Captain D’s Seafood you can Afford

Many Americans live in land lock states and are simply unfamiliar with how to select fresh seafood. They rarely eat seafood and don’t know how to prepare fresh seafood. Then when they go to a restaurant and try seafood many times it is very expensive and they are hesitant to order something they are unfamiliar with according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Captain D’s is about to change all of that by extending a branded invitation to try seafood for dinner by offering five mouth-watering full meals all for under $5.  What a welcome branded message according to Johnson. Who said “the 5 under $5 is a variety of new tastes and customer favorites at an amazing price creating a platform for trial that is sure to win new customers.

Here is a look at the offerings and you can see there is something for everyone.  This line-up features the new Captain’s Seaside Fillet, breaded and fried with crispy panko on the outside and tender fillet on the inside. For spicy food enthusiasts, try new Nashville Hot Fish and Popcorn Shrimp, done the Captain D’s way. An additional variety of customer favorites have been included in this all-star line-up with a choice of two sides and the Captain D’s world-famous hush puppies for just $4.99.

Bob Kraut, Captain D’s chief marketing officer stated “We recognize that our $4.99 full, abundant meals are important to our customers” .. “This year, we have added new products to this value line-up, like our Captain’s Seaside Fillet and Nashville Hot seasoning on our Signature Batter Dipped Fish, as we continually innovate around new seafood flavors to bring to our guests.” How are you extending your branded invitation?

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

Salsarita’s Fresh Mexican Grill Picking up all the right Clues

The restaurant industry can prove to be a difficult platform to find success.  The simple fact of the matter is give the customers what they want and how they want it and you will find success according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Consumers will tell you what they like by their actions.  If you open a restaurant and sales continue to climb you are most likely doing all the right things.  However consumers like more than just going in to a restaurant and sitting down and enjoying dinner.  Here is one example from North Carolina based Salsarita’s Fresh Mexican Grill.

Recently a Salsarita’s Fresh Mexican Grill franchisee, Steve and Pam Stallings added a drive-thru window to their existing location in Louisville’s Middletown neighborhood. It features the chain’s new drive-thru model which also offers Mexican favorites such as five flavorful house-made salsas, custom burritos, tacos, nachos and salads made fresh to order with an extensive selection of proteins, toppings and fillings.

This location marks the third Salsarita’s drive-thru added or built to a new restaurant. Salsarita’s drive-thru’s now generate 22 percent of restaurant sales. “The Stallings have been great partners all along,” stated Phil Friedman, president and CEO of Salsarita’s Fresh Mexican Grill. “They are the highest producing sales volume franchisees in our system. The drive-thru concept will enhance sales even further and make the dining experience more convenient for their guests.”

“We’ve been really excited to grow the brand in Louisville, and this turned out to be the perfect time for us to add a drive-thru option to our existing restaurant,” said Steve Stallings. As deeply rooted residents of Louisville, the Stallings are active in their local community and host regular fundraisers at their Salsarita’s locations to benefit local charitable organizations and sports teams. 

The simple fact is drive-thru’s are not new to consumers they are increasingly in demand however. If you have a sit down, fast casual, fine fast, or full service restaurant you just might want to expand your service by giving consumers what they have grown to expect, like and even demand according to Johnson. 

Are you trapped doing what you have always done and doing it the same way?  Where is your new electricity coming from?  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.

Restaurant Sector Customer Power Outage

January comes around every eleven months without fail and as usual January is colder than most moths of the year.  Winter storms cannot be blamed for continued declining same store sales within the restaurant sector according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Only Neanderthal chain marketing executives and industry analyst out of touch with today’s consumers would suggest such a thing. The consumer is dynamic not static and brands must act or react faster to consumer evolve path to purchase foodservice patterns or risk continued customer capitulation according to Johnson. After nine years of declining or flat year over year customer counts the restaurant sector has host it mojo, energy, its swag. 

 According to the latest index from Black Box Intelligence in January restaurant sector same store sales once again declined by 0.3%.  However customer traffic, declined 3% year-over-year in January.  That is a big problem requiring restaurant sector business model change according to Johnson.

The restaurant sector needs to regain its swag, its mojo, its energy and our own Grocerant Guru® believes that in 2018 the best way to do that is too leverage branded strategic partnerships. 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.), local wine, and local beer, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, cash-less payments, digital hand held marketing and outside-eyes.

Food companies the ilk of chain restaurants that want to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh food.  That will require brands to embrace new fresh food partnerships more now than ever before according to Johnson.

Are your customer counts increasing? In 30 seconds or less can you tell everyone what is fueling your growth? What is your new electricity? Customer relevance is a brand moving with consumers not one practicing brand protectionism. Consumers are dynamic not static is your brand dynamic?

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

Dairy Queen Making the Right Moves

What is the key driver for foodservice moving forward in 2018 and beyond?  In the minds-eye Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® 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.   

The new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as urban farming (produce, seafood, etc.), autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, cash-less payments, digital hand held marketing.

Food companies the ilk of Restaurants, Supermarkets, C-Stores, and Drug Stores, selling food that want to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food.  That will require brands to embrace new fresh food partnerships more now than ever before according to Johnson.

Yes, and for the first time ever, Dairy Queen has partnered with Ghirardelli to introduce two treats just in time for Valentine’s Day. DQ has blended its signature vanilla soft serve with chunks of Ghirardelli chocolate and real strawberry topping to create the new Dipped Strawberry Blizzard Treat Made With Ghirardelli and new heart shaped Dipped Strawberry Cupid Cake Made With Ghirardelli. The Cupid Cake and Blizzard Treat are available at participating DQ and DQ Grill & Chill locations nationwide for a limited time.

Maria Hokanson, Executive Vice President of Marketing for American Dairy Queen stated “Ghirardelli and DQ are the quintessential sweet pairing. If you want to treat yourself, or a loved one, to something extraordinary this Valentine’s Day, you can have your choice of our new Blizzard Treat or perfectly shareable Cupid Cake, or both,”  “With treats like these, fans can have a decadent Ghirardelli experience paired with world-famous DQ soft serve to celebrate Valentine’s Day in a truly special and memorable way.”

The team at Foodservice Solutions® reminds us that consumers are dynamic not static and chain restaurants must be dynamic as well.  How are you driving customer relevance to your brand?  Where is you new electricity coming from to fuel relevance?  What partnerships are driving customer relevance fresher and faster?  Outside eyes can help you find the fuel for your new electricity.

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