Gourmet Menus Leads to Increased Sales

In the fast casual world, the pressure to keep up with the competition is increasing with the introduction of high-end options. A basic ham-and-cheese sandwich is no longer enough to satisfy the masses; customers now prefer gourmet options.

Fortunately, the gourmet trend in fast-casual restaurants doesn’t have to break the bank. A little goes a long way in this case, and product branding has more of an impact than the quantity of the product actually used.

Flatburger, for example, recently introduced the Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard Mushroom Swiss Flatburger. The key ingredients: mayonnaise, Grey Poupon and sautéed mushrooms, are not expensive. In fact, Kraft produces the Grey Poupon mustard that Flatburger uses. However, branding the sandwich with “Grey Poupon” in the title leaves the customer with the impression that they are investing in a “gourmet” product, which is ultimately what they prefer.

Small steps like rebranding products to include “gourmet” names may lead to increased sales.

Global Brand Simplicity

Less is more.

New York-based global branding firm, Siegel + Gale, concluded the seemingly obvious, according to their 2013 Global Brand Simplicity Index. The firm found that when consumers perceive a business as simple, they’re more likely to return or spend money there.

Noteworthy findings:

  • 30% of people are willing to pay more for simplified experiences.
  • Restaurant customers in the U.S. would pay up to 4% more if the dining-out experience was simpler
  • 75% of consumers are more likely to recommend a brand that provides simpler experiences and communications.

Currently, McDonald’s, KFC and Pizza Hut are among the frontrunners for most-simplified restaurant experiences as perceived by consumers.

Pig Butchering Demo: Wed 11/13

Join Meat Hook butcher Sara Bigelow for a comprehensive demonstration of snout-to-tail butchering techniques. All porcine queries are encouraged as Ms. Bigelow will show how to butcher an entire cross section of a farm-raised pig. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about unfamiliar cuts and even try some of Brooklyn Kitchen’s house-made sausages and Great Brewers’ beer. Leave your knives at home; this class is not hands on (however, participants will receive a 10% discount on equipment on the day of class).

Company: Brooklyn Kitchen

Location: Williamsburg

Address: 100 Frost St (Manhattan Ave & Leonard St)

Time: 6:30pm-8:30pm

Tickets: $85

24/7 Biscuits in the East Village

Empire Biscuit, the newest niche-food outpost, opened its doors to the East Village this week. As of today at 8am, the Southern biscuit restaurant will be open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The neighborhood’s most-anticipated munchie-food joint offers twelve butters and spreads and twelve jams, jellies and marmalades to complement this comfort snack food. Biscuit sandwiches and biscuits & gravy are ideal options for meals.

More complex biscuits, including biscuit sandwiches, cost $6-8.50 and custom biscuits with one of the aforementioned spreads cost $4.50. Empire Biscuit also serves the popular, cold-pressed Blue Bottle coffee. The wide range of options allows customers to keep it simple with a plain biscuit and butter or to opt for a more adventurous meal, such as the spiced fried chicken, pickled carrots and sauce à l’orange biscuit sandwich. Some of the more gourmet accouterments include the oxtail & brown sugar jelly, pear & vinho verde butter and the bacon & cracklin’ butter.

Empire Biscuit’s slogan says it all: “Breakfast Lunch Dinner Drunk”.

Verve: Brooklyn Coffee Pop-Up

Verve coffee is scheduled to open a three-month pop-up shop this week at 33 Grand Street in Williamsburg.  Expect to find a full coffee bar, full espresso machine and Chemex pour-over coffeemakers. Menu items like the One-and-One, a single macchiato and single espresso artfully situated adjacent to one another on a saucer, will be available. If all goes well, the successful Santa-Cruz based company will consider making its next home in New York. On par with competitors Stumptown, Intelligentsia and Ritual, Verve should have no problem settling into the Brooklyn coffee scene.