With consumers all over the world becoming healthier and more conscious of what goes into their food, modern QSR franchises must strive to appeal to ever-changing demands in order to stay relevant.
One such shift is the rise of the ‘all-day menu’. Recent studies have indicated that customers today primarily want a casual, all-day dining experience1, indicating to QSR outlets that the traditional breakfast, lunch, dinner formula is quickly becoming less appealing in a world full of diverse work-life schedules. Here, Managing Director of Ísey Skyr Bar, Sigríður Jónsdóttir, discusses the importance of QSR franchise brands offering culturally rich, all-day menus to set themselves apart from their competitors.
Flexibility
A good restaurant menu design is key to any restaurant’s marketing plan. The menu should express personality while taking regular opportunities to demonstrate its continued innovation – which in turn, keeps QSR brands fresh in their customers’ minds. It is important for restauranteurs in any format to maintain innovative and flexible service offerings. Many critics and customers seek creativity, to have different experiences and to enjoy different flavours, which all come from the menu design. Diverse experiences do not need to be driven by extravagant campaigns; franchise outlets should consistently be able to appeal to consumers from all walks of life visiting for various reasons. Whether it is an after-work snack or a pre-workout load, the primary function of a fast-food outlet is to offer that on-the-go, diverse service offering.
Cultural authenticity
Every QSR brand has a story. And it is this story that not only establishes success but is the foundation to longevity in an industry rife with keen competition. Having a brand’s heritage at the forefront of its identity gives customers a sense of unity and belonging within QSR stores – it is not just a product they are buying into, it is years of nurturing and developing a brand that has made it available to them today. Whether it is 1,100 years of Nordic mothers passing their recipes onto their children or the humble beginnings of a simple idea, all brands should remain authentic and true to their service offering. An experience starts from the moment a customer walks through the door, and projecting heritage throughout that journey is what attracts people and brings them back.
Champion brand values
This culture should directly feed into a brand’s values, and as such should be reflected in their service offerings – primarily, their menu. The values of a QSR brand, like in every industry, are what reflects the true nature of a product and service, so by celebrating strong values in the diverse products you offer, you affirm your identity. Ensuring these values are consistently championed by projecting them across a concept, menu and team are what truly immerses or engages customers and demographics. A franchise brand that is true to its values and culturally authentic not only has a greater attraction, but often receives higher star ratings2.
What does this look like in a global franchise brand?
Cultural authenticity and a flexible, accessible menu are equally true to how a QSR franchise opportunity should look. While trading authentic food products is a necessity for QSR outlets, growth and development in a global franchise network is only possible by establishing consistency and representing the true nature of a brand in a sleek, easily identifiable model. This model should always be relevant. Like an all-day menu, a QSR outlet can only establish strong foundations if their service offering is readily accessible and offers consumers a diverse range of options.
Playing host to an all-day menu and diverse service offering in today’s QSR industry is invaluable. Showing consumers that your fast-food outlet is not just a one-off, but in fact a one-stop-shop is the ideal way of establishing yourself in a globalised and heavily saturated industry. As we continue to re-immerse ourselves in busy and on-the-go schedules, brands that offer readily available, simple and authentic products have never been so in-demand.
1Kafoodle, 2017, All-day-dining – What is it and how can it help your business?
2Kieran O’Connor, David W. Lehman, and Glenn R. Carroll, 2019, The Kind of Authenticity Customers Will Pay More For
