With recent changes in the market, restaurateurs might feel they’re navigating a windowless room while the lights are off, Technomic suggested during the first business session of the Restaurant Leadership Conference. The researcher recommended 10 ways that operators can help themselves:
- Adapt to evolving needs quickly.
- Engage customers.
- Find the "white space," as marketers call gaps in the marketplace where consumer needs go unfulfilled.
- Take risks in innovation. “Even if you fail, you get so much buzz that it’s worth the effort,” said Executive Vice President Darren Tristano.
- Leverage trends.
- Be authentic.
- Connect to the community.
- Tell your story.
- Encourage feedback.
- Live transparently, a la Chipotle’s efforts to reveal all about its ingredients, operation and philosophy.
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