Consumers like Private label food both ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat.



Food retail brand managers can find jobs in the grocerant sector. Renewed and refocused opportunity for food marketing brand managers is developing in the Grocerant niche. The unheralded stellar performance produced by national private label product brand managers established metrics for future success.

In a 2010 Consumer Reports in a head-to-head qualitative blind taste test 29 store branded food products were tested. Get this, 23 of the 29 private label store branded products scored as good as or better than the national brand. Private label products are set to continue garnering share in 2011.

Grocerant prepared food that is ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat is now finding its way in large store formats like Safeway’s Lifestyle stores, HEB’s Central Market, Harris Teeter and Buehler’s. Utilizing traditional category management techniques all of these companies are seeing success. However those that have incorporated Brand Marketing into their food offerings and positioning strategy have seen increased customer frequency and niche margins rise.

The same is occurring in the Convenience store side with companies like AMPM bundling meal deals and new products, Racetrac improving coffee and Quick Trip growing with solid consistent product offerings.

Branding the food offerings by day part or entrée time will bring with it the opportunity to build top-line revenue and bottom-line profits. Watch for Brand Managers being hired in each of these channels.

http://www.foodservice.com/articles/show.cfm?contentid=4112&title=Restaurant Consumer Discontinuity

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson

Time for Brinker’s Doug Brooks to start reading this blog.



Brand protectionism never works. Brinker International Inc lead by Doug Brooks has continued to operate under the Norman Brinker rules of chain restaurant operations. That worked well during the golden age of chain restaurants. The problem is the golden age of chain restaurants ended in 2005 as we have well documented in our white paper on Restaurant Consumer Discontinuity. Doug, the customers are not static they are dynamic. It’s time that Chili’s become a dynamic chain again.

How many employees in the marketing department at Chili’s have Masters Degree in Food Marketing? Heck, how many have Masters Degree’s in Marketing? Great people doing the same things that they have always done worked well during the golden era of chain restaurants. However you will not get the desired results when the customers have moved and your mindset has not.

The picture for the restaurant industry is brightening up and showing signs of recovery. While Chili’s sales continue to decline and today reported down almost 8 percent. Chili’s no longer leads within it’s niche. Chili’s has lost ground in the” beleaguered bar and grill segment” to companies the likes of Ruby Tuesday and Applebee’s.

Doug Brooks stated on the conference call that “if sales gains remain elusive in the short term, Brinker would need to "transform" its business model”. Doing nothing, waiting to see what the economy is going to do is doing harm. Times have changed, the customer has evolved it’s time that Brinker International evolve. Doug, success leave’s clues and many of us have been following what works.

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson

The frozen “Food Court” is contemporary consumer relevance.



If success leaves clues then we all need to listen when grocery store category managers continue referring to the freezer aisle as the new restaurant "frozen food court". Sales of P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Inc. frozen retail items climbed 117 percent to $14.5 million in September 2010, according to Information Resources Inc. (IRI) it must be noted that IRI does not track sales at Wal-Mart.

Nations Restaurant News reports that “California Pizza Kitchen’s line of frozen pizzas, now produced through Nestlé, has earned the company tens of millions of dollars in licensing revenues. Sold at 22,000 U.S. groceries, CPK’s frozen items generated $159.8 million in sales for 2009, which in turn created $7.7 million in fees for the gourmet pizza chain.”

Foodservice Solutions® has been reporting on this topic of many years. Steven Johnson’s article The frozen “Food Court” is the new restaurant real estate play! Is the second most view article of all time at Foodservice.com here is the direct link: www.foodservice.com/blogs/show.cfm?contentid=14231

Foodservice Solutions®, the Hartman Group, and Broad Street Licensing Group recently announced a ground-breaking joint venture to study the food marketplace, including the game-changing developments that have rocked the worlds of retailers, manufacturers and restaurants. The Hartman Group, known for its highly-respected research studies, will work with Steven Johnson, President of Foodservice Solutions® and BSLG’s Bill Cross, VP of Restaurant & Food Brand Licensing, and the recognized industry expert on leveraging restaurant and food brands to retail.

If your interested in understanding new channel competition and its impact on retailers and foodservice operators, including restaurants contact Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. The study is titled: Share of Stomach: Who’s Eating What—and Who’s Getting Eaten—in Today’s Brave New Food Marketplace. You can request a copy by of the study by leaving a comment below or Email Steve Johnson.

Convenience stores vs. restaurants vs. grocery stores; is a price war brewing?



Convenience store sector sales and profits continue to rise thanks in large part to the vast expansion of ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat fresh prepared food. Companies like Sheetz, Wawa and now 7-Eleven are rolling out expanded fresh prepared food options. While the c-store sector experienced 7 % growth overall the food portion was well into double digits sector wide.

Without doubt the quality of fresh prepared food at most conveniences stores is legions ahead of where it was 5 years ago. Consumers understand that and are responding positively. The conundrum for the restaurateur is how do you market “value” without coming off as cheap or being a direct competitor of an c-stores? Grocery stores are now bundling ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat prepared family meals in a value package recapturing consumers.

The retail food industry is about share of stomach; each sector grocery, convenience store and restaurant all are revisiting food product offerings, meal bundling and product positioning. All are now focused on ready-to-eat and ready to heat prepared food. Many are adopting Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price.

The ready-to-eat ready-to-heat retail food price + value + service equilibrium continues resetting. Which sector, company or product do you see stepping up and standing out?

Understanding, creating or identifying distinctive differentiated food consumable’s as an entity with identity by day part in an area Foodservice Solutions® has out preformed. Outside eyes can bring new light and assist in your pace of concept growth, redevelopment and deployment of new products. Grocerant specialist can work with you to identify distinctive differentiated food consumables call Foodservice Solutions® today.

Restaurant copy cat marketing causes consternation for hedge funds.



Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., Panera Bread Co., Domino's Pizza Inc. are the names of companies that hedge fund managers called last week and asked why can’t my “---- fill in the blank company” be like that?. Each of the companies just mentioned has recently cited traffic driven sales growth and or double-digit increases in sales, profits or both.

Restaurant sales have traditionally been tied to unemployment. While unemployment relentlessly hangs around 9.6% many hedge fund managers are either ready to bail out of their restaurant investment or bottom fishing and looking for opportunity.

Out of abundance of caution CEO’s and CMO’s that chose not to lead, but rather copy are now either looking for jobs or additional investors. Chipotle, Panera, and Domino’s built on core brand values while focusing on the customer; and it has paid off. Each leads with clear differentiated positioning.

Sonic Corp., Romano's Macaroni Grill, Wendy’s/Arby’s Group, have the same executives or recycled industry veterans that spent more time on “doing no harm” than researching and focusing on the customer.

Each niche within the industry has winners and losers. Some like Wendy’s/Arby’s group interestingly chose not to lead but copy others first and then go backward. If you were to look at their current salad ad you might think this was the third time around. Yes, different salad recycled ad why? The consumer is dynamic not static, during tough economic times no one wants to stay here and no one wants go backward.

Customers look forward; they want new, different yet familiar products. Successful food retail operators are now adopting Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price within each niche of the industry. Here is an example of a company moving restaurants moving forward with technomogy: www.ipadmenu.com.au

Hedge fund managers that are bottom fishing and want to run a food company like the one they remember when they grew up be forewarned. The customer has changed and the brand must as well. The food customer is dynamic not static. Those who sit and wait will lose. Success does leave clues and following the customer is one of them.

Outside eyes can deliver top line sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions® to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Evolving Retail Foodservice not consumer discontinuity will drive sales it’s time to standout.



If success leaves clues then one only needs to look at what Apple computer has been able to do to understand the next steps within retail foodservice. The grocerant niche continues too outpace legacy retail food sectors. The grocerant niche saves time and is simplifying how consumers can make meal time a happy time. Legacy companies can step up and standout. 

I phone, I touch, I pad Apple computer is evolving with technology, and consumer increased desire to simplify daily task with technology solutions. The new “I” line of devise has propelled Apple to the top of the fortune 500 list! Apple understood that consumers would accept, buy and utilize products that provide solutions while simplifying daily life. I know some may argue that they are not that easy to use, get over it! They are and consumers know it!

Recently legacy retail food industry insiders have been writing about “meal solutions” coming of age. Articles appearing in Progressive Grocer, Supermarket News, Convenience Store News and Nation’s Restaurant News decrying a battle between Grocery vs. Restaurants, Convenience Stores vs. QSR’s etc.

That fact is retail foodservice success is about simplifying the daily life of the consumer. There is no discontinuity, the consumer is evolving and wants more options, in flavor, portion size and points of distribution. If your company is not evolving with the consumer it’s dying. The grocerant niche of fresh prepared read-to-eat and ready-to-heat food is growing both the top and bottom line for food retailers today.

Outside eyes can deliver top line sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions® to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Restaurant brand revitalization is an ongoing process.



Many restaurant brands have lost market share, top line sales and customers during the past several years. Without doubt those losses can be contributed to directly to executives taking their eye off the customer.

I know many of those executives and they would blame blah, blah and blah. They are wrong. They did not act properly, were not focused. There are restaurant chains with double digit growth over the past two years including entire foodservice sectors.

The convenience store sector on the other hand utilizing customer focused research, while taking a page from QSR’s and highlighting QSC (Quality Service Cleanliness) is garnering market share from the entire restaurant industry. Yes, posting double digit growth. The C-store sector is comprised of over 144,000 stores that’s not a fluke. Customer growth and success while building frequency and loyality.

Jean Fitzpatrick suggest that proper” positioning allows for segmentation optimization (targeting) of products or services and allows a business to communicate that it has distinguished itself” Jean understands that the customer is dynamic not static.

Tim Forest suggest that “Restaurant brands are assets and the consumer position piece can be used to great advantage! An associate took a Restaurateurs product, packaged it for retail, and placed it into one of the largest food retailers in the USA and is beating the socks off the leading national supermarket brand.”

Revitalization of any foodservice brand should include looking at new or non-traditional points of distribution. C-level executives that say we don’t do this or that are looking back not forward. The retail food consumer is on the move and it is about share of stomach not just market share.

Outside eyes can deliver top line sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions® to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Restaurants Who’s Eating Who and What in Today’s Brave New Food Marketplace



Two different stories were on Nation’s Restaurant News website this week at: NRN.com one stated that QSR’s were the only sector of the industry with positive sales. Then yesterday we read that Sonic Corp. a QSR with 3,500 units had down sales this past quarter.

Hockey superstar Wayne Gretsky was asked, what makes you so great? He responded: “I am always skating to where the puck is going to be.” His rebuttal has forever resonated for me.

Do you know where your customers are and what they are eating? Foodservice Solutions® can help you find the answer. Foodservice Solutions® co-developed a research study titled: Share of Stomach: Who’s Eating What in Today’s Brave New Food Marketplace. The study will examine prepared meal solutions and food channel positioning for restaurants, manufactures and food retailers, both branded and non-branded. It will provide the most comprehensive understanding of behavior showing the decisions consumers make whether to eat out, cook at home, assemble, buy intact or bundle a meal for themselves and their families.

With “use of stove” flat or declining even as more consumers eat at-home, this seemingly innocent decision sets into motion a series of considerations that determine just how, when, where and why consumers will “outsource” their food preparation for the eating occasion at hand. And as younger consumers turn snacking into a meal occasion in its own right, the challenges and opportunities for food marketers continue to expand.

Consumer eating behavior is evolving and is now beyond the control of food marketers. Shifts in culture and lifestyle, demographics and the new economy are all putting pressure on the American food consumer: demands of work, economic shrinkage, the age-old demands of raising a family, commuting, social interaction, health & wellness goals, kids after-school activities, all contribute to a food marketplace where convenience vies with price. Recent advances in food packaging and new points of distribution have empowered consumer choice, and Americans are embracing these choices even as marketers cringe.

Therefore traditional views of “mealtime” can pretty much be thrown out the window. There is an entirely new world of options for innovation, marketing, branding and selling of quality, prepared meal solutions.

What will all this mean to consumer package goods houses, retailers and restaurants? Does it matter to consumers if they see branded foods (e.g., national or local restaurant brands) on grocers’ shelves? Has the gap closed between restaurants and supermarkets in the quality and variety of prepared ready-to-eat meal solutions? Can food manufacturers compete with the growing power of Private Label foods? Which of the grocery aisles offers the greatest potential for growth: frozens, shelf-stable or fresh/chilled? These are among the questions tackled by this study. If your ready to look a customer ahead call 253-759-7869 for more information or a copy of the study or Email Stevejohnson77@msn.com

Outside eyes can deliver top line sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions® to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Restaurant and Retail Foodservice: Consumers expect Digital Signage with quality graphics.



Wal-Mart recently added digital signage to select end caps within their stores. I had a friend remark that after a recent visit to Wal-Mart she was impressed and please to see how viscerally attractive the store was. Digital Visceral attractiveness is now a contemporary standard in food retailing.

British Petroleum is installing Digital Signage at the Pump and in the store at over 1,000 units. At the pump that’s outside in the wind and rain, think about it. Where does your visceral attractiveness start? Digital signage is not an operational efficiency it is now a required step in the consumer’s path of contemporary relevance.

The consumer is not static they are dynamic all retailers must keep pace with the customer. If your attempting to sell product to 18 to 34 year old consumers, you might just take a look at any digital game

Supermarkets, Convenience stores and Restaurants all must avoid unwittingly practicing Brand Protectionism and saying no to items that that consumers have come to expect as common place.

Visceral attractiveness is now as important as cleanliness and service. The Grocerant sector is leveraging digital informational tools to build a strong consumer base. Watch for digital signage showing up in food courts, deli’s in supermarkets and QSR’s. My pick for current industry leader in the grocerant niche is Panda Express.

I was reminded as well that the NY Hilton hotel has had CNN in its elevator now for over 12 years. Visceral information is not new nor is it going away. Don’t let your brand unwittingly practice “Brand Protectionism”. Success does leave clues and getting left behind is not one of them.

Outside eyes can deliver top line sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions® to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Restaurant advertising spending vs. valid positioning.



I was reminded over the weekend during the Wisconsin, Ohio State football game by one the nations largest pizza manufactures sales of both frozen and fresh prepared pizza are booming in non-traditional channels. That restaurants brands and or product positioning for restaurants is more important than a temporary increase in product or brand advertising.

Repeatedly we have seen company after company in the restaurant sector lower prices and advertise the Hell out of lower prices; garnering a short term reversal of sales trends. Then telling shareholders we are on the right track, justifying the ad spend and while crediting pseudo tweaks in new product or service changes. When in fact nothing but dollars spent on advertising really went up and sales were only slightly better than prior year.

Industry professionals understand that the consumer is dynamic not static. Lowering the price while cost are shrinking is fine. However now that commodity prices are back on the rise the short term gain may become a liability. The companies that raise prices first will lose market share to those in a better position too maintain pricing ala the multi-nationals.

Daniel Smith in his article The Ultimate Food Fight addressed many of these issues. More importantly he pointed out that restaurants are losing market share to grocery stores and convenience stores that have research the customer and repositioned. Smith noted that “The grocery store is now almost accounting for half of all pizza consumption.” Here is a link to that article:

www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/features/146/grocery-1.phtml

Developing strategy that integrates both the brand and new products while repositioning too be top of mind in consumer relevance requires more than shotgun tactics. There is a reason Grocery stores, Drug stores Dollar stores and C-stores are entering the ready-to-eat ready-to-heat prepared food grocerant niche. Restaurateurs have opened the door.

Outside eyes can deliver top line sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions® to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Private Label brand managers vs. shelf space managers.



What is the role of the legacy national brand manager in a world where private label is branded? National brand manufactures all of whom are highly valued continue paying slotting fee’s to grocery stores and supermarkets as the easiest way to reach the consumer.

Companies the ilk of A & P that rely on slotting fees are fading away faster than the fees themselves. The ready-to-eat ready-to-heat retail food price + value + service equilibrium continues resetting driven in large part by private label brand mangers focused on the customer not the shelf.

The brand managers of the private label products have are utilizing a tool out of the National Brand Managers playbook to build loyalty, reinforce value and generate additional sales and profits for the store and their particular private label product. They are taking the end caps for themselves!

Price Chopper is utilizing what they call “power displays”. Wal-Mart is utilizing the end caps to reinforce value of their private label products and consumer is picking them up! Wegmans gets the customers coming and going utilizing the vestibules with the likes of Wegmans private label potato chips and the next week Wegmans own canned tuna and their own mayo for example.

Deep in the store the private label battle continues with ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat portable food. All prepared fresh and in most cases right in front of the customer. Private Label Grocerant ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat food now has brand managers of there own and they are building sales not slotting fees.

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions® to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

6 compelling reasons consumers buy ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat prepared food.



Consumer exposure to multi ethnic and multi cultural foods has not only created an ongoing search for the next new flavor or “hot” food entrée. It has left a void in the home meal cooking skill set. Many consumers simply don’t have the skills or spices on the shelf to prepared a favorite meal. When the consumer is shopping for ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat prepared food, here are five top reasons to pick your products.

1. Visceral presentation based on how it looks and is presented.

2. Bundling, the ability to build your meal with components you want.

3. Individualized portions, power to select quality and quantity of items viewed.

4. Convenience, unit /store location on the drive home from work, it’s fast & easy.

5. Price, ability to evaluate price vs. cost at restaurant with tip, and vs. time to cook from scratch.

  6.Branded Flavor, differentiation in flavor drives choice. Example Wienerschnitzel Chili sauce.

Consistently delivering customized individualization with better for you food will drive top line sales. Incorporating Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price will ensure your continued success.

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions® to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or twitter.com/grocerant

Convenience stores are riding a wave of success with grocerant food driving sales.



Most industry observers were not surprised to learn from The NPD Group that convenience store traffic was up by 8 percent, and sales increased 11 percent in the quarter ending June 2010 compared to the same quarter a year ago.

What I was surprised to hear since that report came out was questions from operators how are they doing that while the economy continues to flounder and unemployment remains high? The answer is simple: FOOD, FOOD, FOOD fresh prepared ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat grocerant food.

Companies like QuickChek, Sheetz, Wawa, and 7 Eleven all have been utilizing customer research and testing new food products and the customers have responded in a positive way. Ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat fresh prepared food has been driving customer loyalty, frequency, top line sales and bottom line profits for these sector leading companies.

Many of the successful convenience store operators are now adopting Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of retail food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price. Are your sales up 11%?

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson

Brazil is The Next Big Thing for Food Service.



Today I have a guest Blog:  International contribution by Alexandre Silva 12 de outubro de 2010

Ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat prepared food ala the grocerant niche is growing around the world. Steven Johnson the Grocerant Guru at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® is well know in Brazil and around the world. Everybody in the world knows the acronym BRIC, it is the first letter of the countries which are growing rapidly. I am talking about: Brazil, Russia, India and China.

I would say that Brazil is the next big thing. It is considered one of the big global retail food players at the moment. Brazil will be host of two big sportive events in next 6 yeas: World Cup in 2014 and Olympics in 2016.

We already can feel reflex of these events in several channels of Food Service market, first of these channels is calling my attention is QSR and the second is grocerant niche.

If we take a look to some weeks ago we can see kind of example I am talking about, do you remember about the sale of Burger King by 3G Capital,yes a Brazilian HQ firm. This is just a little piece of what I am talking about. Brazil is well capitalized and consumer are ready for additional branded food products.

We distribute currently to various QSR customers, and all of them tell us that they will grow too much in these next years. (Growing at exponential rates, that are unheard of in other parts of the world)

What about some QSR chains that still are not in Brazil? Are they coming? I think Taco Bell would be received well here. There is plenty of room for additional chicken, burger, pizza and Mexican concepts from around the world and USA in Brazil.

It is clear that Brazil offers a good opportunity to Food Service market, and QSR is giving signals that will take advantage of this. If your looking for new opportunity, Brazil may be for you.

Other food retailers including Wal-Mart see opportunity in Brazil. Brazil embraces US concepts and I hope many of you will embrace Brazil.

For more from Alexandre visit: http://alexandre-silva.com/

The Grocerant niche continues to boom around the world.  Is your company growing at break neck speed? Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson

Restaurant menu success via Tweens that love Hand held foods!



The writers of “iCarly” the hit Nickelodeon series have created what could be one is a series of new menu items successes. Spaghetti tacos! Helene Stapinski has written about the hottest food craze for kids. Below is in brief what Helene wrote:

“It started as a gag: spaghetti tacos. On an episode of the hit Nickelodeon series “iCarly,” the lead character’s eccentric older brother, Spencer, makes dinner one night. Glimpsed on screen, the dish consists of red-sauce-coated pasta stuffed into hard taco shells. What could be more unappealing?

When Julian Stuart-Burns, 8, asked his mother to make the tacos one night, she simply laughed. “I thought he was joking,” said Jennifer Burns, a Brooklyn mother of three. “But then he kept asking.” Ms. Burns finally gave in — like thousands of other moms — and cooked up the punch line for Julian’s birthday party.

That punch line has now become part of American children’s cuisine, fostering a legion of imitators and improvisers across the country. Spurred on by reruns, Internet traffic, slumber parties and simple old-fashioned word of mouth among children, spaghetti tacos are all the rage. Especially if you’re less than 5 feet tall and live with your mother.

Ed Dzitko, a dad from Woodbury, Conn., uses oversize taco shells to fit in more spaghetti. Cheryl Trombetta, a grandmother from Secaucus, N.J., makes them whenever her 5-year-old grandson asks. A woman in Lincoln, Neb., posted a meat-sauce version on Food.com in the winter, crediting her 7-year-old son with the idea. And Karen Petersen, a mother of two from Rye, N.H., fries her own taco shells and breaks the spaghetti into thirds to make the strands fit more easily.

“Clearly, it’s spread like a virus,” said Ms. Petersen, a self-described “foodie,” who said that she has made them several times for her 11-year-old daughter, Amelia.

After seeing them on the show, Amelia was served the tacos at a friend’s slumber party this year and then begged her mom to make them.

“The mixture of spaghetti and tacos is odd,” Amelia admitted. “But it’s actually pretty good. They’re one of my favorite foods. I guess kids like making them because they think it’s cool to be like the people from ‘iCarly.’ ”…

“Spaghetti tacos has made it possible to eat spaghetti in your car,” he said. “It’s a very important technological development. You don’t even need a plate.”

Join me here on my blog for insights, information and inspiration. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant.

Understanding retail foodservice grocerant development.



Steven Johnson of Tacoma, Washington based Foodservice Solutions shares some of the articles published. When success leaves clues Steve Johnson has been picking them up and sharing within the industry since 1991.

Restaurant Consumer Discontinuity

http://www.foodservice.com/articles/show.cfm?contentid=4112

Foodservice visceral attractiveness equals contemporary consumer relevance.

http://www.foodservice.com/blogs/show.cfm?contentid=5248

Pop-up restaurants can create quite a buzz!

http://www.foodservice.com/blogs/show.cfm?contentid=4736

Private Label Brand Managers Making Brands of Private Label Products.

http://www.foodservice.com/blogs/show.cfm?contentid=4620

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson

Retail Foodservice, what’s under your umbrella; customers anyone?



Since 1991 at Foodservice Solutions® we believe that Differentiation dose not mean different, it means familiar with a twist. Consumers young and old are demanding more choice. Today that means they are looking for choice in different ways, at different times and in different places.

Grocery stores, Restaurants, Drug Stores, Convenience Stores, Dollar Stores, Mobile food trucks and Kiosk are all improving the quality of the food that they sell. Each is now selling ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat prepared food. The question is: What is quality? Is it better for you food, meaning less fat, less salt, fewer calories, or a smaller portion or less packaging?

Successful food retail operators are now adopting Foodservice Solutions® 5 P’s of food marketing: Product, Packaging, Placement, Portability and Price.

Consumer want to feel connected to your brand and your brand must remain relevant in the minds eye of the consumer. Integrating the 5 P’s in both your product and brand allow for continued growth. Outside eyes can deliver both top line growth and bottom line profits for positive results.

Join me here on my blog for insights, information and inspiration. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions® visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant.

Foodservice Solutions 10 steps to build a solid Grocerant brand position.

Purpose. Why you are there contemporized relevance! The most successful brands are inclusive include values greater than themselves. A lifestyle, a philosophy, an emotion a point in time today that means better for you.

A story. Most major brands have a story. Examples: if you like Ford vehicles, you might be familiar with the story of Henry Ford or if you love your Nikes, you probably know how the Nike swoosh logo was created.

Consumer interaction. When your business is first starting out, don't fool yourself into believing that your marketing efforts are 'brand building' efforts. They're not because to build a real brand, you have to have an extensive track record with consumers. Consumer will build the brand and the story for you.

Trust. When you've consistently delivered for your customers long enough, you'll gain the type of trust that many brands have. Would you buy a Toyoda today? Maybe so, but how long do they have to rebuild that trust?

Consistency. When a consumer chooses a product or service because of brand association, he or she is buying an expectation. Perhaps it's the expectation that the branded product is of higher quality or that the service will be provided in a more efficient manner. The expectation must be met time after time.

Differentiation. Expectation is often borne of differentiation. Many brands offer products and services that are commodities but they're successful in developing some differentiation for their products and services that consumers are sold on.

Imitators. Imitation is the sincerest of flattery and you're probably not a 'brand' until you have competitors trying to copy you. Do what you do best and lead your niche don’t follow.

Market leadership Top brands are usually looked at as leaders in the markets they compete in. Own the space, and understand why you do.

Grow. The best brands are flexible and capable of reshaping and reinventing themselves and their messages over time. Consumers are not static! Your brand must be dynamic and grow, change and adapt over time.

A strong marketing presence. The information super highway is evolving; your message must follow the traffic. Don’t get stuck on the road less traveled

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson

In Grocerant Prepared Food, Mix and Match components and portability are required options.



As long as multi- generational family’s gather for meals together, the demand for more divergent flavors will continue to permeate. Grocerant style food offerings allow for increased family integration, understanding and acceptance.

Understanding the unique balance between palate, price, pleasure and the consumer’s drive for qualitative distinctive differentiated new food consumables places Foodservice Solutions in a select industry grouping. The food value proposition equilibrium for the consumer today balances; better for you, flavor, and traditional products all blended into something with a twist.

In industry speak, differentiated does not mean different to the consumer it means familiar. That is where the Grocerant niche falls, it is consumer inspired, component driven and flavor familiar.

Understanding, creating or identifying distinctive differentiated food consumable’s as an entity with identity by day part in an area Foodservice Solutions has out preformed. Outside eyes can bring new light and assist in your pace of concept growth, redevelopment and deployment of new products. Grocerant specialist can work with you to identify distinctive differentiated food consumables.

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson

Retail foodservice RFID tags: safe, savings and simple.



We have all see the unattended retail kiosk or self serve check out systems. Now 365 Retail Markets has developed a self serve kiosk called SmartShop. “The RFID reader in the SmartKiosk interacts with items in the store labeled with RFID tags, automatically ringing up the items as soon as they come within the set perimeter of the kiosk.” Wow, that’s fast and fun.

Operational efficiency is now simply a way of life and efficiencies must be built into all our systems. This “system is built around a touch screen checkout, making checkout fast and super convenient. The interface also allows the customer to check out using multiple methods of payment, including biometric thumbprint readings and proximity readers for employee accounts. Once the transaction has been completed, the RFID tag’s information is registered in the system, and the security feature of the tag is disabled.”

Consumers are upgrading technology even during this extended recessions and period of high unemployment. Look at the sales of the iPhone and iPod yes during this recession consumer will pay for upgrades. Consumers understand, accept and want technology in today’s world. Don’t let your company lose consumer relevance because you were waiting to see what happens next.

Boston Market did not wait, Dominos’ Pizza did not wait and each has same store sales that are up in the double digits. Your food is fist then in today’s world you need to leverage technology and consumer research too garner a competitive advantage.

http://www.foodservice.com/articles/show.cfm?contentid=5512&title=Roll, Roll, Roll, Away Roller Grill!

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson

Evolving Retail Food Consumer: The tide is shifting it is time to reposition your food brand.



The confluence of consumer choice, expanding points of distribution, convenient meal preparation demand and the consumer is on the move. Drug Stores, Grocery stores, Restaurants and Convenience stores are all scurrying to reposition their menu mix of better for you prepared food to garner an increase in share of stomach.

Competitive may not be a strong enough word for the battle between sectors and companies for the consumer. The Grocerant niche is where all the action is consisting of better for you prepared portable ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat food.

Mc Donalds, Wegmans, Starbucks, Sheetz, Boston Market and Wawa have done great things in the foodservice area but the equilibrium between financial success and breakthrough top of mind recognition might be amiss.

In Seth Godin's book Purple Cow where the entrepreneur wants to recapture some of the magic that the brand at one time had. Godin suggests that the key to success is finding a way to stand out and be remarkable, like a purple cow in a field of regular cows.

Boston Market following on the success of Domino’s dramatic product makeover success has developed a new consumer focused strategy, positioning new product and service that complements the consumers evolving food taste and bundled meal desires. Both Domino’s and Boston Market have made bold moves. Each company has been rewarded with top line sales growth and bottom line profits while increasing customer loyalty and frequency.

Success came after each company conducted in-depth sector and industry leading consumer focused research. The days of ego product or brand positioning and shoot from the hip marketing tactics are long gone. Success leaves clues and legacy companies that step up are being rewarded.

Does your team have the ability to ask outliner questions of researchers in order to identify optimum results for your product or brand? Have you identified a new avenue of distribution or a new product that can be your Purple Cow? Does your company have contemporized customer relevance?

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson

Restaurant Branding that’s, reusable, recyclable and a reinforcing.



KFC has very good ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat fresh prepared grocerant food and at one point in time owned this niche. Clearly, Yum Brands continues to capitulate market shares in the United States including at KFC. This can happen to any company that focused more on international growth than foundational home based customers.

However, without evidence of a cohesive contemporize consumer focused strategy KFC or is it Kentucky Fried Chicken does have a successful tactic. That tactic alone will not produce the 20+ percent same stores sales increases that Boston Market is showing with a new strategy and customer focused positioning.

KFC rolled out what is believed to be the first Quick Service Restaurant reusable food container. The container is used to “package side dishes and was first introduced in five markets last May. It's now being used in South Florida and will be in all restaurants across the country by early 2011.”

In fact the container “was honored as a winner in the 2010 Greener Package Awards and features a clear bowl with a red lid embossed shown above. It's safe in the microwave and top rack of the dishwasher.” We all understand that the consumer is dynamic not static and brands must be as well. Since I am a fan of KFC I hope that this tactic will be rolled into a consumer focused strategy.

When branding and product positioning are blended into the daily life of the consumer in a positive proactive way, the brand and the consumer are all the better.

http://www.foodservice.com/articles/show.cfm?contentid=5512&title=Roll, Roll, Roll, Away Roller Grill!

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson

The ready-to-eat ready-to-heat retail food price + value + service equilibrium continues resetting.



The price, value, service equilibrium is resetting in Grocery stores, Restaurants and Convenience stores. The wildly successful Subway $5.00 foot-long stated it. The QSR value focused $1.00 menu propelled it and now Walgreens, 7 Eleven, Target, Amazon and Sears are all selling fresh food and prepared meal components. Dollar stores are entering the crowed space and the consumer is going to win.

Enter the grocerant niche with ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat fresh and prepared food. Consumers are looking for new products, new packaging and time saving options, in ready-to-eat and ready to heat food. They are attracted by the fresh prepared focus; new portion size and price points. Which provide a strong margin for increased profitability for the retailer?

All sectors have noticed a discontinuity in consumer food shopping behavior and all are fighting for share of stomach. Contributing to this displacement is a focus on short term market metrics particularly price and away from the consumer. Which in turn has caused a loss is consumer traffic. There are other attributes that are much more important to the consumer, yet many don’t take time to look. The consumer is turning to the grocerant sectors ready-to-eat / ready-to-heat prepared food options in each sector that offers it.

Outside eyes can deliver top sales and bottom line profits. Invite Foodservice Solutions to provide brand and product positioning assistance or a grocerant program assessment. Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche for more on Steven A. Johnson and Foodservice Solutions visit http://www.linkedin.com/in/grocerant or on Facebook at Steven Johnson