The National Restaurant Association predicts industry sales will increase 3.9% to $683 billion in 2014 from $659 billion last year. Approximately 990,000 restaurants will open this year according to reports from the “Restaurant Industry 2014” forecast. Hudson Riehle, the NRA’s senior vice president for research and knowledge, said that technology will help encourage consumers into restaurants. “Technology will have substantial implications going forward in terms of how restaurants boost their loyalty.”
Analyzing the Restaurant Industry in 2014
January 14, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Analysts exchanged views on the state of the restaurant industry in a teleconference that preceded the ICR XChange, a restaurant and retail investment conference, last Friday in Orlando. Frigid weather and middle- and lower-income wage decreases intensified by the Affordable Care Act have been the recipe for first quarter restaurant industry struggles. Despite these obstacles, many restaurants are seeing better numbers this year. Managing Director for equity research at Raymond James, Bryan Elliot, believes that the casual dining and quick service segments will be forced to continue to focus on value until middle- and lower-income families see more purchasing power. Analysts predict that technology-use will soar this year for both operational and consumer purposes. “The biggest challenge is transitioning from TV to mobile and Internet marketing,” predicts Elliot. Other trends? Fast-casual pizza is the “category du jour” and tiered value menus will continue to snowball.
Push-Button Pizza-Delivery Service
November 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Washington, D.C-based iStrategyLabs is in the process of launching an innovative way of ordering pizza. The “Pie Pal” widget allows users to select the number of pizzas they want delivered. With the push of an LED button, their wish is Domino’s command in thirty minutes time.
Pie Pal is currently seeking Beta testers.
Tablet Use in Restaurants is on the Rise
September 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The use of tablets is on the rise in restaurants, and is changing the face of customer service. What might have seemed a fad isn’t fading away, according to Empathica’s Gary Edwards, who writes his findings in an article on fast casual.com Although methods of tablet use varies, tablets are enabling restaurants to enhance the convenience and level of interaction they provide to guests.
Join us on Instagram @TaraPaigeGroup
September 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment
We’ve written many times about Instagram, and now we’ve joined the ranks. We’d love to connect with you and see what you’re sharing, and share with you. We’re posting at tarapaigegroup. Feel free to copy us on signage, setups, logos, service flow and we’ll be happy to spread the word.
Operational Keys to Implementing the 80-20 Rule
July 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Recently, we posted about the 80-20 rule, which says that roughly 80 percent of an enterprise’s sales will come from roughly 20 percent of its guests. This powerful realization means that you as an owner need to know who those “valuable few” guests are and how to optimize your operations to serve them well and increase their numbers. Below are some operational keys to help you do so.
1) Harness the Power of Your Service Flow
In order to take advantage of the 80-20 rule, you need to know which of your guests are your regulars. A loyalty program can be a simple way to do so, but in order to utilize it well, you have to make the program visible and easy to use for your guests. Whether you choose a program with reporting and advanced data collection, or a simple e-mail list, make sure that you integrate the sign-ups, check-ins, or other loyalty activities with the flow of your retail store. Guests should be invited to use the program as they move through the enterprise, whether it is by a check-in point at the door, a message advertising a promotion for loyalty program members as guests browse the grab-n-go cases, or a sign-up and reward redemption reminder at the register.
2) Integrate Your Systems
Make sure that your P.O.S. system, loyalty program, and contact-management program work together, so that you don’t lose track of valuable information. Integration does not need to be high-tech. Even if you just use an email program for sending emails to regular guests, make sure that your P.O.S. has an entry to record whether e-mailed promotions were redeemed and by which guests, for example through a unique promotion code. Another simple option is a mobile loyalty app, which can have multiple features that integrate and offer easy data reporting. For more about mobile loyalty programs, see our recent piece here.
3) Empower Your Employees To Be Your Greatest Asset
Train staff so they know how important building a base of regular guests is to the enterprise, and ask them for their help in doing so. Include in their steps of service a question asking guests if this is their first visit to the enterprise and whether they belong to your email list or loyalty program. Be sure they know what special promotions, considerations, rewards or extra services are available to regular guests and that they use them. And when staff encounters new guests, always be sure they make a spectacular first impression by welcoming new faces and inviting them to return.
Happy implementing…TaraPaige Group.
Food 52 Opens “Provisions” Shop Online
June 17, 2013 by Leave a Comment
We’re excited about community food blog Food 52’s “Provisions” shop. If you sign up now and invite three friends, you’ll get a sneak peak. It’s a model we love — a recipe at hand on a site where you can purchase the food and great to cook it and serve it with. It’s stylish, but not slavishly so — this is food being put forth first.
Tech Trends: Social Hiring Streamlines Staffing
May 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Staffing can be overwhelming for any enterprise, but many new resources, including Hourly, JobFox, Harri, and Jobster, hope to simplify the process by creating social networks for hiring, where candidates and employers create profiles and are matched together. There are many advantages for both enterprises and jobseekers.
For enterprises, there are several key benefits. First, social hiring allows enterprises to search for and see profiles of only those candidates who have the skills, certifications, or experiences required for the job. Candidates’ profiles also bring them to life in ways that go beyond the typical resume and cover letter, allowing enterprises to see quickly whether candidates could be a good fit for their work environment.
Furthermore, social hiring provides one streamlined hiring interface without cluttering up email inboxes. Enterprises can hire back of house, front of house, and other staff all on one site. Sites like Hourly even allow enterprise to find graphic designers, accountants, web designers, and other professionals they may need.
Social hiring can also help enterprises keep records for compliance. Some social hiring sites will soon offer downloadable reports of all candidates who were matched to a job, which may help enterprises keep notes to protect themselves in the event of a lawsuit or investigation.
For jobseekers, social hiring allows them to find many types of jobs easily. Jobseekers select what type or types of work they are seeking and what type of employer they would like to work for, then let the hiring site make the match, rather than having to search several job sites for individual positions. Profiles also allow jobseekers to give prospective employers a better sense of their work style, personality and goals. Some sites will soon allow jobseekers to display portfolios and projects, as well.
For both enterprises and jobseekers, social hiring also provides transparency. Many jobseekers choose to post references and background check verification, eliminating that step for prospective employers. Likewise, there is a degree of accountability and legitimacy in employer profiles that is absent from many job sites, where posts are often made anonymously and are not traceable.
Happy Hiring…TaraPaige Group
Customers are Embracing Sweetgreen Mobile App
May 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Sweetgreen launched their mobile payment app a couple of months ago, and it has been embraced by their customers. The app, created in partnership with LevelUp, has already eclipsed MasterCard and American Express as a form of payment.
Read more at FastCasual.com
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