Expanding daypart focus critical for restaurant success in 2012.

Working hard to build the top sales and bottom line profits while maintaining market share is nothing new for restaurants.  Eric Dzwonczk, AlixPartners’ managing director believes that innovation will be the main driver for success in 2012 with a focus on daypart expansion.

Dzwonczk stated: "Anything you can do to get customers into your store 24 hours a day is potentially a good thing,". ..Specifically, daypart is becoming critical, he said. More quick-service restaurants(QSRs) and casual diningplayers are moving away from their traditional lunch and dinner focus and going after breakfast. At the same time, predominately breakfast businesses are going after lunch and dinner, or moving into late night. …

"McCafeand other specialty drinks get customers in during the day when they otherwise wouldn't be there. That has become very attractive to the mid-afternoon sect," he explained. "Putting things in there like Wi-Fi and television -- all these are done to get consumers into the store at times when they typically wouldn't be there."

The competiton for share of stomach continues to increase particulary in the ready-2-eat and heat-N-eat fresh prepared food niche.  Companies the ilk of Walgreens, Wawa, Sheetz, Whole Foods and Central Market have increased their focus on ready-2-eat fresh prepared foods and are winning the hearts and minds of the consumer. I agree with Dzwonczk innovation via daypart is critical for restaurant success moving forward as regular readers of this blog know.

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