Restaurant Briefing

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Perfect Pairings: Partnering

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	ANNOUNCING A NEW BRIEFING PUBLICATION BROUGHT TO YOU BY AMERICAN EXPRESS The Bottom Line: Tactics and Tools to Survive and Thrive View The Bottom Line
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Twitter Updates

Restaurant Trade Program speaker Michael Nischan and his Wholesome Wave initiative was featured on NBC Nightly News msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619
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More than half of U.S. consumers say restaurant service is getting worse. See the study and learn who stands to gain @restaurantbriefing.com
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The dinner rush is on...at a supermarket near you. We'll serve up advice on how to compete in the upcoming July/Au http://twitpic.com/1w5zuy
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Big gulp? Some restaurants are now serving up nutritional information with every order. http://twitpic.com/1v3fyk
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Portland continues to lead the way in mobile entrepreneurs http://twitpic.com/1ua28w
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Lettuce Entertains again in Chicago w. terrific burger concept M Burger http://twitpic.com/1qggle
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Food trucks are the talk of this year's NRA show! http://twitpic.com/1q1xam
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Restaurants are going mobile to reach customers – with food trucks and text message marketing. Read all about it at restaurantbriefing.com
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http://twitpic.com/1iwdd5 - Working on a story about restaurants going mobile...locations locations locations!
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Registered for Social Media Success Summit (socialmediasummit10.com). 18 online seminars, 24 experts 5/4- 5/25. Super research for Briefing.
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In this Edition

Jul/Aug 2010

INDUSTRY UPDATE

Competition from Aisle 7

According to the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), an association serving food retailers and wholesalers, the economic arena in which their members compete with restaurateurs for food sales is valued at about $1 trillion. A recent FMI report concludes, “Many food retailers today, especially those with an eye on the future, …more

INDUSTRY UPDATE

The Customer Service Imperative

According to a recent survey by Empathica, Inc., a global provider of customer experience management solutions, the majority (55.2%) of American consumers think customer service in restaurants is getting worse. …more

SMART MARKETING

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

Recent consumer surveys by The NPD Group, Mintel Foodservice, Restaurants & Institutions, and Technomic uncover opportunities for the breakfast market across all segments. According to The NPD Group’s The Future of Foodservice report …more

MAKE PARTNERSHIP REWARDING SM

Healthy Dining Finder

American Express is proud to be the founding sponsor of an innovative nutrition resource for restaurants on the HealthyDiningFinder.com Web site. “Nutrition News & Insights…Everything you need to know about nutrition for the restaurant industry” is located in the “Restaurant Operators” section. …more

MANAGEMENT RESOURCES

To Raise the Bar on Service, Listen Up

There’s an ongoing discussion about the quality of service in restaurants lagging behind the quality of the food. For years Zagat Survey service rankings have consistently fallen two full points behind food. And, in a recent survey of 300 general managers …more

AROUND THE USA

DIY Sodas/Seltzers

Many restaurants around the USA are finding that taking the extra step to make their own sodas is paying off and giving those who choose not to drink alcohol interesting options.

“We’ve been making sodas using organic Italian syrups and a soda gun for years,” …more

E-BUSINESS

To App or Not to App

According to Noah Glass, chief executive officer, GoMobo.com, a remote ordering and interactive marketing firm for restaurants, “2010 could be the magic year for restaurant mobile apps.”He cites a critical mass: 255 million walking around with mobile phones, powerful networks, …more

COLUMN ONE

Partnering with Vendors

“We do so much business with our tomato, cheese, and wine suppliers that they invite members of our management team to visit their production facilities. It’s great for us and for them – our people return filled with enthusiasm and an added sense of confidence about the quality …more

TODAY'S CONSUMER

Healthy Business

TREND: Today’s Consumers are increasingly concerned about health and nutrition, including what they eat in restaurants – 80% agreed that all restaurants should be required to provide detailed nutritional information if requested by the customer; about half (48%) …more

DOWNLOAD PDF EDITION

Jul/Aug 2010

Click here to download a PDF of this edition of Briefing.

From the Editors / Suggested Reading

IIn preparing this edition, we spoke to a number of industry experts and analysts about how restaurants can compete for consumers’ dining dollars. Consumers have chosen to eat more frequently at home, largely because it is perceived to be cheaper and healthier. To respond, restaurants must understand the full breath of competition, including supermarkets, and hone their strengths – from freshness and health, to convenience and innovation. In particular, the industry must address an issue of acute vulnerability – service. In a recent study we cover, the majority of U.S. consumers think customer service in restaurants is getting worse. The timing could hardly be more unfortunate, nor the imperative more crucial. In the words of esteemed menu consultant Nancy Kruse, “This speaks to what I believe with ultimately be the final frontier in the continuing development of the restaurant industry: the service component. I would suggest that part of the growing dissatisfaction with service is that customers are often wowed by the food and not with the rest. There’s a gap, a chasm, between the quality of food and front-of-the-house execution that we must address.” Food for thought.

The Bottom Line Book

CHAPTER SEVEN: BUILDING LOYALTY

Developing Loyalty – One Customer at a Time

In this economy, it is essential to keep existing customers and turn them into loyal advocates, especially considering the cost of acquiring new customers. Recommendations from loyal customers are also often the most …more

The Bottom Line Book

CHAPTER SEVEN: BUILDING LOYALTY

The Employee Connection

“Employee commitment directly impacts brand perception, customer loyalty – and, ultimately, revenue. Research has shown that 70% of customers’ feelings about a brand can be traced to their …more

2009 special edition 4

KEEPING THE FOCUS ON TRAINING

Making Training Dollars Count

Providing excellent customer experiences is paramount – especially today when consumers have fewer discretionary dollars and a myriad of choices. And, while restaurants are reporting higher retention rates …more

Nov/Dec 2007

MANAGEMENT RESOURCES

Hospitality Means Saying You’re Sorry

Companies – including restaurants – invest considerable resources in tools and training to help them understand and deliver exactly what their customers want. But despite all efforts, they sometimes fail – even if it is only in the …more

Sep/Oct 2007

INDUSTRY UPDATE

Service vs. Sustenance

Issues related to food rank well behind service when it comes to what most upsets people in restaurants, according to a recent survey by Opinion Research USA. At the top of the list …more

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