OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill.-- The November issue of CSP has hit the streets, and with it your monthly cheat sheet of the biggest ideas and lessons from the issue’s CSP Kitchen. Read on about sourcing the right foodservice packaging, why we’re not feeding Hispanics at mealtime, and what Arby’s can teach you about being cool.
1. Take Our Packaging Matchmaker Quiz …
Polypropylene, polystyrene or pulp? Reheatable, recloseable or recyclable? We’ve created a questionnaire to help you determine what type of packaging you need for a given menu item. Or use it as the basis for a request for proposal to packaging suppliers.
2. … And When all Else Fails, Seek Help from the Experts
When it comes to sourcing the best packaging solutions, consider the Foodservice Packaging Institute your ally. All operator-members can send specs to the association for it to filter to the industry and receive leads in return. Even better: Membership is free for operators.
3. Create a Dinner Destination
Chef Chris Koetke has one big question for a reader asking about how to drive dinner traffic: Who is this dinner customer? Will they want dinner to bring home to eat alone, with friends or with family? Or are they eating it on the go, just like your breakfast and lunch customers? This will help you determine whether to focus on, say, pizza pies or slices—or both.
Although Hispanic consumers overindex on c-store visits compared to the general population, our industry is near the bottom of their list of retail options for foodservice. As Technomic’s Donna Hood Crecca bluntly puts it, “Failure to engage Hispanics with foodservice may undermine your long-term growth.” How to overcome the risk? Understand your Hispanic consumers’ countries of origin and levels of acculturation. Offer them family-friendly options, authenticity, freshness and healthy items. To get on the cutting edge, consider regionalized Hispanic foods, such as Venezuelan arepas or Chilean chacareros.
5. Steal from the Digital All-Stars
Exclusivity, irreverence and newsjacking were among the traits of winners in the first-ever Restaurant Business/FSTEC Awards. Arby’s was named Social Media Marketer of the Year, Large Chain, for its use of social media to turn its struggling image into the focal point of hot pop culture references. Whataburger—winner in the small chain category—likewise took the honors for using trendy terms and references without sounding like an uncool uncle. What can you glean from the winners?
When Taco Bell launches its mobile app, it went big with a social media blackout that hurtled the app into iTunes’ top 10 list of food and drink apps. Most compelling: It offers a restaurant experience guests can get only by using their smartphones. They can preorder and prepay, use the “Rotate-to-Reorder” function for fast repeat purchases and completely customize anything on the menu—a feature that has resulted in check averages that are 20% higher than non-app purchases.
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