Restaurant Trade Area Research

Looking for revenue anywhere they can get it in this new normal - politicians in Omaha put a 2.5% tax on restaurant diners - forcing them to drive to other communities to avoid the tax.  http://www.ketv.com/r/25247993/detail.html

New Chicken Taco at Church’s Chickent - http://www.restaurantnews.com/churchs-chicken-on-the-go-with-the-new-crispy-chicken-taco/ - nice brand extension here for `on-the-go’ targeting too (did I see a burrito now offered at Hardee’s in Woodstock Ga?).

Wingstop Reaches 29 Consecutive Quarters of Positive Comp Store Sales  - http://www.restaurantnews.com/wingstop-reaches-29-consecutive-quarters-of-positive-comp-store-sales/

Will Arby’s and Wendy’s increase prices? - http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/10/01/are-wendys-and-arbys-going-to-beef-up-menu-prices/ – kinda a strange article to me as any beef price increases would certainly hit everyone.

Speaking of beef - Regional Chains Feed Hunger For Burgers - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38420989/ns/business-local_business/

From the in-case you missed it file - McDonald’s sss up 4.9% in August - http://www.restaurantnews.com/mcdonalds-posts-strong-global-comparable-sales-august-up-4-9/

More about my services at www.squidoo.com/tradeareasurveys

Could this move make the mallpad strip even more competitive - especially for the `leaving Walmart’ drive thru traffic? - http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201007160959dowjonesdjonline000442&title=mcdonalds-plans-upgrades-to-wal-mart-based-restaurants

Starbucks Will Win the Wi-Fi War - http://www.pcworld.com/article/203304/starbucks_will_win_the_wifi_war.html

Or, will they?

As you know, - when this was announced I KNEW it was a winner - read more about the details here and why Denny’s has committed to a 3 year run with this relationship. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=130303 - great customer targeting here.

The Happy Meal regulations - http://www.daily49er.com/opinion/happy-meal-regulations-1.2264397

Double Dip After all? - The hard real data about our economy - http://modeledbehavior.com/2010/06/23/double-dip-after-all/

I remember when Coors Beer was a legend before national distribution and the loyalty levels and desire to `score’ some when available — For some, the In-N-Out move will draw the same response. - Texas seems the next move - http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/company-news/in-n-out-burger-dallas-texas/19491184/

O’Charlies continues the new normal advertising - price points - O’Charley’s Launches New Ultimate Choices Menu - grabbing three points with below 10.00 to identify with - http://www.restaurantnews.com/ocharleys-launches-new-ultimate-choices-menu/ 

Here’s some older news - California County Bans Toys With Fast-Food Meals - here comes the government again - http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/santa-clara-county-bans-toys-with-fattening-meals/19456492

Thanks for your visit - make sure to look around for much more about restaurants and research about restaurants.

Quiznos Carves Out Broader Niche - http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704089904575093520021777354.html Sandwich Chain to Expand Locations at Convenience Stores and Filling Stations - Smart move IMO.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/7841?size=_original - Ask Us About Our Poultry: 1942 - Times have changed a bit.

BK Franchisee Speaks Out - …Owner of 312 Burger Kings says the company is paying a steep price for “extreme affordability.” http://www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/exclusives/0310/burgerking-1.phtml - The price price price mantra.

Restaurant Performance Index Declines Slightly in January, but Optimism for Future Business Conditions Strengthens - http://restaurantnews.com/restaurant-performance-index-declines-slightly-in-january-but-optimism-for-future-business-conditions-strengthens/ Please, remember the same BS happened last year.

Bans, Taxes Seen as Effective Against Junk Food - http://www.aolnews.com/health/article/bans-taxes-seen-as-effective-weapons-against-junk-food/19389723 A 5.2 percent tax on soft drinks, already levied in several states, reduces consumption only enough to shave three ounces from a 279-pound frame, Always be on the watch for our worthless politicians.

Finally, I recently had a contact wanting to find out user information for a chain that I was very familiar with - thinking, evidently, that information is similar in different markets. (HUH?) — I hope that is not what YOU think?

BTW - spring is a great time for the MarketView - find out more about my service at www.squidoo.com/tradeareasurveys or - 678-467-8650 and ask for Rick or leave a message.

Hello, welcome to my restaurant blog - thanks for visiting today. As you can see, today’s post is about Boston Market taking on two simultaneous marketing campaigns concerning price points. The first, at least in Atlanta, was TV ads for a 5.00-meat + 1.00 sides price point - and now followed by a 2.99 `mini-meal’ positioning. My reaction to this is — I always think it is a good idea to provide products at the price points that folks associate with ones business idea (ie: fast foods should have a dollar menu AND a full priced offering menu) — that said, BOTH of these positions - IMO - seem not exactly a `fit’ for BM. One too expensive - one, slightly too cheap.

Here’s some links too:

http://restaurantnews.com/2-99-market-meal-deals-at-boston-market/

Nutter proposes 2-cent-per-ounce sweet-drink tax - http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/20100304_Nutter_proposes_2-cent-per-ounce_sweet-drink_tax.html Here comes the government.

I first meet chef X in a local library and he slips me a brown business card with nothing but his name typewritten on the front http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2010/03/03/underground_and_off_limits_paid_suppers_by_pro_chefs_are_way_to_dine_well_clandestinely/

I have more current restaurant links at www.squidoo.com/tradeareasurveys — thanks for visiting today.

Recently, I conducted the MarketView in an eastern seaboard market at all the units of a particular ADI and all owned by one owner. The MarketView is my name for a type of research design that digs into the fundamentals of any market. All kinds of interesting and useful information comes from doing real marketing research at your stores.

An example of this is shown below:

Store One                                                 Store Two

820,000               2006 Sales                             790,000

13%        Uses This FF Brand Most               24%

20%       Uses This FF At Least 1 Week       42%

161K       Annual Sales To 1+ Week User    331K

20K        Total Repeat Customer Base*        13K    *customer base formula

Smart marketing can address each of these stores specific marketing needs. Only by having real customer based information allows for smart spending of those precious marketing dollars. Make sure to visit my Squidoo page that explains more about the MarketView at www.squidoo.com/tradeareasurveys.

Today’s Restaurant Links

`Former Bojangles Exec’s Now Qdoba Men’

http://www.chainleader.com/article/CA6607112.html?industryid=47555

`Fast Food Shops To Be Banned Near Schools In UK’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1079655/Fast-food-shops-banned-near-schools.html 

`IS Fast Food Poised For A Fast Fall?’

http://www.forbes.com/markets/2008/10/22/mcdonalds-earnings-closer-markets-equity-cx_mp_1022markets44.html

Thanks for stopping by today — much more is below too. Bookmark this site and return for more updates. If you have some comments we’d love to hear them. 

Hello restaurant owners, and welcome back to Restaurant Trade Area Research - where I share over 30 years of insights from doing restaurant research - and, link to the latest of interest in the restaurant universe. Today I want to share with you the actual findings in a 3 store market about a decade ago.

While I won’t go into the extreme measures that need to be employed to have a VALID sample to begin with at a fast food restaurant (but you can find out more at my other information site www.squidoo.com/tradeareasurveys) - here are the results I want you to consider.

3 stores - $2,670,000 Sales (rounded)

customers that come 4+ times wk - 3% of trans - 80,000 in sales

2 or 3 times a week - 13% of trans - 348,000 sales

Once a week - 24% of trans - 642,000 in sales

Once every 2-3 weeks - 24% of trans - 642,000 in sales

Once a month - 12% of trans - 321,000 in sales

Once every 2or3 months - 9% of trans - 241,000 in sales

Once every 4to6 months - 1% of trans - 26,000 in sales

Less than every 6 months - 7% of trans - 187,000 in sales

First time users - 7% of trans - 187,000 in sales

You would be surprised how many owners DON’T think of their real customer base in this manner - what levels ACTUALLY provide the real dollars to a store. This weekend in this blog - I will expand on the data above. But, now, to today’s restaurant links - feel free to comment too.

Today’s Links

Fast Food Prices On The Rise

http://c13.zedo.com//ads2/f/341180/1/172/0/305001132/305001132/0/305/331/zz-V1-pop1217960041201.html?a=;l=;p= Video report too with story.

Healthy Fast Food For Kids A Tall Order

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20080804/healthy-fast-food-for-kids-a-tall-order  This is a report issued by Center for Science in the Public Interest which rips a new opening for many restaurant brands. Detailed read with lots of interesting facts.

New Jobs In Fast Food

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews+articleid_2450358.html This article is about a company that provides your drive thru order taking with folks working out of their home.

Is a Fast Food BAN - Racist?

http://www.momlogic.com/2008/08/fast_food_banned_in_poor_areas.php#over1 After all, how can those fatties in Beverly Hills be helped?

Arby’s Signs Development Agreement For 41 New Stores In New York Metro Area Over 10 Years

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080805006617&newsLang=en

Again, would love to read your comments. Thanks for stopping by - bookmark for more this weekend.

This blog is saddened to report the continuation of government restrictions into how you run your business and where you run your business. In this instance, the `how’ would be the government demand to use or not use a particular cooking oil (regardless as to the outcome of the final product - including taste - one of the most important attributes to your customer base) and the `where’ is the new restrictions on where fast food restaurants CAN’T be developed. Can fast food brands eventually be expected to fund the `alternative’ restaurants too? After-all, what’s to prevent a city council on deciding that FF restaurants would be `better’ for the community if they weren’t open 7 days a week?

Today’s Links

California Outlaws Trans-fats and Bans Fast Food Outlets in Defined Area

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/2461615/Los-Angeles-bans-new-fast-food-outlets-and-California-outlaws-trans-fats.html 

It was funny seeing the 800 plus article titles on this one — only a few positioned the move on trans-fats with a positive headline title. One can only imagine what may happen if politicians turn their interest againist the industry.

Fast Food Goes To The Movies

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=26&entry_id=28501 

Quick read on the movie tie-in’s currently going on. Specifically tells what each restaurant chain DID on their end of the relationship (T-Shirts for workers, special cups, etc.)

Crowd MOBS Taco Bell Opening

http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080724/NEWS01/807240408/1002/NEWS01  

This is a wonderful article you don’t want to miss about how folks LOVE getting their fast food. A great counter balance to the desire to BAN fast food elsewhere. ———- One comment however, always be ready for an amazing first opening day crowd and have your operations in order. Remember, one bad experience can turn 15% against a second visit.

Majority Stake in Applebee’s Franchisee Sold

http://www.nrn.com/breakingNews.aspx?id=356918&menu_id=1368

I was involved with Applebee’s findings when they had one unit on Memorial Drive in Atlanta and W.R. Grace was the interested party. Want to have a researcher like that - give me a shout - find my number on my squidoo site www.squidoo.com/tradeaareasurveys .

 11.23 For Lunch At Steak and Shake

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080721/BUSINESS09/807210323/1109/BUSINESS09

Yet, somehow, that is not the ultimate problem? Article covers the challenges to the new company leader.