Dunkin Donuts ‘Halo’ of Goodwill for Girl Scouts

We have to give credit where credit is due and this year Dunkin Donuts is expanding its ‘halo’ of goodwill to Girl Scouts.  In an effort to help draw attention to the Girl Scout cookie drive this year Dunkin’ Donuts is delivering the delicious taste of Girl Scout Cookies in its signature coffee and beverages for the first time.

Here is what’s new Dunkin’ Donuts, under a licensing agreement with Girl Scouts of the USA, introduces a trio of new coffee flavors inspired by iconic Girl Scout Cookie varieties: Thin Mints, Coconut Caramel, and Peanut Butter Cookie. All three flavors will be available by Monday, February 26, and served at participating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants nationwide through May for a sweet spring.

How good does this sound? The New Thin Mints flavored coffee features the classic cookie’s combination of cool mint and decadent chocolate, while new Coconut Caramel flavored coffee treats guests to the taste of toasted coconut together with creamy caramel. With new Peanut Butter Cookie flavored coffee, Dunkin’ Donuts has crafted its first-ever coffee featuring the flavor of mouth-watering peanut butter (without allergens). All of Dunkin’ Donuts’ coffee flavors inspired by Girl Scout Cookies are available in the brand’s full lineup of hot or iced coffees, lattes, macchiatos, frozen coffee, and frozen chocolate.

Try them now as Dunkin’ Donuts’ launch of its Girl Scout Cookie inspired flavored coffee beverages coincides with National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend so available now. This season, Girl Scouts is celebrating the next century of female entrepreneurs. To help power amazing experiences for girls, Dunkin’ Donuts franchisees at select locations across the country will open their doors to cookie entrepreneurs, inviting local troops to sell Girl Scout Cookies at Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants on weekends February 24–March 18.

Patty Healy, Senior Director of Integrated Marketing, Dunkin' Donuts, says: “Our guests have come to expect and enjoy fun, innovative flavors from us, and what could elicit more smiles than the iconic taste of Girl Scout Cookie inspired flavors in your favorite Dunkin’ Donuts coffee? It’s a natural fit and a powerful combination. We are especially proud that our franchisees, many of whom are small business owners themselves, are committed to fueling the entrepreneurial spirit of the Girl Scouts by welcoming local troops to sell cookies at their restaurants.”  Where are you expanding your brand ‘halo’?

Are you trapped doing what you have always done and doing it the same way?  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.

Subway’s Digital Branded Invitation

Subway’s unique ability to extend, expand, and edify its brand with customer relevance comes through time and time again according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Recently Subway began to once again transform the customer experience through a digital omnichannel approach, with the integration of the app, remote ordering and, in-restaurant kiosks. All strong brands continue to evolve and Subway is just now beginning to explore the digital space with serious vigor and the team at Foodservice Solutions® believes with a little time and tweaking that Subway will get it right.

So when Subway asked its most dedicated customers what they want from a loyalty program. They found out that their consumers wanted a loyalty program that gives them flexibility in how they earn and redeem. They wanted a completely personalized experience. This March, customers will get just that with a revamped Subway MyWay Rewards program.

The new Subway MyWay Rewards program will redefine choice and accessibility to Subway’s more than 37 million sandwich and salad combinations. The program will be a customized experience—from how customers join, earn and redeem, to surprise rewards and exclusive offers.

Subway Chief Digital Officer Carissa Ganelli  “We know time and money are important to our guests,” ..“It’s important to us that we deliver a seamless, convenient experience to help our customers get what they want when they want it, and what they want is our delicious, nutritious, and affordable food.”

Remember that there are close to 28,500 participating restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, Subway MyWay Rewards will be the largest loyalty program for earning and redeeming rewards in the quick-service restaurant industry.

Here’s how it works:

Easy Sign-Up

·         Join Subway MyWay Rewards through the Subway App, online at Subway.com, or in-restaurant with a Subway card

·         Guests can earn rewards no matter how they pay via the Subway App, Subway Card, cash or credit

Flexible Earning and Redeeming

·         Earn 4 tokens per dollar spent; hit 200 tokens & automatically receive a $2.00 Reward

·         Tokens are applied to guests’ accounts with every purchase

·         Redeem $2 Rewards on any menu item: sandwiches, salads, cookies, drinks—you name it

·         Plus, guests will receive bonus token earning opportunities

Surprise Rewards

·         The more guests order, the more surprises they get, like free cookies, chips and more

·         Guests will also receive a birthday surprise, too

So how do you plan on surprising your customers? Subway MyWay Rewards is part of Subway Digital’s work to transform the customer experience through an omnichannel approach, with the integration of the app, remote ordering and, in-restaurant kiosks.

Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  Visit www.FoodserviceSolutions.us 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

Why do Grocery Stores Continue to Stumble with Fresh Prepared Food

Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared has been the leading driver of top line sales and bottom line profits within every sector of retail foodservice for over 8 years yet grocery stores continue to stumble with it?  Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® and his team at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® understands why?  Do you?

Let’s look at the results from a recent survey of consumers on grocery store prepared food:

1.       When asked “What percentage of shoppers encounter incidences of failure in their grocer’s
prepared foods area when purchasing prepared chicken products? The Survey found 48%, which is a big number of miss-steps. 

2.       When asked to rate the meals that they picked-up at the grocery store deli they rated it a C, which we know does not drive repeat business.

3.       Of those who experience a problem in the prepared foods department, how many will stop shopping that retailer’s deli for a period of time?

4.       We were surprised that the number was only 38%, clearly most problems were resolved so I guess we found a bright spot. When asked What do real shoppers say about how to make a meal using products from the
grocer’s deli? The findings were a complete wake-up call consumers responded “We were lost – we didn’t know how to put the prepared foods together.”

Regular readers of this blog know that the line between food retail segments has become blurred in the minds-eye of the consumer.  Simply put grocerant offerings (the combination of grocery stores and restaurants) where consumer can buy food to eat while out and about or buy to take home).

Customer migration from the old cook from scratch and from sit-down restaurants combine to drive a shifting landscape we can expect many changes to the food and hospitality industry; it’s anticipated that by 2020, 70 per cent of restaurant businesses will be outside traditional walls, as customers migrate to prepared meals for home consumption.

Millennials in search of food discovery are leading the way for grocerant fresh prepared food as the seek out ethnic grocery store fresh prepared meals. These retail stores attract Millennials wanting to connect to their cultural roots and curious foodies interested in stepping outside their palate’s comfort zone all the while seeking authentic fresh food.

One thing is clear grocery stores must refresh service deli with true fresh prepare d food rather than continuing to try to make fresh prepared food a CPG product as they have done since 1997.  Cleary that has not worked as there are now 50% fewer traditional grocery stores today than just 12 years ago.

Consumers are not looking for innovation in new foods they are seeking authentic fresh food offering and currently the restaurant sector is doing a much beet job of that.  If success leaves clues and it does, grocery stores will need to not build restaurants but offer authentic fresh food faster in order to maintain market share.

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

Cracker Barrel Finds New Electricity to Drive Growth

Public companies need for growth inevitably drives them to look for the best, most profitable way to drive growthaccording to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  In the case of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store the growth is being fueled by new electricity in the way of Biscuit bar. 

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store new electricity to fuel its growth a new platform a biscuit bar. Where is your brand getting its swag, your mojo, to drive growth? If there is there is one dominate element that can power incremental success within the restaurant sector over the coming years it is what Johnson calls it the new electricity that is strategic partnerships and new platforms.   

The new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as regional fresh foods, urban farming (produce, seafood, etc.), Chefs, Consultants, local wine, and local beer, autonomous delivery, consultants, chefs, cashier-less retail, cash-less payments, digital hand held marketing and outside-eyes.

Cracker Barrel entrance into the grocerant niche is on target with its  hand-held breakfast sandwiches and off-premise biscuit bars all part of new catering push. Cracker Barrel, which features biscuits at its six-unit fast-casual Holler & Dash Biscuit House chain, is looking to expand off-premise sales, which have grown with new catering menu offerings and online ordering.

Sandra Cochran, Cracker Barrel president and CEO stated “As we seek to gain market share within the off-premise space, we also plan to further enhance our catering menu over the coming quarters, which may include some new catering offerings such as a biscuit bar and hand-held breakfast sandwiches,”

Conchran continued “Off-premise sales, especially during the recent Thanksgiving and Christmas “heat-and-serve” season, have exceeded the company’s expectations”. Thus for Easter, Cracker Barrel will again offer the heat-and-serve menu, which includes spiral-sliced ham, a choice of four sides and blackberry cobbler to serve 10 people.

Cracker Barrel has found its new electricity with grocerant niche hand-held food for immediate consumption via a breakfast bar.  What is going to drive your sales later this year?  What is the fuel to drive your growth?

Are you trapped doing what you have always done and doing it the same way?  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

QuikTrip’s QT Kitchens Mix & Match Convenient Delivery

Mix & Match meal components are key drivers of the growth of the grocerant niche and Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food sales according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  At QuickTrip delivery of mix & match meal components just might be the fuel to drive new electricity into QuickTrip’s  top line sales and bottom line profits according to Johnson.

 In the minds-eye of Johnson, there is one dominate element that will power success within retail foodservice over the coming years.  Johnson calls it the new electricity that is partnerships specifically strategic partnerships.   The new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as fresh food, sustainable oils, urban farming (produce, seafood, etc.), autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, cash-less payments, digital hand held marketing.

Convenience stores are perfectly positioned to thrive during the next generation of retail as they begin to embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food that is portable.  That will require brands to embrace new fresh food partnerships more now than ever before according to Johnson.

QuikTrip is testing delivery through Uber Eats at four c-stores across Tulsa. Regular readers of this blog know that Uber Eats is a branch of the ride-sharing app Uber. It partners with restaurants and allows customers to order and pay from participating locations via the mobile app. Orders then are delivered to customers’ desired location.  Convenience store have a larger inventory of food products thus a larger opportunity with Uber according to Johnson.

QuikTrip is not the first c-store to offer delivery 7-Eleven and Wawa  each have with a delivery service. In fact 7-Eleven recently announced it’s testing on-demand ordering for delivery or in-store pickup with its new 7-ElevenNOW smartphone app. The service is currently available for 10 uptown and downtown locations in Dallas.

Wawa expanded its delivery service partnership with Grubhub to select test locations in New Jersey, Philadelphia, Bethlehem and Ardmore, Pennsylvania. Fast-food competitors the ilk of McDonald’s have stepped up their delivery service but Johnson wonders is it will be enough to fend off the empowered C-store competitors. At QuickTrip delivery just might be its new electricity.

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

Traditional Grocery Stores Must Evolve or Fade Away

If success does leave clues and it does, traditional grocery stores need to be authentic and customer relevant according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. With 50% fewer traditional grocery stores today than in 2005 the writing is on the wall evolve with consumers or simply fade away.

In a new study from Phononic titled “The Store of the Future” found: Eighty-nine percent of Americans (89%) reported they want to shop in a grocery store that understands how to make buying an easier/more efficient experience. Eighty-five percent said grocery stores should make it easier to find merchandise. Clearly traditional grocery stores still don’t understand consumers need set.

In addition, 50% of consumers said supermarkets haven’t figured out how to use technology like other retailers. More than half (56%) said if grocers don’t enter the modern age, people will look for other ways to get their food.

The study went on to find Grocers’ first priority should be to use technology to preserve food quality. Ninety two percent of shoppers said it is important for consistent temperature control of all cold products they sell. More than three-quarters (79%) of consumers said they should consider smart technology in a refrigerated unit to find recipes, or the right pairings for cheese and other foods.

The tide has turned and consumer have been migrating from traditional grocery stores and sit down restaurants too new non-traditional outlets selling grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food according to Johnson.

Now that Millennials have overtaken baby boomers as the largest generation, the number one beneficiary of that migration is the Convenience store sector according to Johnson.  C-stores are leaning fast how to leverage the customer inflow from The 65 Inch HDTV Syndrome.  Regular readers know that The 65 Inch HDTV Syndrome is a key driver of customer migration.  Consumer want Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh food mix and match meal options.

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

Fast Food Price Points Matter at Taco Bueno

Grocerant niche Mix & Match meal bundling continues to drive retail foodservice success according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Regular reader of this blog know that when you combined with a value price point with Ready-2-Eat meal components it has become the dominate driver of the fast food success platform. 

One company that understands mix & match value price point competition is Taco Bueno. For those of you who don’t know Taco Bueno is a Texas-based Tex-Mex fast food chain that announced it is bringing back its popular $5 Box, offering die-hard customers delicious combinations at a compelling price.

This time around Taco Bueno is edifying the $5 Box with two combination options are available:

1.       The $5 Muchaco Box includes one beef muchaco, one party crispy beef taco, one party bean burrito, one small bag of chips with the all new crispy chips and all new signature queso, and a 22-ounce drink.

2.       The $5 Combo Burrito Box includes one combo burrito, one party bean burrito, one small bag of chips with the all new crispy chips and all new signature queso, and a 22-ounce drink.

Sarah Beddoe, chief marketing officer at Taco Bueno Restaurants stated “The return of the $5 Box is truly based on consumer demand. We’ve been receiving daily requests from our more than 500,000 Buenoheads via social media and other channels to bring it back. And we are listening.”

Consumers are dynamic not static and food retailers must by dynamic as well according to Johnson.  The retail foodservice price, value, service equilibrium is resting and food retailers must be mindful that part of the reset is customer relevance.  If you listen and respond to your customers you will come out on the winning side of success. 

Are you trapped doing what you have always done and doing it the same way?  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.

C-Stores Grocerant Niche Prepared Food = Success

The tide has turned and consumer have been migrating from traditional grocery stores and sit down restaurants too new non-traditional outlets selling grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Now that Millennials have overtaken baby boomers as the largest generation, the number one beneficiary of that migration is the Convenience store sector according to Johnson.  C-stores are leaning fast how to leverage the customer inflow from The 65 Inch HDTV Syndrome. 

According a new study Realities of the Aisle study, 16 percent of millennials said they visit a convenience store daily, which is five percentage points higher than any other generational group, and just one percentage point less than the number of millennials who opt to shop ecommerce retailers such as Amazon every day.

When millennials head to a convenience store, they are looking to fill up their gas tank and grab a bite to eat. Seventy-three percent purchase gasoline at a c-store once a week, compared to 71 percent of other generations, contradicting the conventional wisdom that millennials as a group are driving less. Many of these trips for gas also include in-store purchases.

The 2018 study shows that 61 percent of millennial respondents have purchased prepared food at a c-store in the last month, with sandwiches, pizza and hot dogs proving to be the most popular. However, millennials are more or less split when it comes to whether or not they prefer made-to-order food (45 percent) or prepacked/grab-and-go items (43 percent).

What new portable fresh food offerings is your company offering consumers?  The 65 Inch HDTV Syndrome continues to influence consumers today.  In fact since the first findings came out in 2012 consumer increasing reference the ‘comfort’ of watching their HDTV at home 3.9% more in 2018 than in 2012 as a reason to seek Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food for home consumption.

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

Shake Shack Fresher Faster Growth

Success does leave clues and Shake Shack has picked up the best of food industry clues and is using them to drive top line sales and bottom line profits too fuel incremental growth according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

One clue that Shake Shack  has picked up is do what the customer wants and customer demand for Shake Shack food has been tremendous.  To meet the demand Shake Shack plans to accelerate its growth with a new platform “kiosk-units”.  The new platform will allow it to open more restaurants in 2018 that it  has ever  opened in one fiscal year according to the company.

Shake Shack plans to open 32 to 35 new domestic company-operated restaurants in 2018, along with 16 to 18 licensed units. The aggressive growth will continue into 2020. Shake Shack CEO Randall Garutti stated “By 2020, we intend to have more than doubled our current Shack base to at least 200 domestic company-operated Shacks and at least 120 global license Shacks,” … “We want to nearly double our total revenue to over $700 million.”

Why should you care well Shake Shack anticipates the average annual sales volume for total domestic units to be between $4.1 million and $4.2 million for 2018. The team at Foodservice Solutions® thinks that the sales numbers reflect the proper implementation of previous success clues that Shake Shack picked up.  What clues are fueling your next success steps? How are you prepared to evolve in 2018?

Shake Shack has found the new electricity to fuel its growth in kiosk units as a new platform. Where is your brand getting its swag, your mojo, to drive growth? If there is there is one dominate element that can power incremental success within the restaurant sector over the coming years it is what Johnson calls it the new electricity that is strategic partnerships.   

 The new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as regional fresh foods, urban farming (produce, seafood, etc.), Chefs, Consultants, local wine, and local beer, autonomous delivery, consultants, chefs, cashier-less retail, cash-less payments, digital hand held marketing and outside-eyes.

Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  Visit www.FoodserviceSolutions.us 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.