Menu magic comes from positioning product in the minds eye of the consumer.



The quagmire of reality that corporate foodservice menu managers find themselves in to day is stifling. The niche focus required by many chain restaurants, grocery stores, Convenience stores in the foodservice is to narrow and stifles pro-active consumer focused development. Let them out of the box.

Company after company within each niche imposes odd regulations on its teams. The stated reasons range from; end product price to labor guide lines, food costing goals etc all non consumer focused reasons. No matter what the reason they are self imposed, self regulated, and limiting.

This quagmire of internal regulation stifles creativity, limits growth and reduces the chance of true breakout products within the niche. If success leaves clues the customer is number one.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

The price, value, service equilibrium is resetting in retail foodservice.



Grocery stores, Restaurants, C- stores and now drug store chains are selling quality ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food. Each is reconfiguring their ready-2-eat ready to heat-N-eat food product lineup. Most interesting, the new food items are not niche focused but are consumer focused with a mix and match bundled component.

Each company is now looking for new product, packaging and consumer price points that will drive traffic. All have noticed a discontinuity in consumer food shopping behavior and all are fighting for share of stomach.

Contributing to this displacement is a focus by restaurant chain leaders on short term market metrics particularly at price and away from the consumer. Which in turn has caused a loss is consumer traffic as important as price might be other attributes are much more important. The consumer is turning to the grocery store hot prepared food section and the C-store sector in greater numbers.

The problem is the grocery stores are not ready for the volume increase and have lost focus on the customer service component. They have dropped the ball much of the food quality is still reflective of a bygone era of fried food or heat lamp food warm with few qualitative attributes.

There are of course exceptions like Wegmans, Central Market, Whole Foods and Metropolitan Market. Consumers will not stay long if things don’t improve rapidly. The battle for the consumer dollar continues in the Grocerant ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food niche.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Burger King it time for Foodservice Solutions® 10 steps to build a solid food brand.

Symbolism: Why you are there! The most successful brands are inclusive include values greater than themselves. A lifestyle a philosophy an emotion a point in time and moving forward with society.

A story: Most major brands have a story. Examples: Starbucks a social “third place” handcrafted fresh coffee. A great example is Subway, fresh better for you with personalization and customization empowering consumer choice.

A track record: When your business is first starting out, don't fool yourself into believing that your marketing efforts are 'brand building' efforts. They're not because to build a real brand, you have to have an extensive track record with consumers.

Trust: When you've consistently delivered for your customers long enough, you'll gain the type of trust that many brands have. Case in point: McDonalds no one says they have the very best burger. Yet the convergence of product quality, product consistency, contemporized brand messaging build long term trust.

Expectation: When a consumer chooses a product or service because of brand association, he or she is buying an expectation. Perhaps it's the expectation that the branded product is of higher quality or that the service will be provided in a more efficient manner.

Differentiation: Expectation is often borne of differentiation. Many brands offer products and services that are commodities but they're successful in developing some differentiation for their products and services that consumers are sold on. Differentiation does not mean different it means familiar.

Imitators: Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and you're probably not a 'brand' until you have competitors trying to copy you.

Market leadership: Top brands are usually looked at as leaders in the markets they compete in. Know how you’re going to get there; have a plan.

Adaptability: The best brands are flexible and capable of reshaping and reinventing themselves and their messages over time. Coca-Cola is a good example of a brand that has never abandoned its core product but has evolved its message over time to keep up with changes in the marketplace and society at large with new products in avenues of distribution and flavors.

A strong marketing presence: Although it's nice to believe that you can market yourself for free on Facebook and Twitter, the reality is that brands aren't advertising on television and radio because they're dumb. Building and maintaining brand equity requires awareness; and awareness requires broad marketing efforts.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Papa Murphy’s John Barr drives success.



The grocerant niche filled with retail foodservice operators has no better example of a leader who understands today’s food consumer than John D. Barr CEO of Papa Murphy’s. Ignoring legacy pizza retail foodservice success metric’s, Barr as over seen the most substantial growth in Papa Murphy’s chain which now has over 1,250 units.

Papa Murphy’s core focuses on differentiation via customization and individualization with consumer interactivity and participation the binding element. Foodservice Solutions® grocerant guru Steven Johnson has repeatedly stated that “Papa Murphy’s integrates the 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price; as well as anyone in the industry.”

Papa Murphy’s has built its success with distinctive differentiated food consumables as an entity with identity by category, by season all while integrating customization. That is no small feat. On Monday when they launch a new media campaign focused on the brand’s core message, I predict they will once again garner market share from the rest of the pizza category. It’s just what they have been doing for 30 plus years.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Groupon is the penalty price restaurant marketers pay when the brand becomes boring.



Restaurant chains have been unwittingly capitulating market share to grocery stores Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh and prepared food for years. Convenience stores studied consumer trends, focused on the consumer, entered the Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat grocerant niche with fresh and prepared quality food capturing additional market share as well. Currently the C-store sector has posted positive same store sales numbers longer than any other retail food sector.

The restaurant industry has become know as the home of copy-cat marketing. An industry loaded with unremarkable new food products, innovative in only the length of time it takes to copy a competitor’s product, pricing or marketing campaign. Groupon has been the life line for chains simply trying to hang on.

If success leave clues Copy-Cat marketing is simply put unremarkable. Several restaurant chains now are developing bigger burgers. I think both Burger King and Carl’s Jr. did that, are they simply headed to Groupon.

Marketing KID EAT FREE has been around for years yet when sales are slow it’s at times much easer to take a step back than invest in research and move forward. Companies must look out side the current mode of employee mind set of following someone else, doing what they did three, four or five years ago and focus on the consumer. Deep discounting is the price chain restaurants pay for lack of innovative positioning of both food product and messaging. Foodservice Solutions® 5P’s of food marketing might be a place too start if moving forward with consumer is your goal.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

Grocerant niche flourishes as legacy niche leader KFC repositions message.



Without doubt KFC was one of the first retail foodservice companies to thrive in what is now called the grocerant niche. Today, the world of ready-2-to-eat and heat-N-eat fresh and prepared food can be found within the convenience store sector, grocery sector, chain drug store sector and every niche of the restaurant sector.

Since KFC has launched its new “10-piece 10 Buck Sunday Bucket Deal,” offering 10 pieces of Original Recipe, Extra Crispy or Kentucky Grilled Chicken for $10 plus tax on Sundays at participating restaurants nationwide. KFC renewed focus on the chains core valued consumer focused attributes have garnered positive attention.

Allowing the consumer to Mix & Match product meal components of the 10 Buck Sunday Bucket reflects the success contemporized grocerant of Mix & Match meal components readers of this blog have long followed. Companies that utilize Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price; will understand success can be found within the grocerant niche. Clearly KFC now getting back on track.

Since 1991 retail food consultancy Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant, twitter.com/grocerant or Facebook Steven Johnson

4PM and what in the world is for dinner?



Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru Steven Johnson thinks that Whole Foods has the answers. When 4PM rolls around and most consumers start thinking about dinner, our research show if they live near a Whole Foods the answer just might be inside the doors.

Whole Foods has developed for consumers into a meal Ready-2-Eat and or Heat-N-Eat “better for you” food emporium. Whole Foods is the largest national retail food chain to date to understand Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price. When it comes to Ready-2-Eat and or Heat-N-Eat better for you food, Whole Foods it top of mind with consumers. If success leaves clues Whole Foods is one company many of the reader of this blog should keep and eye on.

Invite Foodservice Solutions® too provide brand, product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Each is available for Chain Restaurants, Convenience stores, Grocery stores and other food retailers. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant