Untold stories from the NRA show
Zipping around the industry’s annual Woodstock, you may have missed a few developments that added color to this year’s gathering. While feeling is returning to your feet, here’s your chance to catch some of the unsung moments from the National Restaurant Association’s annual convention.
The bar goes retail
That’s one Gin Rickey coming right up, and I’ll wrap up the spotted dick to go.” For some forward-thinking operators, selling specialty groceries is a unique way to boost the bar tab and make themselves a retail destination as well. But it takes more than just tacking up a few shelves of merchandise to grab those take-away retail sales. How do you make it work?
Mobile loyalty programs are popping up faster than dandelions in springtime, even though just over one third of consumers (36 percent) say they participate in a restaurant-based loyalty program, according to a Technomic Market Intelligence Report on loyalty marketing. However, notes the report, 80 percent agree they would sign up if the restaurant they visit most often offered a program.
Two in five people say they are willing to spend more on meals that showcase new and interesting flavors, finds a recent Technomic study of consumer flavor trends. And consumers—especially Millennials—are seeking a broader spectrum of food choices, indicating that options for more authentic and traditional foods are increasingly important. Adding or adjusting sauce applications is just one easy and economical way to satisfy this customer craving.