Published October 23, 2015
Eater recently came out with a great feature about Wall Drug Store, the roadside throwback that serve’s America’s cheapest cup of coffee. Wall Drug is a blast from the past whose billboards blanket South Dakota’s I-90 highway trumpeting 5-cent coffee, free ice water, and old-fashioned donuts. The article also uses Wall as a jumping-off point for a discussion of how far coffee has come in America.
It can be hard to remember in these Starbucks-obsessed times, but there was a time when most American coffee was low-quality and flavorless. Coffee consumption was actually decreasing before successful chains like Starbucks and Peet’s spread strong coffee and cafe culture throughout America.
The U.S. is now in its ‘third wave’ of coffee culture, with innovative baristas and roasters expanding public knowledge about fancy coffee-brewing techniques and the ethical ramifications of coffee-sourcing. Americans certainly have many more choices when they decide to buy a cup of joe than they did 50 years ago when Wall first started selling coffee for a nickel. It’s nice to have a reminder of what coffee was like in simpler times.
Read the full article here: America’s Cheapest Cup of Coffee
Link: http://www.eater.com/drinks/2015/10/21/9578183/americas-cheapest-coffee
Published October 23, 2015
In a recent panel discussion at the Fast Casual Executive Summit in Miami, three design experts talked about the importance of design for wooing millennial customers. One of the panelists, Nick DiCarlo, the director of restaurant solutions for Wendy’s, gave concrete examples of how revamping the chain’s decor drove customer interest and got great feedback. The experts also mentioned specific design trends that are popular with consumers at the moment, like open kitchens, fewer walls, and a strong sense of identity.
Read the full article here: FCES15: Why Design is Key to Customer Service
Link: http://www.fastcasual.com/articles/fces15-why-design-is-key-to-customer-engagement/
Published October 23, 2015
By the time customers finish their entrees, they often don’t have much room to eat dessert, or they don’t want a boatload of extra calories. That may be why a majority of restaurant customers say they prefer to share desserts when eating out. Operators can capitalize on these preferences by offering desserts that are intended to be shared. Whether it’s an assortment of miniature cupcakes or one enormous cookie, a shareable dessert can convince customers to splurge.
Read the full article here: Shareable Desserts Sweeten Sales
Link: http://nrn.com/sponsored-content/shareable-desserts-sweeten-sales
5-Cent Cups of Coffee Aren’t a Thing of the Past
Eater recently came out with a great feature about Wall Drug Store, the roadside throwback that serve’s America’s cheapest cup of coffee. Wall Drug is a blast from the past whose billboards blanket South Dakota’s I-90 highway trumpeting 5-cent coffee, free ice water, and old-fashioned donuts. The article also uses Wall as a jumping-off point for a discussion of how far coffee has come in America.
It can be hard to remember in these Starbucks-obsessed times, but there was a time when most American coffee was low-quality and flavorless. Coffee consumption was actually decreasing before successful chains like Starbucks and Peet’s spread strong coffee and cafe culture throughout America.
The U.S. is now in its ‘third wave’ of coffee culture, with innovative baristas and roasters expanding public knowledge about fancy coffee-brewing techniques and the ethical ramifications of coffee-sourcing. Americans certainly have many more choices when they decide to buy a cup of joe than they did 50 years ago when Wall first started selling coffee for a nickel. It’s nice to have a reminder of what coffee was like in simpler times.
Read the full article here: America’s Cheapest Cup of Coffee
Link: http://www.eater.com/drinks/2015/10/21/9578183/americas-cheapest-coffee
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