Published January 5, 2016
The political season is warming up, and over the next year we’ll all be hearing a lot about how voters’ values will affect the election. What do you call voters when they’re not in the polling booth? Customers. People don’t stop having values when they’re not in the process of voting, and customers’ values are having an increasingly large effect on their food purchasing choices.
More than 40 percent of American consumers say they would spend more money on products that come from a company they perceive to be ethical, and 90 percent of respondents to a worldwide survey reported that they would switch to a brand that supported a meaningful cause. Crucially, three-quarters of the all-important Millennial generation think that it’s important that companies give back to society in addition to making money.
In order to make sure your company espouses values that line up with your customers’ morals, pay attention! Figure out who your customers are and what they care about. Stay on top of how people are talking about your business online, and consider changing anything that is receiving a lot of values-based complaints. Finally, allow your decision-making processes to be transparent so your customers know that you’re being responsible.
Read the full article here: Voice of Value: Consumers’ Values Increasingly Influence Purchases
Published January 5, 2016
Sometimes, a customer will come into your restaurant and do something that just isn’t appropriate. Whether they get loud and obnoxious or something else disruptive, it’s on you to shut their behavior down as quickly as possible without making a volatile situation worse. The best thing you can do in this situation is to be firm but polite, letting the problem customer know in certain terms that their behavior won’t be tolerated without blowing up at them. Hopefully, you’ll be able to control problem customers while still leaving them with positive memories of your business.
Read the full article here: How to Politely Correct Eater Behavior
Published January 5, 2016
Convincing customers to order dessert is a great way to increase check averages, but dessert is a hard menu part to pull off. Customers are often too full to order dessert after eating a big meal, so restaurateurs need to find ways to make dessert seem like a worthwhile event. Although fast-casual restaurants have been incredibly successful at reinventing the restaurant industry in the savory realm, they have not been able to leverage dessert in a meaningful way. For fast-casual restaurants to succeed with dessert, they need to pay attention to trends and provide sweet options that give customers a unique experience.
Read the full article here: Dessert Destinations: 4 Trends That Will Inspire Customers to Indulge
Published January 4, 2016
What image does the term “flat beer” conjure up in your mind? Is it the sad, gross leftovers you find the night after a party, unconsumed and unloved? While many varieties of beer are indeed unappealing when served sans bubbles, some visionary brewers in North America are creating bold, strong beers that offer delicious flavor profiles without relying on fizz.
Most of the non carbonated beers available in North America are super-strong brews that are more reminiscent of brandy or whisky than traditional beer. Sam Adams’ Utopias, at 28 percent ABV, tastes somewhat like sherry or VO Cognac, with oxidized notes that neatly complement its grainy flavor. Scotland’s Brew Dog one-ups Utopias with a 55 percent ABV and a flavor that calls to mind Dutch genever or eau-de-vie.
Although the idea of flat beer might seem scary to Americans so used to super-carbonated beers, flat brews have long been popular in some other parts of the world. In Belgium, wild-fermented Lambics pack a fruity, sour flavor that doesn’t need fizz to be delicious. If your business prides itself on being on the cutting edge of the craft beer revolution, consider stocking a flat beer or two; they’re really something special.
Read the full article here: Craft Brewers are Leading the Flat Beer Trend, In a Good Way
Published January 4, 2016
McDonald’s stores across America are in the process of installing new digital menu boards that monitor changes in the weather to generate climate-customized suggestions. The boards use data about which items sell better depending on whether it’s hot or cold outside to highlight certain menu items. They also automatically rotate through different sets of suggestions depending on the time of day. Every U.S. McDonald’s location will use the new DMBs by the end of 2016.
Read the full article here: New McDonald’s Digital Menu Boards Making Weather Recommendations Based on Weather
Published January 4, 2016
Domino’s Pizza reports that they have purchased the German chain Joey’s Pizza for 79 million euros. Joey’s has 212 stores in Germany, making it the largest pizza chain in the world’s fourth-largest pizza market. The Joey’s acquisition is a strategic move that will allow Domino’s to take advantage of the smaller chain’s local expertise in Europe. With the addition of the Joey’s stores Domino’s now operates around 775 stores in Europe. The chain hopes to grow that number to between 1,500 and 2,500 in the long term.
Read the full article here: Domino’s Acquires German Chain Joey’s Pizza
Customers Care About the Moral Ramifications of Food
The political season is warming up, and over the next year we’ll all be hearing a lot about how voters’ values will affect the election. What do you call voters when they’re not in the polling booth? Customers. People don’t stop having values when they’re not in the process of voting, and customers’ values are having an increasingly large effect on their food purchasing choices.
More than 40 percent of American consumers say they would spend more money on products that come from a company they perceive to be ethical, and 90 percent of respondents to a worldwide survey reported that they would switch to a brand that supported a meaningful cause. Crucially, three-quarters of the all-important Millennial generation think that it’s important that companies give back to society in addition to making money.
In order to make sure your company espouses values that line up with your customers’ morals, pay attention! Figure out who your customers are and what they care about. Stay on top of how people are talking about your business online, and consider changing anything that is receiving a lot of values-based complaints. Finally, allow your decision-making processes to be transparent so your customers know that you’re being responsible.
Read the full article here: Voice of Value: Consumers’ Values Increasingly Influence Purchases
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