Restaurant Year Over Year Customer Counts Reflect Failure

 

There is little other way to say it, the restaurant sectors ongoing customer count decline year over year is nothing less that abject failure.  Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® ask’s “Just how well are recycled restaurant CEO’s doing?  When you are running a restaurant and it looks more like 1990, 1999, or 2009 than what today’s consumers want how could you expect to garner new customer let alone keep your old customers?”  

Industry analyst, trade magazines, and local news media spend more time blaming the customer count declines on anything but the facts.  The simple fact is consumers have move on, move beyond, and migrated too new avenues of fresh food distribution according to Johnson.

Are You Capitulating Year over Year Customers

Do you want to Grow 

Share of Stomach

 

In November same store sale were -3.4% year-over-year. When comparing November against the growth rate reported for both September and October, sales took a 1.8 percentage point drop. This November’s sales growth is the lowest posted by the industry since July’s +0.3% according to BlackBox Intelligence.

What matters even more is the fact that customer traffic was down too.  So same-store traffic growth was -4.3% in November, down by 1.1 percentage points relative to the previous month and the worst outcome for the industry since July according to BlackBox Intelligence.

The simple fact is in 2022 the average restaurant is open 21 hours less per week than it was in 2019.  Those talking about staffing levels are simply off the mark and looking for a distraction to edify recycled CEO’s.

What matters to consumers in 2022 is Price, Flavor, Portability, and Service in-unit or on-line. The cause for dissatisfaction may not be readily evident as regular readers of this blog know consumers walk before they talk! What are you doing to evolve?  Are, your year over year customer counts positive?  No, then you are not doing enough.

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