How to Figure Restaurant Customer Migration

How to Figure Restaurant Customer Migration

Across the board Boomers, Millennials, Gen X are all equally resetting the Price, Value, and Service Equilibrium in retail foodservice. A Danish Philosopher once said: Life can be understood by looking backward, but must be lived by looking forward.”

Looking back we have learned that Success does leave clues; during the past 20 years, senior executives at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® have an outstanding record of uncovering consumer commonalities, understanding the evolving fresh food retail space,  while edifying clients brand positioning.   

In an article titled;  “CALL THEM GROCERANTS in Foodservice Director, August15, 1996 or “Understanding the Value of Restaurant Branding” in Nation’s Restaurant News August 21, 1995 outlining the power of restaurant brands within their environment both foretold the current fresh food retail space, while establishing new industry measuring metrics.  Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson was the first to forecasted the growth of both cook chill and sous vide in; “Beyond 2000: Growing your top and bottom line” Nation’s Restaurant News back in the day.

When looking for where restaurant customers have gone you have to stop looking at just year over year customer counts.  That metric only measures yesterday, with not glimmer of a view for tomorrow. Foodservice Solutions® team has come up with a new metric that reflect the path, present, and a glimmer of tomorrow. The new metric looks for at retailers that offer the following:

(Mobile Access + Digital Payment + Delivery) X  (Food Quality + Choice +Visceral Appeal) + (Price + Local +Sustainability of food or food products). 

Evolving industries require evolving metrics. In a world where all shopping has become faster, food has become more portable, and price is increasing important Foodservice Solutions® GrocerantGuru® Steven Johnson has developed a formula for establishing positive consumer price equilibrium as well. Here is his formula:

Mobile Transparency +Price + Quality + Service + Portability = Value

Incremental Value = Constantly Changing Menu (Seasonally / Sustainability with Creditability).

The United States census reports that 50% of adults over the age of 18 are single.  Restaurateurs need to be particularly mindful of developments within the Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared grocerant niche for they are driving the change within the price, value, service equilibrium in retail foodservice garnering attention from single consumers. 

Yesterday baby boomers became a generation of Point, Click, Eat. Today, Millennials are becoming a generation of Seek, Discovery, and Migrate.   An unlikely commonality at first glance but a technology bond has evolved into food retail commonality. Here are some of the new combined consumer’s commonalities:

1. Prefer,  Ready-2-Eat Fresh Food
2. Prefer,  Fresh, Local “Better for You” Food
3. Prefer,  Portion Size Options, Single Serve Meal Components
4. Prefer,  Multiple Choice of Dishes with Vegetables
5. Portability
6. Heat-N-Eat

When the Danish Philosopher said: Life can be understood by looking backward, but must be lived by looking forward”, We now know who looked back successfully, built a foundation of consumer relevant metrics, and built a successful vision.