5 Food Success Steps Evolving

Forced shutdowns, reopening’s and shutting down again will simply destroy your business and business model it you let it.  The retail foodservice business model continues to evolve creating displacement, disruption, and disillusion single family operators and on the part of C-level leaders with traditional foodservice expertise according to Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson.

At the intersection of food retail change and successful food retail today we find all of the attributes of driving success within the grocerant niche.  In large part what that success can be traced back directly too Foodservice Solutions® FIVE P’s of food marketing uncovered identified, quantified, and qualified by Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson back in the day 1994. 

Johnson then introduced, implemented, and integrated by foodservice companies including Full-Service Restaurants, Chain Drug Stores, Grocery Stores, Fast Food Outlets, and C-Store clients.  Integrating the FIVE P’s into you brand messaging, operations so that are consumer interactive and participatory is an art perfected by the team at Foodservice Solutions®.  

After repeated successful retail food industry adoption, Technomic conducted qualitative and quantitative research then compiled the following infographic highlighting the importance and consumer relevance that portability play’s today.  The infographic is entitled Pertinence of Portability is as relevant today as it ever has been.

Highlighted by Technomic is the fact that 51% of the U.S. consumer order Food-2-Go once a week or more. Breakfast On-The-Go 56% of consumers say portability is important. How do you sell your food?

Where are you selling meals, meal components? What are you selling that can be mixed and matched to fit into a family home meal?  Do your products, stores, brand messaging, look more like yesterday than today or tomorrow? Our team continues to evolve.  We hope you brand does as well.

Foodservice Solutions®  excels at vertical brand product positioning, marketing strategy, and business development specifically identifying, quantifying and qualifying niche opportunity for global foodservice related activity specifically Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food. Call 1-253-759-7869 today learn how the Five P’s can edify your brand, garner new consumers, drive top line sales and bottom-line profits.

Visit: www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  if you are interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions FIVE’ P’s of Food Marketing can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization or you can learn more at Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Boston Market Evolving Thanksgiving Meals

2019 Marks the tenth year Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® has written about Boston Market the chain he loves to like.  However, as regular readers of this blog know Boston Market according to Johnson has lost its way.  Over the past ten years Boston Market has closed more stores than it has opened and in the minds of many consumer continues to have less relevance today then it did back then.

However, once again Boston Market wants to save you time cooking Thanksgiving.  They have looked at who their customers are, tried to figure out what they wanted for a holiday meal.  They now have a plethora too many holiday meal options to suit Johnson. So, let’s take a look:

1.       Holiday Heat & Serve: Chilled complete meals that include entrees, appetizers, sides and pies to feed four to 12 for as little as $10 per person are fully cooked and can be picked up at any Boston Market restaurant the week of Thanksgiving. Guests can even order a Complete Whole Roasted Turkey Meal for 12, which consists of a whole roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetable stuffing, spinach artichoke dip and crackers, cranberry walnut relish, dinner rolls, one apple pie and one pumpkin pie.

2.       Holiday Catering: Hot, ready-to-serve, buffet-style dinner for crowds of ten or more start at $10.99 per person and can be delivered straight to any home or office or picked up at any Boston Market restaurant.

3.      Holiday Home Delivery: Twelve complete Thanksgiving spreads, a la carte sides and desserts can be shipped directly to your door with the push of a button. Now through Sunday, November 24, anyone in the contiguous United States can visit BostonMarket.com and order from a wide range of signature Boston Market Thanksgiving meal options, choosing their ideal match. Each pre-cooked order will ship frozen and, once fully thawed, be ready to heat and serve within two to three hours.

4.       A La Carte: Perfect for those Boston Market guests who may need an extra entree, side, appetizer or dessert to get their holiday dinner table-ready, guests can order chilled, fully cooked options for pick up in restaurant the week of Thanksgiving.

5.       Thanksgiving Day Meal: Nearly all Boston Market locations will be open on Thanksgiving Day to offer guests who wish to dine-in or carry-out a traditional plated holiday meal featuring sliced roasted turkey breast or half signature rotisserie chicken, two sides, a dinner roll and a slice of apple or pumpkin pie for $13.99. A Family Feast for 3, whole pies and home style side dishes can also be picked up on Thanksgiving Day, while supplies last.

6.       Boston Market fans can also get an extra bonus when placing an order or dining with Boston Market this holiday season thanks to the new “Rotisserie Rewards” program. The loyalty program, available via the new Boston Market mobile app for iOS and Android, online at BostonMarket.com or in-restaurant, will allow customers to earn one point for every dollar they spend in-restaurant or online, which can be redeemed for free food and other exciting prizes – including a free holiday meal for 12 or even a one-ton helping of any of its world-famous sides.

While grocerant niche fresh food sales have exceed 9.7% a year for the past 10 years Boston Market’s sales have not.  Grocerant niche consumers are migrating to avenues of distribution with a clear message, fresh food, fast service, that is priced right.  If your price, value, service are in-line with consumer expectations your year over year customer counts will be down.  Looking a customer ahead requires to know who, your customers are, what they are eating, and where they are eating it.

Don’t try to be all things for everyone eating Thanksgiving Dinner.  Do what you do best.  Need Help doing that.  Watch your Holiday sales if your year over year customer counts are off.  Call us.  If they are not up as high as grocerant niche sales, call us.  Success does leave clues.  Don’t close stores, grow stores top line sales and bottom line profits.

Foodservice Solutions® team is here to help you drive top line sales and bottom-line profits. Are you looking a customer ahead? Visit www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may the clue you need to propel your continued success.

Food Sales Thriving at the Intersection of Grocerants & Consumers

Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® says that Grocerant means any retail food item that is Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat prepared fresh. The word Grocerant is a result of the blurring of the line between restaurants and grocery stores and was coined in 1996 by our own Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson as regular readers of this blog know.

A grocerant today can be found almost anywhere fresh prepared meals or meal components are offered.  These components can be bundled into a meal and or packaged for Take-Out, Take-Away, or To-Go. Today’s pictures come from Jaya Grocer a culinary Grocerant located in Malaysia.

Grocerant meals and meal components are increasingly found in liquor stores, drug-stores, fast food restaurants, fast casual restaurants, full-service restaurants, and restaurants inside grocery stores, in legacy “deli” departments, furniture stores (Ikea), club stores (Costco) and clothing stores from Tommy Bahama, Macy’s, and Nordstrom’s.  

When our own  Grocerant Guru® say’s retailer, he is broadly defining supermarkets, mass drug merchants, C-Stores (convenience stores), Furniture stores, Club Stores, Clothing retailers and fast food , fast casual restaurants and full service restaurants selling fresh prepared food, and restaurant meals and meal components sold TO-GO or delivery.

What is Driving the Grocerant Trend?

At noon 83.7 percent of US consumers do not know what’s for dinner.  At 4 PM 68.7 percent of consumers still do not know what is for dinner. Time Starved Consumers are looking for high quality Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food. Today, time starved consumer wants to purchase meal components that they can bundle into a customized family meal that will please everyone without spending time cooking or doing dishes.

The retail industry has expanded and is evolving to keep up with the demands of consumer’s desire to save time, improve food quality, and increase the family flavor profile, while enabling personalization and family meal customization.

Grocerant Meal Components Can Be Found At:

Restaurant including: McDonalds, Pret A Manger Burger King, Pizza Hut, Papa Murphy's and Starbucks, each having a fresh Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food. In the Casual Dining sector Maggiano's Little Italy offers a buy one take a 2^nd home for free in their Classic Pastas menu section, Olive Garden, Chili’s, Boston Market and Denny’s.  That is to name but a few.

Drug Stores including: Duane Reade, Walgreens which sells fresh soft-serve yogurt, coffee, sandwiches, salads and sushi at selected stores.

Convenience Stores including:   Wawa, Sheetz, Sheetz, 7-Eleven, and QuickChek, all of which sell fresh and prepared sandwiches, salads, beverages.

Clothing Stores including: Tommy Bahama, Nordstrom, Macy’s 

Furniture Stores & Liquor Store including: Ikea sells over $ 2 Billion a year in Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food in its stores (mostly meatballs-mash potatoes), Pinkies in San Angelo, Texas this past holiday season even offered complete fresh prepared full Turkey Dinners will all of the traditional side orders.  All of the fresh prepared food is prepared on site and sold To-Go. 

Supermarkets including:  Whole Foods, Trader-Joes, Central Market, and Wegmans sell fresh prepared chicken, salads, sandwiches and most offer sushi and beverages. Many are now opening in-store restaurants including fast food, full service sit down and bars all offer fresh prepared To-Go as well.

Around the world we are now seeing sections in department's stores, kiosk in malls in Europe, Asia and airports around the world. These items can range from entrees to side items and deserts. Some examples of items range from fried chicken, mash potatoes, cream spinach, to liver and onions, pizza, hot dogs, steak, prime rib, various casseroles (hot-dish) to salads, side salads pie, cake and any single proportioned deserts. They can be picked up at the specific unit, or delivered.

Are you ready to join the grocerant niche if so visit: www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  if you are interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® Five P’s of Food Marketing can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization or you can learn more at Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Foodservice Menu’s, Messaging, Media, Matters

Time after time, day after day the phone rings at Foodservice Solutions® and it is a perspective client, an old client inevitably they ask the same questions. Recently that question has been Why is it my brand does not rank higher with consumers on social media? Our Grocerant Guru’s Steven Johnson’s answer is always the same.  MESSAGING.

Sure I know that sound simple. However consider this research from social analytics company called NetBase, which released its annual Restaurant Brands Report recently. By cataloging around 187 billion mentions on social media, NetBase found that people are the most obsessed with Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A, Domino's Pizza, Olive Garden, Wendy's, Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, McDonald's, Panera, and Subway in descending order.

Maybe that’s why they called in the first place.  If not here are a couple of things to consider first consumers are dynamic not static. Secondly each of the restaurant brands above does a very good job of integrating marketing messaging with new product, new promotions, and news releases according to our Grocerant Guru®.

Additionally each brand understands that differentiation does not mean different it means familiar but with a twist.  Consider this which fast food chain integrated fried egg taco shells into its menu, released a fashion line with Forever 21, and announced it’d soon be adding booze to its offerings? Ok now where did they rank?  In case you did not know the answer is Taco Bell.

Taco Bell  has been able to capture the attention of Twitter and Instagram and the rest of social media with a series of stunts, ranging from ridiculous to intriguing (a recently added burrito contains spicy popping crystals), and now it’s being rewarded with a new, and maybe in 2017, prestigious title: the Top Performing Restaurant Brand on Social Media. 

Can you have differentiation with an integrated message?  Can you leverage LTO’s to garner attention?  Can you test, trial, and tantalize the imagination of your customers? 

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. 

Fresh Food Fast Shell Select Excels

Global grocerant niche growth is one of the undercurrents driving legacy fresh food retailers to rethink just how they do what they do according to Tacoma, WA based Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson of Foodservice Solutions®.  Nowhere is it more apparent than with Netherlands based Shell Select.

Just in case you did not know Shell as a brand and its iconic logo is found in more locations than Starbucks or McDonald’s around the world.  No after testing Shell Select Deli by Shell is setting the bar high for itself as it pursues increasing the profit contribution of its non-fuel business to 50 percent.

István Kapitány Executive Vice President Shell Global Fuel Retail reported that he has until 2025 to reach the 50-percent mark from an undisclosed current figure. He acknowledges the profit goal is aspirational.

“We are always adapting our retailing capabilities to the changing world and believe it is a great opportunity for us because of the scale and size of the business,”

Kapitány continued. “Some markets are close to the 50-percent goal and some are far away, but one of the benefits of Shell’s global scale is that we can learn from each other. Whatever works in one country, we can transfer that knowledge to another country.”

For one example, the company operates a service-oriented concept called Shell Select in The Netherlands that is comparable to Wawa convenience stores in the United States. Shell’s operating model in the U.S. is different than The Netherlands, but the company is looking to make changes that would facilitate expansion of the Shell Select concept in the U.S.

“I would say that Shell Select in The Netherlands is kind of like the top-end food and coffee convenience place to go in the market, similar to a Wawa. We’re looking at how we bring that Shell Select concept to the United States,”

Is your company Looking A Customer Ahead?  How do you plan to expand your business?  Are you going to continue to do what you have always done and do it the same way?  How is that working for you today?

For international corporate presentations, educational forums, or keynotes contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us  the 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. Visit: www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information

Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice a Global Success

If success does leave clues and it does according to Tacoma WA, based Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru®, Steven Johnson Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice is a success story you should take time to learn more about.

Yang’s is ready to expand its footprint into the U.S. and that is a big move for a chain with  more than 6,000 locations across China, Australia, Japan and Singapore.  Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice is customer focused full flavored fast food.  Next week Yang’s will open its first U.S. restaurant in Tustin, California, on September 10, 2017.

If you are looking for authentic, simple Chinese home-style cooking Xiao Lu Yang founder says “What makes us different is that we celebrate one delicious dish that has a rich tradition in Chinese culture: Huang Men braised chicken,” .   Remember that Xiao Lu Yang opened the first Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice in 2011 to-date they have opened 6,000 units and will open there first unit in the U.S. on September 10^th. “

Yang continued “This dish, a staple of the well-known Shangdong-style, Lu Cai cuisine, is fairly complex and requires a commitment to flavor and ingredients, which we ensure through making sure the sauce is consistent across all our locations. We’re ready to bring Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice to Tustin, and eventually across the entire state of California and beyond.”

The acclaimed restaurant’s single menu item got its start when Yang’s grandmother acquired the secret recipe for the sauce and began serving it at the family’s many well-known independent restaurants. With years of culinary training under his belt, Yang began lovingly adapting the sauce of the braised chicken recipe and added rice before launching it at his fast casual restaurants in 2011.

“Our restaurants are focused on providing customers with an easy, delicious experience, and that starts with our signature braised chicken rice dish,” says Yang. “We aspire to be the dish of choice for the young at heart and the young of age. With our home-cooked, taste-of-childhood flavors, we hope to transport our guests to their family dinner table.” according to Yang.

Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice is dedicated to ensuring the quality of its signature dish starting with the consistent flavor of the sauce and simplifying the dining experience for customers. The dish is a treasured memory of Yang’s own childhood, and he aims to help more families and children experience these special flavors and create their own cherished moments together enjoying the comforting, home-style meal.

While the majority of locations in China are owned by multi-unit franchisees, the Tustin restaurant will be owned and operated by the corporate team. The brand aims to start signing deals with qualified franchisees to bring the brand to targeted markets such as throughout California, New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

At 1,500 square feet, the Tustin restaurant has enough seating for 40 and will feature both dine-in and carryout. The location will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Success does leave clues and the team at Foodservice Solutions® believes that Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice will become a success clue.

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

Should Legacy Grocery Stores be Selling Meal Kits?

What business are legacy grocery stores in?  Are they in the ‘fill the pantry’ business?  Are they in the produce business? Are they in the fresh meat and seafood business? Are they bakeries? Are they in the grocerant niche fresh prepared food business?  We were asked last week if legacy grocery stores should be in the Meal Kit business.  So here is the team at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® thinking.

The simple and universal answer from the team at Foodservice Solutions® was yes they should be in the meal kit business.  After all the meal kit business today represents only $1.5 billion in food sales while the legacy grocery store business is close to $800 billion in sales today.  Our good friend Bill Bishop Chief Architect at Brick Meets Click says $1.5 billion in the grocery world is like a minnow in the ocean. 

Kroger’s Main and Vine brand began experimenting with meal kits when it opened and continues to experiment, with pricing, packaging, and portion size.  At as we write this it is our belief that that particular teat brand store continues to do so.  From what they have learned they are now testing meal kits in four Cincinnati legacy Kroger units.

When we went a took a look we may have had more questions than answers.  Like does copycat positioning work better than differentiation with a twist?  We think Kroger believes that copycat positioning is best as their meal kits in the Cincinnati test are just like Home Chef,  Plated, HelloFresh, and other filled with premeasured ingredients, cooking instructions.

Our team at Foodservice Solutions® thinks Kroger could have done much better than copycat positioning.  Having conducted over 8,111 Grocerant ScoreCards our team understands with value attributes resonate with consumers in meal kits, and most all fresh prepared Ready-2-Eat and Heat-n-Eat food. 

While grocery stores can sell meal kits for less, cheaper is not always the best option according to our own Grocerant Guru®, Steven Johnson just because they do not have to pay for packaging and delivering products.  The problem is our Grocerant ScoreCards point out Price is not the issue.  

Food industry research icon and our friend Bonnie Riggs notes that a meal made from a kit costs $10 per person, while a meal from a grocery store cost of an average $ 4.  Thinking about grocery stores what business are they in? Meal Solutions, Menu Solutions, Cooking instructions, or are they in the copycat food business?

Retail food customers today can obtain fresh prepared meals, meal components, cook from scratch ingredients all of which can be mixed and match then bundled into a perfect customized family meal without going to a grocery store.  Consumers can by the fresh prepared components from Pinkies Liquor stores, furniture stores IKEA, clothing stores Ralph Lauren, club stores like Costco, Dollar store, Walgreens, and even restaurants the ilk of Corner Bakery, and Boston Market. Why buy from a copycat grocery store?  Not to worry the team at Foodservice Solutions® knows why a meal kit would sell if done right. Call us.

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