Foodservice Retailers Looking Outside the Box for Inside Results

While regular readers of this blog know that Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® has been crafting new non-traditional business relationships edifying legacy brands while building foundations for star-up and regional chains; since 1991 his foodservice operations experience began as a franchise back in the late 1970’s.

Does your brand need a refresh? If your brand looks more like yesterday than today or tomorrow it just might be time that you called for outside eyes to help you drive inside results.  What is your new electricity that is driving top line sales and bottom line profits?  Are your customer counts growing? 

So, just what is your brands new electricity? 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, coins /currency urban clothing, grocerant consultants, urban farming (produce, seafood, etc.), autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand held marketing. 

Foodservice 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.  That will require brands to embrace new fresh food partnerships more now than ever before according to Johnson.

So just what is your New Electricity? 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

Foodservice Digital Visceral Consumer Interaction Long John Silver’s

Success does leave clues today fast food restaurants the ilk of industry leading seafood chain Long John Silver’s is driving customer interactive with modernized drive-thru messaging that features animated video screens to improve order accuracy and efficiency.

Long John Silver’s new drive-thru with full-color, high-resolution animation on three 55-inch, high-definition screens recently has been installed in 70 units since the rollout late last year. The chain hopes to install the technology in up to 400 locations by 2020.

That modernization is part of a widespread update brand, which includes a revamped website primed for mobile, new menu items and an updated in-store design that replaces the Cape Cod decor with a modern nautical vibe. Restaurant brands must enguage consumers with relevance and digital visceral customer interaction is vital in today’s world according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Katie Rooprai, vice president of brand marketing for Long John Silver’s stated “Remodeled restaurants are reporting double-digit growth”. Staying current Long John Silver’s has rolled out a new line of grilled seafood for Lent, including salmon tacos and customizable basmati rice bowls.

Rooprai continued “Drive-thru business accounts for about 50% of Long John Silver’s sales, The new interface allows an operator to promote specials in real time, based on local weather forecasts, historical sales trends and special events”, Is your marketing consumer interactive and participatory?

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.

Does your Drive-Thru Dazzle

Consumers want more than just a meal, a cup of coffee, or snack when they enter your retail foodservice drive thru according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based global foodservice consultancy Foodservice Solutions®.  Johnson stated that consumers expect fast service but want a branded interactive participatory experience.

Tom Cook, principal at King-Casey recently noted that Drive-thru customers are looking for a good experience at the drive-thru and for a chain to achieve this it must provide a combination of speed of service, order accuracy, good communication, and an easily navigated menu-board.

Digital Menu 

Cook explained that “order accuracy is much more important than speed, at this point. If you drive off and have the wrong order, you are one unhappy customer.” Cook sited several restaurant companies that are good examples of drive-thru excellence Starbucks, Panera Bread, and Chick-fil-A are getting it right.

Cook explained that Starbucks has good drive-thru signage and a green stripe indicating how to navigate the area, Starbucks installed digital screens so customers can see the barista and vice versa, as well as digital menu-boards and Johnson believes that digital menu-boards should be standard for all drive-thus

.

At Panera Bread excels act consumer interaction  and Cook says what stands out is the staged zoned merchandising, including multiple messages to customers in the drive-thru before they get to the main menu-board.   With this signage, Panera Bread is able to pre-sell items, including a limited-time offer or a special sandwich or drink they want to promote, Cook explained.

In terms of a top menu-board experience, Cook said Chick-fil-A may not be using digital boards, but the content on their menu-boards is optimized from a business perspective and very clear, simple and easy to read for customers. The chain put “a lot of thought into where things are placed, how much space is given, how much white space to use, etc.,” . Note: “They have their entire menu up there, but it’s very clean and organized,” he continued. “They only show pictures of key products that are bestsellers, and the rest is just listed.”  Are you considering adding a drive thru?  If so King-Casey just might be the design company for you.

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