Consumers have not lost their appetite for restaurants.
A host of data from the National Restaurant Association’s annual “State of the Restaurant Industry” supports this idea. Revenues are expected to top $1 trillion for the first time ever. In response, restaurants will add 200,000 jobs to the industry for a total of 15.7 million workers by the end of the year. Furthermore, nine out of 10 adults say they enjoy going to restaurants.
Sounds like boom times, right? If only it was so cut and dry.
While sales may be increasing as a whole, what customers are looking for is splintering. By understanding the market trends, we can assess how specialized foodservice equipment can help restaurant chains, grocers and convenience stores diversify their menu offerings without needing extensive kitchen overhauls.
Let’s look at where consumer preferences are trending and what adaptable pieces of foodservice equipment will put any operation in a position to deal with these shifts head-on.
When trends meet versatile equipment
In historically more stable times, operations gained advantages by getting better and more efficient at what they’ve always been doing. In unpredictable times, such as these, operations can be caught flat-footed if they simply stay the course. Versatile equipment can help every type of foodservice operation survive by becoming more customer-centric.
Personalization and convenience
Diners got a taste for personalization and convenience during the pandemic and this preference doesn’t seem to be waning any time soon. Customers are increasingly choosing foodservice options that make them feel understood as individuals. From the guest’s perspective, checking boxes on a screen is easy. They decide exactly how and when they want their food. It’s up to the restaurant operator to make it happen. Operators who figure this out will find that this level of personalization is rewarded with increased customer loyalty.
Personalization is not just a strategy; it's a commitment to nurturing each person on a personal level. And, to cater to individual needs, you need versatility. That’s when foodservice equipment such as the Hatco/Suntec Snack System becomes invaluable. This snack system was designed to expand menus and sales. With a single or dual electric baker, you can easily switch the replaceable plates to create everything from waffles to paninis. Convenience doesn’t stop there. The ability to switch from breakfast to lunch to snacks doesn’t confine the personalization to one time of day.
Value dining
Here’s the good news: Customers want to keep dining out, despite feeling a financial pinch. The caveat is that diners are dealing with the conundrum by seeking restaurants that provide high-quality food at reasonable prices — small splurges.
Toasters are the perfect vehicle for increasing revenue and diners’ perception of value. From lower-volume toasting in self-serve areas to round-the-clock toast production, there is value to be found in uniformly colored toast and other bread products. Great looking toast — every time — is due to Hatco’s patented ColorGuard Sensing System which monitors and adjusts the chamber to ensure consistent toast results.
Takeout and delivery
To-go and delivery have surged in recent years. Consumers fell in love with the concept of a restaurant dining room in one’s living room. This is a trend restaurant chains can really sink their teeth into, as additional revenues can be achieved without much change in operational footprint.
The emergence of food holding technology in to-go lockers and pods ensures an operator's food is held in the optimal environment. Customers no longer have to wait in line, worry about the safety of their food, or compromise on quality. To-go lockers and pods can work with any genre of food — the ultimate in flexibility. These systems not only streamline the pick-up process but enhance the overall customer experience.
Experience beyond food
Some restaurant goers are looking for more than a traditional sit-down experience. Pop-up restaurants, special events in unique settings and chef collaborations create a feast for all the senses.
The temporary and ethereal nature of experiential dining means operators need flexibility in where they cook. As the name implies, portable induction cooktops can travel to the farthest reaches of a chef’s imagination (as long as there’s a power outlet nearby). Whether dining in a field or on a houseboat, portable induction cooktops are tough enough for back-of-the-house cooking and prep areas but still easily portable and adaptable for buffets and many other front-of-the-house applications.
Prioritizing sustainability
Customers are increasingly aware that food agriculture is at the forefront of climate change. They are aware that our food system requires vast amounts of water, land and other resources. If an operation can signal to customers that it cares about the environment through its foodservice equipment, this can be a critical alignment of values.
Induction warmers are eco-friendly and conducive to sustainability in real, measurable ways. Importantly, induction technology uses relatively low wattage. And the wattage that is used isn’t wasted. Up to 94% of the energy produced through induction is directed where it is most needed, at the food. Keeping food at proper temperatures also cuts down on food waste. This makes induction warmers a key player in any sustainability initiatives.
Organic and plant-based options
Diners are willing to pay a premium for organic and plant-based options on menus. Sustainability is a growing concern for people, both for the environment and as a healthy choice for themselves.
Trust and transparency are the cornerstones of presenting organic and plant-based menu items. Frost tops provide the fresh visual customers appreciate. There’s no better way to showcase the best menu items in a buffet, drink station, grab-n-go area, salad bar or other counter setup.
Advantages for restaurant chains
Restaurant chains have the ability to test menu items in a handful of locations before rolling them out to an entire network of stores. Restaurants can assess the stickiness of a trend. And just as importantly, they can sort out any sourcing or efficiency issues as they seek uniformity across multiple locations.
Menu innovation
The internet has accelerated the time for an ingredient or menu item to gain popularity. Increasingly diversified offerings leave operators scrambling to source them. 2024 is the year of the fig leaf, mushrooms as meat and world whisky. Who saw those three very different things coming?
You don’t have to be Nostradamus when your equipment has flexibility and adaptability. Take Hatco’s Drop-In Induction Dry Well for example. This versatile solution makes it easy for operators to handle any food at any temperature. An easy-to-use, mountable control panel with temperature arrow keys adjusts the unit’s temperature in Fahrenheit, Celsius or by five preset temperature levels between 150 °F and 210 °F (66 °C and 99 °C). These dry wells support normal stainless steel pans, so there’s no need to purchase “induction-compatible” pans. You’ll be ready for anything.
Operational efficiency
Executing trends can sometimes feel like a wild goose chase. That’s why it’s comforting to have an efficient workhorse in the kitchen that is ready for anything. Does a new menu item require broiling, toasting, cooking, finishing, reheating, melting, caramelizing, grilling or glazing?
The Electric Salamander is equipped with endless efficiency. Salamanders are one unit that can take the place of multiple pieces of large and expensive equipment. This makes salamanders a budget friendly option for any commercial kitchen remodel or changing commercial kitchen layout.
Speed to market
A chain’s ability to offer a trailblazing menu item is a gigantic competitive advantage. Being the first to market with specialized food allows operators to capture market share right out of the gate.
Portable buffet warmers allow chains to create an optimal buffet setting in the amount of time it takes to clear some space and plug the units in. In the restaurant chain world, this is lightning fast. Portable buffet warmers can also help you change or adapt to an existing layout without the stress of hiring architects, plumbers or electricians. That puts valuable time on any operation’s clock.
Advantage for grocery and convenience store chains
Take a close look at the layout of today’s grocery and c-store retailers. They no longer look like the stores of yesteryear. With so much floor space under one roof, chain stores had the ability to adjust to their customers’ ever-evolving lifestyles and family dynamics. As customers began to demand a mix of groceries, prepared meals and easy-to-prepare options in their shopping experience, grocery and c-stores responded in kind.
Prepared food expansion
Convenience means maximizing the efficacy of timesaving potential for customers. This trend aligns with customers living in a world of increased urbanization, non-traditional work hours and decreased household sizes. This means more people than ever before are eating on their own and in their own timeframes.
This transformation plays right into the merits of food display cases and merchandisers. Customers are satisfied by getting convenient access to goods they want to purchase. With the right equipment, all sellers need to do is figure out hold times, capacity, product packaging and fit.
Quality and consistency
The improved efficiencies of the supply chain — especially last-mile logistics — have been a boon to grocery and c-stores. Increased freshness leads to increased quality. And this is the kind of consistency that keeps customers coming back for more.
Drop-In Cold Wells keep food fresh and accessible as today’s customer builds a salad on the fly or discovers a prepared meal to take home. With the confidence of knowing pre-chilled foods are at an optimal temperature, operators are free to set their offerings apart from the competition.
Are you ready to adapt?
As recently as a few years ago, the bell-curve middle was a safe target for chains to focus on as customers were more uniform. However, today there is no such thing as an “average consumer.” Customers are becoming more and more distinct as they seek convenience and personalization from their foodservice stores.
The National Restaurant Association’s annual “State of the Restaurant Industry” also found that 45% of operators expect competition to be more intense than last year. Thankfully, foodservice equipment technology has evolved in such a way that it can help operations keep up with customers and their needs. Smart and pragmatic adaptation of this equipment can give your company the edge it needs.
Contact a Hatco rep today to find innovative equipment that is right for your chain.
