The week in ideas, June 29, 2012
This week, some ideas for getting on Consumer Reports' good side; the living dead; guns are a good publicity idea; and another reason to wash your hands.
Operations
This week’s restaurant nightmares: Just doing it
Restaurateurs and customers shushed their inhibitions and indulged some decidedly wicked impulses this week, securing them a prime spot on Santa’s naughty list.
The limitless possibilities of making a meal between two slices of bread have catapulted the sandwich into new menu territory. Breakfast and lunch sandwiches still dominate, but these days, bars and late night menus are featuring mini ethnic sandwiches and full-service restaurants tout overstuffed dinner-size versions.
It’s been done with hamburgers, with cocktails, with Mexican QSR. Take a familiar concept, one with a degree of built-in familiarity and consumer acceptance, and differentiate it—around the ingredients, the menu, the presentation, the service model. Make it unique and craveable, make it stand out from the competition; just don’t make it so strange that customers don’t know what to make of it.