Starbucks Sings

Starbucks understands the power of partnerships and as Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® has been saying ‘the Next Big Thing for 2018 in retail Foodservice will be partnerships.”

Starbucks and Spotify recently debuted three limited-edition Starbucks Cards featuring Chance the Rapper, Lady Gaga, and Metallica. In the spirit of Starbucks ‘Give Good’ holiday campaign, which encourages goodness of all kinds throughout the holiday season, Starbucks and Spotify are donating a total of $1 million divided among these iconic artists’ three charities that benefit youth empowerment, education and veterans.

These new Starbucks collectible cards are available at participating company-operated U.S. Starbucks stores with a minimum load of $25, while supplies last. Customers who buy or receive the card as a gift are also eligible for a Spotify Premium trial offer.

Starbucks and Spotify are encouraging customers to show their support by purchasing the limited-edition Starbucks Cards featuring the three artists. Here are the three charities that will benefit from this partnership:

Chance the Rapper and Social Works Grammy-winning musician and producer Chance the Rapper has been a social activist, helping connect young people to jobs and raising more than $2.2 million for Chicago Public Schools. His non-profit SocialWorks helps empower youth through the arts, education and civic engagement in his hometown of Chicago.

“Our goal at SocialWorks is to empower the youth through the arts, education, and civic engagement," says Chance the Rapper. "Many thanks to Starbucks and Spotify for working with us to create more opportunities to build dreams, inspire creativity, and let the youth be themselves!”

Lady Gaga and Born This Way FoundationNamed after her 2011 multi-platinum album, Lady Gaga co-founded the Born This Way Foundation to support the wellness of young people and empower them to build a kinder, braver world. Her courageous and innovative work, which included working with Starbucks for the Cups of Kindness collection, has helped create more positive environments. Initiatives include Channel Kindness, a platform featuring stories of kindness as documented by youth reporters from around the country, and the Kind Communities survey which explored how a young person's mental wellness is impacted by their relationships and environments.

“A kinder and braver world is urgent, and it is possible. Our work at Born This Way Foundation is to support the wellness—mental, social and emotional—of young people and build strong, resilient communities,” said Lady Gaga. “We’re grateful for our partnership with Starbucks and Spotify this holiday season.”

Metallica and All Within My Hands Foundation Metallica, one of the biggest selling acts in American history, has long been a favorite among military service members. Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation was established by the band members to support a variety of charities, including The Mission Continues, a non-profit organization that supports and empowers veterans adjusting to life at home to find purpose through community impact.

“We are super psyched and grateful for the generous donation Starbucks and Spotify have made to All Within My Hands to help us support veterans as they adjust to life at home and find purpose through community impact,” says Metallica.

Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow? Are you reinvigorating your brand with a new partnership in 2018? It just might be the ‘Next Big Thing’ to edify your brand.  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.

Juice It Up Gets ‘Better for You’

Partnerships matter in fact the ‘Next Big Thing’ for 2018 is going to be partnerships that drive top line sales and bottom line profits according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA Based Foodservice Solutions®.  Regular readers of this blog know that Johnson has highlighted the undercurrents of strong branded partnerships for several years.  However partnerships will be the undercurrent of growth for many foodservice companies in 2018.  

Here is one example Juice It Up a leading raw juice bar with hand-crafted smoothie franchises, announced recently that they will be entering convenience stores.  The first location will feature an innovative mobile app drive-thru and self-serve kiosk ordering systems. Currently in development and scheduled to open in early 2018, the new location will be inside a Fresh Fill Convenience Store in Los Banos, Calif.

Juice It Up’s unique mobile app drive-thru concept complements Juice It Up’s growing portfolio of non-traditional units, which includes college campuses, malls, airports and gyms throughout the country. So just how does your brand plan to expand?  Where is your customer of tomorrow?

Along with placing an order for Juice It Up! via Fresh Fill’s mobile app, users may add any items offered at Fresh Fill, including traditional goods and prepared foods commonly found at convenience stores, for quick and easy pick up at the drive-thru window.

Juice It Up!’s full menu of fresh-squeezed raw juices, hand-crafted smoothies and satisfying bowls may also be ordered using a self-serve kiosk located inside the store, which is then delivered straight to the guest by a Fresh Fill employee. In addition to convenient shopping, the Los Banos Fresh Fill will feature a gas station, car wash and electric car charging stations.

Brian Rocha, Juice It Up! franchisee and Fresh Fill Convenience Stores, Inc. Operating Partner  stated “We wanted to build a concept that would serve as a one-stop shop for busy consumers, adding a unique mobile ordering system enabling purchases without ever having to leave their car,”... “It was important to us to be able to provide our guests with healthy snack and meal options not typically offered by traditional convenience stores, and Juice It Up’s simple menu and operations model was the perfect fit for our vision.”

Do you understand the undercurrents of customer migration?  Are your customers looking for ‘better for you” fresh prepared food? How will you edify your brand in 2018?  Do you want to create, innovate, explore new proprietary branded products or do you want to drive top line sales and bottom line profits with strategic partners?  Do you need some outside-eyes?

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

Is Wawa’s ‘Better for You’ food Better than Partnerships

Wawa’s relationship with TastyKake is a retail partnership built on shared consumer attributes and professional respect according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  So we ask and yes we suspected Wawa’s ‘Better for You’ food banter and consumer messaging will not displace it TastyKake partnership.

When the CSNews’ Foodservice Advisory Council announced that Wawa had been chosen Foodservice Innovator of the Year winner we were not surprise. Wawa as regular readers of this blog know scores near the top of our Grocerant ScoreCards every year and has been number one in the past. 

According to the CSNews Foodservice Advisory Council, Wawa is touching most, if not all, of the bases on the most important menu trends, now and for the foreseeable future at retail. These trends include providing customers with foods and beverages that deliver on consumer health priorities and preferences for healthier foods and beverages.

CS News went on to explain that consumers define these healthier preferences to include: GMO-free, antibiotic-free, gluten-free, grass-fed beef, organic, natural and unadulterated products, vegetarian items, as well as a clear preference for local sourcing and sustainably sourced products.

The judges specifically cited Wawa’s continuous improvement; enhanced food quality mission to source and provide safe, high-quality and fresh food products; and its launch this year of H4U (healthy-for- you), a compelling offer that delivers on customers’ healthier eating preferences.

Other impressive steps the company has undertaken include:

·         Established a quality foods program that includes comprehensive operating procedures for its retail business, as well as for all suppliers of Wawa’s food and beverages;

·         Created an audit process with specific criteria and guidelines to oversee and provide continuous improvement opportunities for Wawa’s enhanced quality food and beverage supply chain;

·         Formed an independent, multi-disciplined oversight expert council in the food, food technology and healthier-for-you food sectors. The stated objective of this panel is to provide Wawa with ongoing, independent and expert oversight and continuous improvement insights of its overall enhanced quality foods program.

·         Announced publicly that the retailer will introduce throughout its fresh food program only poultry products that have been raised without antibiotics. Reportedly upwards of 23 of Wawa’s menu items will be changed to adhere to this new standard.

Now after all of that was said the team at Foodservice Solutions® insist that the partnership with TastyKake will not change.  Why because time and time again consumer say one thing and due something else.  What they do is treat themselves to foods that like, remember, or crave filled with fats, calories or not.  Wawa is successful because they sell what consumer want to buy not what they say they will buy.

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

Holiday Foodservice Sales Success is Simple

Are your year-over-year customer counts up?  If so I bet you are bundling grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food or at least that’s what ‘big data’ is telling us. At the intersection of the consumer, fresh prepared Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat food you find retail food sales success and the Grocerant Niche.   

Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson identified a set of universal commonalities, developed the 5 P’s of food marketing which are: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price to help explain the success of the Grocerant niche. 

When grocerant Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh and prepared food is thrown into the mix of consumer retail food options, retailers find that consumer frequency and customer loyalty both increase driving incremental top line sales and bottom line profits.

When you review the US retail foodservice unit growth or sales leaders of today you can see that it is driven by participatory and interactive Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat food. Trader Joe’s, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Wawa, 7-Eleven are all growth leaders.  Trader Joe’s leads in sales per square foot at over $1,750 per Sq. Ft. Chipotle, Wawa and 7-Eleven are each growing units and garnering share of stomach from everyone else.  All are members of the grocerant niche. 

Consumer are dynamic not static.  It is consumers that are leading the way in the bundling of the meal components with a “better for you” focus.  It’s a mix and match game that is very empowering for the consumer, according to Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru®.

Family meal assembly consists of multiple components from multiple retail outlets assembled into a customized family meal.  Consumer’s select by meal occasion what “better for you” attribute they want.  It can be fresh hamburger, low salt, cooked to order, or green packaging.

Don’t discount the value of consumer choice or limit the world of “better for you”.  Mix and match of small portion, fresh products, green packaging all contribute to making meal time a time of convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization.

Are you trapped doing what you have always done and doing it the same way?  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.usor visit:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information

BP's ampm C-store has Mojo

Foodservice Solutions® grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food pontification, implementation, and track record of success since 1991 has once again can be found at a retail chain of over 1000 units.  This time London based BP P.L.C. ampm division is rolling out “Project Mojo consisting of new in-store graphics, a new coffee program, and a new fresh food program.”

Chief Operating Officer Donna Sanker  "We are dialing up the offer, making it current and fresh, and aligned with the trends we see around our consumer base,"  The ampm division is a majority franchise operation, the ampm network currently spans five western states: Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. This new focus on fresh food will create a platform so ampm can become a formative competitor in the fresh food space and clear rival for 7-Elevens fresh food offerings.

The goal of Project Mojo is exactly what it sounds like: maintain and enhance the Mojo at ampm with an updated store image and offers that consumers are demanding, according to Carl Orsbourn, BP's director of convenience marketing for the ampm brand.

 If Orsbourn had to choose which initiative of Project Mojo he is most excited about, it would be the fresh food element because he firmly believes that foodservice — and all areas associated with it — is going to be an "important differentiator" for ampm.

Fresh food, in particular, has the ability to attract new consumers, as well as draw out different missions from current consumers, he said. If ampm gets fresh food right, it will build further trust in the brand and heighten consumer perceptions about "gas station food" quality, he continued.

Does your brand have Mojo? 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

Long John Silver's Future is Now

Is your brand waiting to see just what the next big thing will be?  What are you going to do then jump on the bandwagon?  Are you year over year customer counts up?  Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® likes the fact that Long John Silver’s is the leading fast food, fast casual chain for one reason they lead.

When Long John Silver’s announced it is installing the most technologically-advanced drive-thru platforms in the restaurant industry, laying the groundwork for a fully automated, digital drive-thru in the future. There was no one at Foodservice Solutions® that was surprised.

The new Drive-Thru platform store will feature three 55-inch, HD video screens, HD audio, and a computer platform designed to improve the ordering process for customers. Long John Silver’s partnered with Allure, a division of Christie Digital Systems USA, for this next step in the brand’s revitalization and transformation program.

James O’Reilly, Long John Silver’s CEO stated “We have made tremendous progress in revitalizing Long John Silver’s. As we transform and update our restaurant base over the next two years, we want to make a bold statement to our drive-thru customers. More than half our sales occur at the drive-thru, and we want our customers to enjoy that experience with the best technology available.”

The Allure Drive-Thru platform provides digital order confirmation, full-color, high-resolution animation, video, and graphics for an engaging experience for customers. The new system also allows for quick updates of menus and promotional updates. Promoted specials can be linked to historical sales trends, special events, and local weather forecasts.

Craig Chapin, Allure’s president stated “Allure’s drive-thru digital signage provides accurate information and engaging food displays while delivering a positive drive-thru experience for Long John Silver’s.  The data-driven digital signage installed outside the leading seafood restaurant chain is proven to increase ROI, reduce operating costs, and enhance guest experience.”

Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  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.

Hot Dog Portillo’s Deliver's Nationwide

Partnerships matter when it comes to meeting or beating customer demand according to Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®, Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson. In 2018 you will see more and more restaurant brands drive incremental sales through qualitative partnerships edifying the brand with customers.           

Portillo’s, launched a delivery service that is now available at 94 percent of its locations nationwide in a partnership with DoorDash, the on-demand restaurant delivery platform. Through the partnership, drivers on the DoorDash platform will fulfill delivery orders placed through both Portillo’s and DoorDash’s respective websites and mobile apps. Customers can visit portillos.com to find the delivery location nearest to them.

Portillo’s CEO Keith Kinsey stated “From our unique ordering system, to our double drive-thru lanes staffed with outside employees, Portillo’s has consistently innovated our systems to provide our guests with convenient ways to enjoy our iconic menu items. It was important that we partner with a company that could support Portillo’s high-volume restaurants, especially through our lunch and dinner service. DoorDash gives us flexibility and reliability to give our customers the convenience they want and the quality they have come to expect from Portillo’s. We are thrilled to roll out this service at locations nationwide.”

Portillo’s partnership with DoorDash continues its long history of using innovative technology to make it quick and easy for customers to order their food. It was just last year that Portillo’s partnered with Olo to launch online ordering via website and mobile app. The Portillo’s app is available for download online via iTunes or Android. All orders incur a $5 delivery fee. Where are you customers are you reaching them?

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