A good snacking menu will keep restaurant doors open longer
More and more restaurants including the casual dining and high-end (fine dining) ones, keep asking “Why are there fewer customers in my restaurant than last year?" it’s a question that has frustrated many. As a result, it has led to some closing their establishments during the day and opening only for dinner.
In recent times, restaurants have increased prices due to inflation, supply chain issues and various other reasons, prompting price-sensitive diners to reduce eating-out eat and spend less per visit when they do. Nowadays, people are deciding how much to save next year versus next month and that means cutting back on having lunch in restaurants during the work week. So, how can restaurateurs boost slacking lunch-time traffic that is biting into profit- making?
Industry experts reckon that traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner occasions still encompass the vast majority (75%) of meal times. However, recent changes in daily routines, such as an increased number of work-from-home / away employees, have impeded growth for the lunch part. Conversely, this has also thrown up opportunities for snacking occasions.
When structuring lunchtime menus, restaurants can stray from the traditional course-by-course offerings to offering snacks. Snacks have become a major driver of consumer behavior and spending in the last two years, affecting restaurant industry profits and planning in their wake. At a time when restaurant lunch traffic keeps dropping, snack purchases are on the rise and it’s not because its additive. Rather it is about adapting our eating schedules to our on-the-go busy lives.”
Leading the way are millennials, especially those in their early 20s to late 30s who whilst dominating the freelance jobscape, are inclined to snack many times. For many such freelancers, who spend a part of their week, working remotely from restaurants or cafes, a full blown lunch is a ‘no no’. Simply put, in their early stage in their professional careers, snack menus are cost-effective options that don’t drain their wallet and fit well with a freelancer’s flexible schedule. Other factors that determine the need for snacking include mood, timing, health and ease of travel.
What this signals is that very possibly some part of a restaurants lunch traffic is staying or around. What needs to be done to tap into it, requires creativity and a willingness to overhaul operating models that enables ordering lighter fare and or incurring smaller spend per visit. For example, resizing entree offerings or even repositioning your existing items - in a menu section highlighting smaller portions, can help restaurants take advantage of this growing consumer trend.
Restaurants could also offer snacks that are in line with their particular concepts, rather than reinvent the menu wheel. This includes the type of cuisine that the restaurant offers — such as Italian, American, or Chinese cuisines. Not sure about making the big leap with one’s restaurant menu? Why not try out a limited –time offer (LTO)? An LTO will provide some insights as to how much interest there is for snack-size plates among your patrons.
Remember also about the ‘experience’ angle that customers peg to the food offering. Do they need faster service that will require your kitchen to fulfill their order more efficiently? Are you set up during off-hours to offer more convenient, express service to your diners?
At the end of the day, those who fully understand how to balance their resources suitably and identify what kind of diner is likely to make this shift, will capture the money such customers are looking to spend.
Ilzaf Keefahs is a freelance writer who enjoys focusing on hospitality related matters that he is passionate about, and likes to share his views with hoteliers and customers alike. He delves into the heart of hospitality to figure out both customer service and consumer trends that impact the industry
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