8 Great Ideas to Steal From Restaurants
By Aimee Harvey on Feb. 23, 2017GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If there’s one thing convenience-store foodservice operators are looking for, it’s a little inspiration. What are some creative drivers that not only bring customers in the door but also secure their loyalty with the kind of unique promotions, service formats and menu positioning that keeps them coming back?
At this year’s Convenience Retailing University (CRU) event held in Glendale, Ariz., Winsight’s Editor-at-Large Peter Romeo led an informative workshop titled Restaurant Ideas Worth Stealing.
Read on and be inspired by the latest tactics that restaurants are using to build customer engagement ...
1. Moving them through
This idea is all about rethinking convenience in order to provide a direct solution for consumers. For example, Chick-fil-A and fast-casual chicken concept Starbird have both come up with different ways to tout speed of service and convenience beyond the drive thru. Chick-fil-A is targeting busy moms with kids by delivering orders curbside—eliminating the need to corral the whole gang inside—while Starbird also offers curbside delivery by first directing customers to numbered spots in the parking lot.
2. Adding distinction
What’s a good way to inject some excitement into the everyday menu? Give customers a stake in the game. That’s the avenue being taken by Bailey’s Range, a St. Louis-based burger-and-shake concept that routinely pits two potential menu selections against each other. Customers can vote for their favorite of the two; one joins the permanent menu while the other item is tanked.
3. Narrowing choice for speed's sake
For the last several years, restaurant chains have been actively downsizing the menu to ease operations and streamline transactions in favor of speed. Qdoba eliminated a la carte pricing to speed lines along, while Donut Friend, the independent Los Angeles doughnut shop, promotes two preset assortments of a dozen doughnuts, dubbed Volume One and Volume Two, that customers can quickly pick up for grab and go.
4. Keeping fans on the reservation
Traffic has been on the decline at restaurants, and there’s no general consensus as to why. What restaurants know for sure is that retention is key and return visits are vital.
That’s the strategy behind Chick-fil-A’s Welcome to the Neighborhood program, which uses CRM data to determine when formerly loyal customers move, then generates a coupon to send to their new address that offers a discount at the Chick-fil-A unit closest to their new address.
New York-based Diesings, a restaurant and bakery, offers a yearly promotion to draw customers back; the restaurant hands out sealed red envelopes during the month of December, instructing customers that they cannot open the envelope until they visit the restaurant again in January. Once they’re back in the restaurant in January, they can open the envelope, revealing any one of several different prizes.
5. Boosting incremental sales
This idea centers on different ways to build sales in between mealtimes, particularly in the mid- to late afternoon. In Chicago, Glazed and Infused offers a two-for-one doughnut deal right before the restaurant closes, while Chicago’s Bottlefork offers a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it happy hour promotion—a 15-minute window to enjoy deep discounts on craft beer.
6. Break up the bunch
To appeal to different appetites and needs, more restaurants are letting guests pick their portion. Joe’s Stone Crab is offering a single stone crab at market price; Tony Roma’s is giving customers the option to pick the number of ribs they want—even a single rib, if they prefer; and at Verts Mediterranean Grill, customers can purchase a single meatball and have it served in any dish they want.
7. Sell big
While some restaurants are appealing to smaller appetites, others are focused on going big. Papgayo’s offers a $99 deal, wherein customers could join a guacamole club for one year. Guests are given a big book of coupons, redeemable for a different specialty guacamole every week. Why not adapt a similar idea at c-stores, so hot dogs, sandwiches or salads?
8. Sell more often
From the restaurant arena to the retail segment, operators are proving that sampling works to boost sales. It’s a tactic employed by Chick-fil-A and Carl’s Jr., as well as Costco and Mendocino Farms; passing out samples of the latest product offerings and limited-time offerings engages customers, while highlighting the menu to spur sales.