drive traffic. 

The retail foodservice Price + Value +Service = Equilibrium will be reset in early 2024 as consumers value price over most loyalty programs.  Do you have menu items designed, positioned, and priced to garner a larger share of stomach in 2024? 

Foodservice Solutions® team believes that mobile marketing drives delivery creating a new platform of fresh food distribution.  Foodservice branded mobile App’s that extend a branded messaging, offered as a trial invitation will become more relevant as a marketing tool than most legacy loyalty programs.

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.

Are Roller Grill’s Still Necessary

 

The number one article read on the Foodservice Solutions® blog since 2009 continues to be Roll, Roll, Roll, Away Roller Grill, according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Johnson, and the team at Foodservice Solutions® admits that they downplayed, the intersection of food preparation simplicity and profitability, and looked more at consumers trends and the growing demand under the ‘halo’ of better for you, food options.

That said, there is no doubt that customer trends continue to favor fresh food, fast and the appetite for a simple heated roller grill meal substitute is waning.  Yet, the team at Foodservice Solutions® thinks it important to share the insight from Isabelle Gustafson has to say about roller gills in C-stores today.

Here is what Gustafson had to say about roller grills today: “As the line between c-stores and quick-serve restaurants (QSRs) becomes increasingly blurred, and consumers become more accustomed to made-to-order foodservice, the roller grill is no longer a given.

As with all c-store segments, operators must ask themselves whether the roller grill is the best fit at their locations. So, what sets the roller grill apart from other foodservice offers, and how do you know if a roller grill is right for your c-store?

Space-Saver

The roller grill can be a great option for any c-store, but it’s especially helpful for c-stores with very limited space. A super-small store may not have room for the type of kitchen necessary for made-to-order foodservice. The roller grill provides these types of stores with a solid foodservice option that takes up minimal space.

We know that today’s consumers love customization, and this is where made-to-order foodservice options really shine. But customization can be challenging for operators, especially for c-stores, given their space constraints.

Self-Serve

The roller grill is especially beneficial for stores with not only limited space, but also limited employees.

Because the roller grill is self-serve, it’s a great way to keep labor costs low while still providing customers with a great grab-and-go foodservice option. While, of course, the roller grill must be properly and frequently cleaned and restocked, it’s relatively low-maintenance compared with other offers.

Granted, the pandemic did pose some unique challenge for the roller grill in particular: Amid shutdowns and heightened concerns over food safety, along with regional regulations, some retailers paused roller grill sales altogether. Meanwhile, others were able to bring the segment behind the counter as a way to meet COVID-19 safety requirements while continuing to serve customers.

Grab-and-Go

While made-to-order foodservice is increasingly popular, there’s a reason the roller grill is a tried and true favorite for c-stores: The roller grill is the ultimate convenience — a quick and easy lunch or snack for customers in a hurry.

Roller grill offers also tend to be less expensive than made-to-order foods while still being some of Americans’ favorites.

In fact, overall sales of hot dogs actually rose about 20% in 2020, and total pounds 7% over 2019, according to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council. In March, at the start of the pandemic’s spread in the. U.S., sales soared 127% in grocery stores specifically before they began to even out.

Dinner sausage sales experienced a similar increase. Overall in 2020, they were up 24% in sales and 15% in total pounds.

Ultimately, while the roller grill can be a great option for any store, big or small, no matter the location, there are a few key indicators to determine whether or not a roller grill is the right fit. As with most things, the answer will likely depend on your particular store’s needs and constraints as well as your specific clientele.

So, that was what Isabelle Gustafson had to say.  Do you know what we are saying today?  Once again, the trend is your friend. Let it go, the halo of better for you will drive more customer adoption than any thing else.

Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® 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 us on our social media sites by clicking the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

Italian Fresh Food Manufacturing DalMoros is Grocerant Great

 

If success leaves clues and it does; DalMoros Fresh Pasta To Go, has found its place in the center of the grocerant niche with Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh food that will find consumers dinner tables from coast to coast according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Italian food lovers and US customers the ilk of our Grocerant Guru® were glad to hear that DalMoros will open its first US outlet in St. Peterburg, Florida soon. Grocerant niche focused DalMoros Fresh Pasta To Go has a wide variety of fresh pastas and homemade sauces made from scratch right in front of the customers with each meal served in to go boxes and ready within minutes.

The St. Petersburg, Florida outlet is the first franchise in the United States for the popular, fast-casual, fresh pasta concept originating in Venice, Italy in 2012. Italian food lovers will delight in DalMoros St. Pete’s wide variety of fresh pastas and homemade sauces made from scratch right in front of the customers with each meal served in to go boxes and ready within minutes. Delicious toppings, tiramisu, fountain drinks, beer and wine will also be served.

DalMoros St. Pete franchisee David Caruso, stated, “Coming from an Italian heritage, we’ve always had a love for Italian cuisine, especially fresh pasta,” … “Luckily, we were connected with Gabriele Dal Moro, whose fresh pasta to go concept has attracted thousands of people to his pasta shop in Venice, Italy.  It is the first of its kind and truly a revolutionary way to enjoy fresh pasta without the need to sit down at a formal restaurant.  We are very proud to be able to bring this fabulous idea to the United States and finally open.  Everyone loves fresh pasta, but typically it is hard to find outside of the kitchen or a gourmet restaurant – this changes that.”

Fresh food manufacturing companies based here in the US have been slow to adopt too a franchise model. However our Grocerant Guru® believes that the global success of DalMoros St. Pete franchisee David Caruso will hep speed things up here. Are you ready to grow? Great Grocerant Growth Awaits.

Along with Caruso, DalMoros St. Pete’s team includes General Manager and Head Chef Alberto Buniato who hails from Milan, Italy. Their team plans to open more DalMoros first throughout Southwest Florida and then eventually the rest of the United States.  Currently, DalMoros locations include Italy, Canada, Spain, and now St. Petersburg.  Future international openings are scheduled for Singapore, Barcelona and Mexico

Success does leave clues. One clue that time and time again continues to resurface is “the consumer is dynamic not static”.  Regular readers of this blog know that is the common refrain of Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  Our Grocerant Guru® can help your company edify your brand with relevance.  Call 253-759-7869 for more information. 

Fast Food is Getting Faster

 

What’s for dinner?  In the United States 63.2% of all US households are comprised of one or two people and according the Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® increasingly consumers are turning into a drive-thru for a fresh fast meal at dinner time.

In fact, according to the NPD Group “In the quarter ended June 2020, 42% of all restaurant transactions occurred at a drive-thru, an increase of 26% over year ago.”   Sure, we all know that COVID-19 has created a health crisis; in turn it has accelerated pre-pandemic trends to evolve drive-thru lanes for contactless pickup of mobile orders. What does that say about the future of the Drive-Thru?

The team at Foodservice Solutions® was the first to talk about the time saving benefits of drive-thru within the grocerant niche, and expanded his findings headlining the Saint Joseph’s University Food Summit in 2015, titled Fresh Thinking in Food Marketing.

SeeLevel HX, which produced the annual QSR Drive-Thru study, to address evolving car lanes at an upcoming MUFSO session. Has incremental insights that Nancy Luna share in an article on NRN. Let’s see wat Seelevel HX found and Nancy reported:

“Up until the past year, innovation at the drive-thru has been largely scarce. But that’s about to change as McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Shake Shake and Burger King are developing modern drive-thru lanes to fit the needs of today's consumer.

One of the biggest developments: the rise of car lanes dedicated for mobile pick up orders -- a pre-pandemic trend that has accelerated due to the coronavirus crisis, according to Lisa van Kesteren, CEO of SeeLevel HX…..

Taco Bell announced plans in August to open smaller footprint stores that cater to on-the-go consumers looking for double drive-thrus and curbside pickup. 

In September, Burger King unveiled two new “Restaurant of Tomorrow” designs that cater to COVID trends. The prototypes provide as many as three drive-thru lanes, curbside pickup, lockers for mobile and delivery orders and walkup options for carryout orders.

New York City-based Shake Shack has created a new format store called Shack Track. The restaurants, either new builds or modified stores, will have drive-thru lanes and/or walk-up windows.  Shake Shack plans to convert about 8 to 10 existing stores into Shack Tracks over the next few months. The first conversion occurred recently at a downtown Los Angeles location, which was modified with a walk-up window. The company is also adding curbside pickup options. 

SeeLevel’s van Kesteren said the way chains look at drive-thrus is changing due to COVID. When jurisdictions closed dining rooms to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in March, drive-thrus became a key ordering channel. Brands also directed customers to use drive-thru lanes to pick up mobile orders, which complicated matters over the last six months and led to stalled speed of service times.

That’s why brands like Taco Bell and Burger King are rethinking how they use drive-thrus in the future. “I would not be surprised to see them adding a second kitchen and maybe having a different drive through lines” for mobile orders, she said.”

The fact is consumer are time starved, and they want fast food to become a fast experience again.  How many cars can do you get through your drive-thru in one minute? In 5 minutes? In 10 Minutes?

Don’t over reach. Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® 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 us on our social media sites by clicking the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

Jimmy John’s introduces Interactive Participatory Marketing Campaign

How about a marketing campaign that is interactive, participatory, and local at Jimmy John’s that is the recipe to extend brand value according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Utilizing the hashtag #HomemadeContent Jimmy John’s has created an incremental consumer touchpoint with relevance according to Johnson.  So, Jimmy John’s launched a national campaign highlighting its latest sandwich offer:

when Jimmy John’s guests buy any 8″ or 16″ sandwich, they get an additional sandwich for 50 percent off on orders placed online or through the Jimmy John’s app with the code SAVEON2, now through July 5.

The deal is available to help satisfy sandwich cravings for less via contactless delivery, curbside pickup or drive-thru at participating locations edifying the brands relationship with Gen Z and Millennials.

To create these spots, representing real, at-home moments we’re all experiencing, Jimmy John’s and agency of record, WorkInProgress  teamed with creatives across the industry who were eager to keep working and creating from home during the ongoing COVD-19 pandemic.

This is the second campaign for the brand that uses #HomemadeContent, following the launch of 5OFF20.

Focusing in on grocerant niche valued attributes fast and fresh the; Freaky Fast! Freaky Fresh! Jimmy John’s makes Fresh, Fast, Tasty sandwiches. Homemade bread is freshly baked every four hours and locally purchased veggies and all-natural** meats are hand-sliced daily extends the value of the message with trending attributes.

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

Battle for Share of Stomach

Potbelly Sandwich Shop Dinner Solution Mix & Match Meals

Multitasking, time-starve, tired of cooking parents Potbelly has heard your cries for help.  Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® thinks that “Potbelly is doing all the right things to edify their relationship with consumers focusing on grocerant niche Mix & Match meal bunding solutions for the family.”

The new Family Meals from Potbelly Sandwich Shop are a limited-time offer that allow everyone in the family to grab their own customized toasted sandwich, chips and legendary Potbelly cookies starting at $19.99. Regular readers of this blog know that is customization, personalization, that is consumer interactive and participatory.

Need a break from cooking, take a break from cooking. So, get this every member of the family can order their own favorite—so no complaints once it’s time to eat.

Brandon Rhoten, Chief Marketing Officer at Potbelly  stated, “This is hard enough without one of my kids refusing to eat at the dinner table because they’re not happy with the compromise of a meal that was just delivered,” … “Ordering in is supposed to make things easier—so when everyone can choose exactly what they want it makes for a much better meal and happier parents.”  

Feeding between four and six people, Family Meals are available in several options:

·         Family Meal Deal: Four customizable toasted sandwiches, four bags of chips, and four legendary Potbelly cookies

·         Large Family Meal Deal: Six sandwiches, six chips and six cookies

·         Shareable Sides: Two shareable soups, chili or mac and cheese; serves four as a side

·         Shareable Salad: Choose from Potbelly’s list of fresh salads; serves four as a side

·         Short Shakes: Four or six hand-made short shakes topped with whipped cream and a cherry

So, how are you edifying your relationship with consumers? Have you considered entering the grocerant niche?  Success does leave clues.

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 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869

Do you want to Cook Dinner Tonight?

The answer for most of you is no. So, your answer was no then there is a very good chance you are looking for a fresh prepared multi-flavor, multi-ethnic grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat meal or meal components. Heat-N-Eat and Ready-2- Eat fresh prepared food with portability is driving retail food success across all retail platforms according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Times are changing and so is where are you shopping for you food today.  It is not the same place your mother was shopping, nor is it the meal prepared the same way as it was back in the day.  One thing is the same that is as long as multi-generational family's gather for meals together, the demand for more divergent flavored meal and meal components will continue to permeate in new avenues of distribution according to Johnson.

Grocerant niche mix and match bundled meal component offerings allow for increased family integration, understanding, and acceptance in less time without a requiring a cooking from scratch skill set. In the 1940's cooking from scratch was the normal. The average home cooked meal took 150 minutes to prepare. Everyone sat down at the table and enjoyed it or not but they all ate the same thing.

Battle for Share of Stomach

For a "home cooked meal" today it takes on average just under 30 minutes to prepared. In most cases at least two different entrées are served for a family of three or more. The average time spent inside a McDonalds in the 2,000 was 11 minutes.

Today, 69+ percent of all McDonald's food is sold via the drive-thru. U.S. fast-food chains are increasingly remodeling restaurants in an effort to garner additional drive-thru customers inside and increase sales, simple because the drive-thru can't hold all the cars.

Walgreens is creating and bundling distinctive differentiated food consumable's as an entity with identity by day part in a mix and match meal component format in select urban setting targeted at both the office worker for lunch and meal components for them to take home for the family dinner.

Today, the grocerant niche continues to grow with companies the ilk of New Season Market, Everytable,  Central Market, Eatzi’s, Just Salads, Whole Foods, Sheetz, Wegmans, and 7-Eleven entering the fresh prepared better for you space.

Meal time is now becoming a time of convenient meal participation, with differentiation and individualization for the entire family. Safeway with its lifestyle stores are heading in the right direction however the stores are so large consumers are forced to spend more time in them than they want.

More often than not the multi-generational family today is multi-ethnic as well. Creating a demand for more varied flavors and additional cooking skill set that is simply not there. Grocery stores, Convenience Stores, Restaurants and Chain Drug Stores are all selling Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food. Is your focus family dinning? Are you selling meals or meal components for Take-Out, delivery or Take-Away?

Lacking the skill set to prepared fresh prepared multi-ethnic meal components at home coupled with the time it takes to prepared a home cooked meal it is clear the buying habits of consumers will continue to evolve. Bundling mix and match meal components into a meal is one key driver within the grocerant niche. Given that most American family are comprised of multi-cultural background. The fight for within the retail food space for share of stomach will only intensify.

Supermarkets and grocery stores are expected to sell complete lines of Reay-2-E and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food much of it will be multi-ethnic food. That places higher expectations on grocers than restaurants or a company like Walgreens. Walgreens might just be in the perfect spot to expand fresh prepared food offerings capturing customers from both restaurants and supermarkets.

Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® a Tacoma, WA based retail foodservice consultancy has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche need we say more? Are you looking a customer ahead?  Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us. www.FoodserviceSolutions.us