After years of bringing in new cash-strapped customers through value menus and lower prices, the biggest fast food chains are shifting their focus to quality. McDonald’s, Burger King and Subway are all working to remodel and improve their restaurants. Chains can’t compete as easily by cutting prices due to rising food costs, so competing through greater luxuries is more appealing.
Clearly posted and well-defined restaurant checklists help keep employees aware of the right techniques and methods as they work. This speeds up the training process and prevents workers from accidentally learning an incorrect method. These checklists include common recipes, plating directions, and cooking indicators for fried foods and baked goods.
Many restaurants are finally embracing web marketing through their own website, but most are doing a poor job. Websites with no keywords, no address or location information and crazy Flash animations are more off-putting to visitors than they are attractive. If your website doesn’t show up when a user searches for a restaurant matching your cuisine in your area, you might as well not have one.
While some businesses are finding success through group discount deal websites like Groupon, others are finding them to be a waste of money. The owner of Posies Cafe, a small coffee shop with an average ticket of $5, struggled due to the lack of control over the date of the discount. There is also no hard data on how to use Groupons to maximum effect or how effective it is.
Panera Bread is launching its largest television marketing campaign ever. Over 30 markets will be targeted with commercials focused on the strength of the brand, not specific menu items. The Panera chain focuses on quality food and better service in their stores as well. This has given the brand nearly 60% of the bakery market in the United States.
Three new board members have joined the Board of Directors of the National Restaurant Association. New members include the Vice President of Food and Merchandise for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Vice President of Roark Capital Group, Geoff Hill, and Chief Legal Officer of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Forrest Shoaf are also joining.
For the fifth year in the row Wendy’s is holding its annual Father’s Day Frosty Weekend to raise money for children without families of their own. Each sale of a Frosty product will create a donation of 50 cents. The money goes to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. This foundation helps find families for children in need of adoption.
Smokehouse Grille & Wingery became so successful at their first Boca Raton location that they are now opening a second. The second location in West Boca Raton is double in size over the original and has a triple capacity for smoking meats. Smokehouse Grille & Wingery brings authentic smoked meats to the Boca Raton area.
A new Woody’s Bar-B-Q location is coming to Barrie because local golf pro Ian Wiber is opening a family restaurant. To celebrate the opening the Woody’s restaurant will hold a rib eating contest over the Labor Day weekend. The Woody’s Bar-B-Q brand has grown since the beginning of the recession, despite the struggles of similar restaurant chains.
Red Robin has sold its gourmet burgers in many states in this country, but they are opening their first location in Rhode Island soon. The restaurant will be located in the Warwick area and will serve the entire Providence metro area as well. The grand opening will be held on June 27th.
