#nachos

People sharing a plate of nachos
by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Nachogate: A Lesson in Standards

Nachogate: A Lesson in Standards

by David Klemt

People sharing a plate of nachos

You wouldn’t think a social media post about a plate of nachos could cause a scandal but that’s exactly what’s happening, and it’s known as Nachogate.

Shockingly, this story comes to us from a luxury casino resort in Las Vegas.

A photo of a meager dish with six entire tortilla chips on it has 1.3 million views already. That’s pretty impressive—or unfortunate, depending on which side of the post you’re on—considering the post is from this Monday.

One of the top comments on the post points out that there’s quite the disparity between chips and accompaniments.

“More condiments than chips. Wow,” reads the comment. To which the original poster responds, “They said it was so you can have the perfect bite.”

It should go without saying that every dish put in front of a guest needs to be as close to perfect as possible. If it’s on the menu, if it leaves the kitchen, it impacts the guest experience. There is no, “Well it’s only [insert item]. It’s not that big of a deal.”

That mindset simply has no place in hospitality.

No, not every dish or drink is perfect. Yes, everyone makes mistakes. The absolute lowest standard should be caring enough to catch mistakes before they affect guests.

Failing that, every operator and leadership team member needs to care enough to acknowledge mistakes that reach guests, handle them gracefully, and fix them. This includes listening to and rewarding servers, bartenders, barbacks, and hosts whenever they catch a mistake.

Of course, there’s another lesson here. When developing non-negotiable standards, aim high. Fountainbleau Las Vegas is a luxury lifestyle brand; I doubt Nachogate reflects the company’s standards.

#Nachogate Fallout

Look, it can feel good to say that we don’t have competitors in this industry, we have peers. In some ways that can be an accurate statement.

However, watch what happens when an operator makes a mistake and it blows up in spectacular fashion.

Case in point, Nachogate. Or, given how the situation went viral, #Nachogate.

It would be bad enough if The Tavern at Fountainbleau Las Vegas took a reputational hit solely with the guests it affected directly. Obviously, it gets exponentially worse when it takes off on social media and alters the perception of potential guests.

But #Nachogate got worse when the venue’s “peers” leveraged the situation to their advantage.

That’s just a handful of posts taking advantage of Fountainbleau Las Vegas’ mistake. And that’s a lot of free marketing leveraging an unforced error that transformed into a viral moment.

Resolution

Alright, so I probably haven’t made any friends at Fountainbleau for sharing this story. Well, allow me to extend an olive branch. After all, I’ve made plenty of mistakes and will make more in the future.

It appears that the issue has been addressed by the property. That says to me that there are indeed standards, and there are people who care enough to respond when they’re not met.

Again, mistakes happen. The key is to correct course and move forward. Fountainbleau has done just that.

That’s a smart move. A mistake was made, people piled on, and instead of ignoring the issue, the company acknowledged and corrected the mistake where it blew up: the public eye.

Fountainbleau Las Vegas is just over a month into serving the public. There are going to be growing pains. Indeed, anyone who has been following the casino resort is aware that there have been much larger issues. For example, the company is dealing with the departures of three high-level executives.

The point of this article isn’t to roast Fountainbleau further. Assuming the viral post is true and the nachos at The Tavern have indeed been improved, a mistake was made and was then addressed.

I’m sharing this story as an example to drive home the need for standards, for non-negotiables. That means sitting down, considering every element of operations and service, writing out standards, and training teams on those non-negotiables. It’s as important as identifying values, sharing them with the team, and adhering to them.

Sit down today and develop your standards. If you’ve done that in the past, review your standards, update them if necessary, and ensure they still have buy-in from your team.

Image: Herson Rodriguez on Unsplash

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by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Taco Bell Leveraging Subscriptions & LTOs

Taco Bell Leveraging Subscriptions & LTOs

by David Klemt

Taco Bell Grilled Cheese Nacho Fries

Not for the first time, Taco Bell is showing the industry the power of offering fan-favorite limited-time offers and leveraging subscriptions.

These days, everything seems to be subscription-based. We stream shows and movies via subscriptions. We can have food, clothing, gadgets, collectibles, and knick-knacks delivered to us by subcription.

Car features like heated seats, remote engine start, and self-driving? Subscriptions. Want to use software we used to buy once and install? Now we’re paying monthly to use it (or up front for a “discounted” yearly fee).

So, why should people find it odd to subscribe to one of their favorite restaurants? If the value is there for a consumer it’s no different than paying a monthly fee for other products and services to which they subscribe.

Clearly, Taco Bell has an acute understanding of people’s comfort with subscriptions. For many consumers, they’re the norm, just part of their daily routine.

As evidence, I introduce Exibit A, the Taco Lover’s Pass.

What makes this subscription noteworthy is the fact that it’s only a few years old, and it’s not even a permanent subscription. As Taco Bell Rewards members know all too well, only they can cop a Taco Lover’s Pass, and it only comes available every so often.

Most times, members have just one day to grab a pass. However, people had two whole days to decide the last time it became available.

And now, Exhibit B, the Nacho Fries Lover’s Pass.

An LTO Subscription and Item

Look, tens of millions of people love tacos. So, it’s logical that the Taco Lover’s Pass is so successful.

And if the past several years have shown us anything, millions of people also love Nacho Fries. The LTO menu item first appeared in Taco Bell restaurants in 2018. A few years later, in 2021, the Taco Lover’s Pass was tested in Arizona.

Why wouldn’t we eventually see a Nacho Fries Lover’s Pass, given the hype that follows every reintroduction of this popular item? Taco Bell has mastered the art of the LTO and the subscription. More specifically, they’ve mastered the recurring subscription. Remember, their passes aren’t permanent offerings.

Further, the iconic QSR also understands the power of the “drop.” At this point, it seems as though Taco Bell has noticed the rabid stir a limited-edition shoe or clothing drop can create for the fashion industry, studied it, and adapted it to foodservice.

With that said, the last Taco Lover’s Pass was accompanied by a menu item drop: the Toasted Breakfast Taco. If you think the Nacho Fries Lover’s Pass also ushered in an LTO, you’re correct.

The first-ever Nacho Fries Lover’s Pass comes along with the limited-time-only offer of Grilled Cheese Nacho Fries.

Take the Nacho Fries, slather them in a sauce of melted mozzarella, monterey pepper jack, and cheddar cheeses, add Taco Bell nacho cheese and chipotle sauce, and toss on some marinated steak. There you go—Grilled Cheese Nacho Fries. They’re just $4.99 while supplies last, and there’s a spicy version made with jalapeños.

It’s no surprise that Taco Bell is BrandVue’s most-loved Mexican restaurant brand, and number eight on their overall list of most-loved restaurant brands.

Takeaway

Loyalty and rewards programs, subscription services, hyped LTO menu drops… These aren’t the exclusive domain of global chain restaurants.

Independent operators can absolutely leverage LTOs and subscriptions. Moreover, indies can do so with as much—if not more—specificity. Independent and regional chain operators tend to be far more nimble than their large chain counterparts.

After all, it’s much easier to implement change in one or a handful of restaurants than it is hundreds or thousands of locations. In theory, single-unit operators also know their loyal guests on a more intimate level. Where that’s the case, they should know what levers to pull to generate interest and encourage repeat visits.

It’s no small task to create a subscription program, let alone a free-to-use-but-engaging, branded rewards program. And that’s to say nothing of coming up with menu item so powerful that taking it away for months at a time is a feasible, profitable thing to do. Although, if you’ve shrunk your menu and eliminated a decent food or drink performer, you may have somewhere to start.

With time and thoughtful consideration, independent and regional operators can absolutely nail rewards, subscriptions, and LTOs.

Image: Taco Bell

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