Food Trucks – What to Consider

Attendees at the NRA show had an opportunity to learn a little bit more about the intricacies of owning and operating a successful food truck. Ross Resnick, founder of the food-truck-locating website www.roaminghunger.com, offered a variety of tips to succeed in this growing foodservice segment.

Since 2009, the number of trucks listed on the Roaming Hunger website has grown 710 percent, to more than 2,300, Resnick said. Food truck growth is anticipated to grow another 260 percent by 2014.

According to Resnick, food truck success depends on many factors, but mostly dependent upon brand differentiation, reasonably sized menu, sales locations, strong media presence and patience when it comes to growth.

He also warns that owning a food truck is not a get-rich-quick type of business. Food trucks are no longer a novelty and must be built as sustainable businesses where customers want to eat frequently.

Five Easy Ways for Restaurants to Reduce Landfill Waste

Cintas Corporation recently published an article on how restaurants can reduce their footprint in America’s landfills. A typical restaurant generates more than 100,000 pounds of garbage per location each year – more than any other retail business, according to the Green Restaurant Association.

Cintas’ five easy tips to improve source reduction efforts include:

1. Using a chemical top-off service.
2. Implementing a microfiber wipe program.
3. Renting mops
4. Integrating preventative maintenance strategies
5. Using green chemicals.

While much of the focus of “going green” in the restaurant industry is about types of products and systems used, many restaurants can benefit by reducing their inventory and using products that last longer.

For more information on Cintas’ tips to reducing waste, read the complete article.

Redefining Breakfast

It seems that breakfast is no longer considered one square meal, according to nearly 79% of people surveyed in a recent study. The NPD Group surveyed more than 27,000 people about the details of their typical breakfast: 43% said only a beverage (coffee), 24% said a small meal, 21% said a full meal, and 11% said just a snack.

Although the number of people who eat a full breakfast is on the decline, the majority of people surveyed admitted that they consume food and/or beverages on two or more occasions each morning. For example, eating a small meal early in the morning, and then stopping for coffee later. This later piece of data means that the average number of eating or drinking occasions in the morning is 1.4 times per person. This equates to as many as 420 million meal occasions per day across the population of the United States.

If your restaurant offers breakfast, what are you doing to adapt to the changing habits of your consumers?

Restaurants Feeling Effects of Rising Fuel Prices

According to an article published by the National Restaurant Association, a strong majority of restaurant operators feel that the recent increase in gas prices have negatively impacted their business.

With gas prices on the rise, restaurant owners are concerned that consumers’ disposable income for eating out could be in jeopardy. Operators surveyed said that impacts of rising fuel prices have been felt on both the sales and operational sides of their business. They are seeing an average sales reduction of 5% in their restaurants, and they are seeing higher prices from their supplies – mostly due to fuel surcharges.

Do you feel like your restaurant or bar has been affected by the rising fuel prices?

Five Elements of Restaurant Selection

According to a 2012 Restaurant Industry Forecast, there are five key elements involved with consumers’ decision to choosing which quick service or takeout restaurant to frequent. Those five elements are food quality, value received for price paid, length of time it takes, convenient service/delivery, and convenient ordering options.

80% of people surveyed responded that food quality was their prime motivator in frequenting a restaurant. With more than one million restaurants across the country, the competition for business is growing in intensity. With so many options available, consumers don’t’ feel compelled to return to a restaurant that does not live up to their expectations.

Customer Loyalty Programs Really Do Increase Business

Does your restaurant have a loyalty program? If it does not, you may want to consider implementing a program soon. According to recent data from the National Restaurant Association, approximately 30% of restaurant operators are offering frequent-diner programs to their customers in order to increase patronage and loyalty. The research found that 57% of all adults said they would be more likely to patronize a restaurant that offered a customer-loyalty and/or rewards program.

By offering a customer loyalty program, or a rewards program of some kind, you can give consumers the feeling of increased value. This is especially important in the mind of today’s consumer who wants to dine out, but may need a little more incentive to do so. A customer loyalty program is a terrific way for operators to thank their guests, as well as continue to build on their customer base going forward.

Spread the Word

According to the National Restaurant Association, word of mouth is the most effective way to spread the message of a restaurant’s popularity.

According to a recent survey, 93% of all adults questioned said they likely would choose a restaurant based on recommendations from family and friends. Word of mouth has also moved beyond face-to-face and telephone conversations. Restaurants must also consider how their establishment is being talked about online, based on the increasing number of people that post to Facebook and Twitter.

Communicate with Your Customers on Pinterest

Pinterest is the latest social network that is getting quite a bit of attention from the media. Pinterest has been recognized for driving referral traffic to websites and blogs.

If you are not familiar with Pinterest, you really should go see what it is all about. Pinterest is basically an online organizational tool for all things your find online. You can create and organize specific pin boards with linkable images that other Pinterest users can share with their friends.

Restaurants can upload images of food from their menu, and then link the images back to the menu on your restaurant’s website. You could also upload images from events, customer appreciation days, and photos of your staff engaging with customers or preparing food.

The most important thing to consider when creating a place on Pinterest, is that the images need to send a message about your restaurant. The images should be compelling enough that other Pinterest users will want to like, comment or repin the images to their own boards. It’s also a good idea to have a plan in place for someone to interact and reply with those individuals who interact with your pins.

Customers Enjoy Convenience of Online Ordering

The National Restaurant Association published a study to their website revealing how full-service operators can build business and turn table quicker by allowing time-crunched consumers to order meals online before arriving at the restaurant.

According to the report, 53% of adult diners surveyed said they would likely place their orders online in advance of their visits and schedule the time to arrive at the restaurant so their food would be served shortly after being seated.

Restaurant consumers are increasingly interested in convenience. Anything that a full-service restaurant can do to increase convenience should be received well from their consumer base.

Avoiding Glassware Shock

The glassware in any restaurant or bar gets used quite a bit. If proper precautions are not used when handling glassware, then glassware can be a big expense for many restaurants and bars. According to Libbey® the most common causes of damage to glassware include thermal shock and mechanical shock.

Thermal shock is the result of glass experiencing a sudden temperature change. Glass holds temperature, and a rapid change in temperature can cause enough stress to result in breakage. For example, a glass that has held ice cannot go directly into the dishwasher; a glass war from the dishwasher should not go directly into service; and cold water or ice should not be put into a warm or hot glass or cup. In all cases, the glass needs to reach room temperature before being taken to the other extreme, and the thicker or heavier the item, the more time is needed. Cracks that result from thermal shock usually form around abrasions caused by mechanical impact, increasing the chances of breakage.

Mechanical shock in glassware is the direct result of contact with another object, such as a spoon, a beer tap, another glass, or a piece of china. This kind of contact can cause a minute abrasion, invisible to the eye, but a source of weakness in the glass, making it more susceptible to bre