QSR

by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

A Lesson in Guest Perception

A Lesson in Guest Perception

by David Klemt

Broadway-style McDonald's sign in Chicago, Illinois

At this point, it’s becoming more of a surprise to not be told that the ice cream machine isn’t working at a McDonald’s restaurant.

Per a report from earlier this year, 25 percent of their machines are broken at any time. In fact, the brand made a joke about it in 2020.

Interestingly, with all the road trips and flights I’ve taken, I had never encountered a nonfunctional ice cream at a McDonald’s. Until last week.

Feeling nostalgic, I drove to a McDonald’s near my home for a Shamrock Shake. Growing up, my father always enjoyed the Shamrock Shake LTO. I’ve had maybe one or two in my entire life.

So, I drove over, got in line, and confidently asked for a Shamrock Shake and a Mint Oreo Shamrock McFlurry. And then I heard the words I’d never heard before:

“I’m so sorry, our machine isn’t working.”

Devastated, I did what any well-adjusted adult would do: I ordered a double cheeseburger and a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets combo. Same thing as a shake and McFlurry, right?

Guest Perception

I won’t dive too far into the minutiae of the longstanding McDonald’s ice cream machine saga. By now, we’re all familiar:

  • These machines break so often there’s a website dedicated to the problem. McBroken shows people where ice cream machines are working and where they’re broken. (If only I had used that before my ill-fated visit…)
  • The machines reportedly take four hours per day to clean.
  • There are claims that Taylor, the manufacturer of the machines, makes 25 percent of their revenue from performing repairs.
  • Outlets have reported the FTC is investigating the situatithe machine’s manufacturer, Taylor.
  • The latest news is that Kytch is suing McDonald’s for $900 million.

I’m not a McDonald’s board member, nor am I a franchisee. So, I’m not privy to any discussions swirling around the ice cream machines in use currently.

However, I do find it surprising that a brand as massive as McDonald’s would allow this issue to continue. For a brand that claims nothing is more important than delivering a high-standard of quality food, this joke is no longer funny.

What’s more, the issue is an opening for their competitors.

Leave an Opening and a Competitor will Take it

Jack in the Box has roasted McDonald’s for their ice cream machines in the past. This month, however, they’ve amped up their trolling.

Now that the Shamrock Shake has returned, Jack in the Box has pounced.

It would’ve been enough for Jack to mock McDonald’s on Twitter during Shamrock Shake season. But nope—Jack is dragging McDonald’s even harder.

Head over to McBroken and you’ll see a huge banner that reads, “DON’T GET McSHAMMED.” You’ll notice that the map is now also populated with Jack in the Box locations.

Click the aforementioned banner and you’ll find yourself on the Jack in the Box website. More specifically, it’s a page promoting their mobile app.

Taking it further, there’s currently a promotion encouraging the download: using the code “McSHAMMED” scores the user a $2 shake.

Since we’re in Shamrock Shake season, Jack is offering their new Oreo Cookie Mint Shake. And yes, it’s green.

Innovation and Problem Solving are Crucial

Look, I’m in no position to tell McDonald’s how to run their business. If they’re comfortable with negative guest perception and experiences, that’s on them.

It’s also on them if they want to show their guests and competitors a failure to innovate, solve problems, and be agile.

The ice cream machine debacle should be a lesson for all operators. Leave an opening and your competition will take it, slamming it shut behind them.

At best, maybe you’ll be able to adapt and overcome. At worst, they’ll be social media and marketing savvy, and roast you publicly. Once a brand’s perception slips, it can be incredibly difficult to get it back to where it once was.

As an operator, you’re an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs innovate and solve problems.

Image: Joshua Austin on Unsplash

by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Want Champagne Onion Rings with That?

Want Champagne Onion Rings with That $6,000 Burger?

by David Klemt

De Daltons gourmet Golden Boy hamburger, cropped image

Matthew McConaughey once said that the inventor of the hamburger was smart but creator of the cheeseburger was a genius.

So, what title should we bestow upon the person who created the first-ever gourmet burger?

Super-genius? Superhuman? Superhero?

Perhaps legend is high-enough praise for whomever made it acceptable to charge more than $10 for a simple menu item.

A Brief History of Haute Hamburgers

The United States is widely credited with the invention of the hamburger. However, the exact origin is unknown. Therefore, it remains heavily disputed.

Of course, we wouldn’t have today’s gourmet burgers without two decidedly standard burger powerhouses: White Castle and McDonald’s.

The former was founded 100 years ago this past March in 1921, while the latter really came into its own in 1955. However, thanks to films like The Founder, McDonald’s tends to get the lion’s share of modern burger and fast-food credit.

Regardless, the first haute cuisine burgers wouldn’t hit the market until the turn of this century. Chefs Daniel Boulud and Richard Blais are among the names that receive credit for creating the gourmet burger category.

Over the past several years, several high-dollar burgers have made headlines. For example, Corvallis, Oregon-located restaurant Juicys Outlaw Grill created a $5,000 burger ten years ago. Anyone interested in having one was required to provide 48-hours’ notice.

In 2017, Dutch chef Chef Diego Buik offered a $2,300-plus burger at South of Houston in the Hague. Just two years ago, Chef Hubert Keller featured a $5,000 burger on the menu at his Las Vegas restaurant Fleur.

Another Las Vegas restaurant, Burger Brasserie, has offered a $777 burger for nearly a decade.

Chef Gordon Ramsay’s latest restaurant, the cleverly named Gordon Ramsay Burger outpost in London (the original is in Las Vegas), features a burger that costs between $106 and $144. Oh, and it doesn’t come with fries—those come with an upcharge of ten bucks.

New King of Burgers

Now, there’s a new most-expensive burger making the scene. Interestingly, it’s not from an American restaurant.

De Daltons, a Dutch diner located about 40 minutes southeast of Amsterdam, is the home of a gourmet burger known as the Golden Boy.

De Daltons gourmet Golden Boy hamburger

Of course, this isn’t just any gourmet burger—at €5000, De Daltons is attempting to make it the gourmet burger.

So, what does one get for their nearly $6,000 investment in haute cuisine?

To start, there’s the burger. It’s made of ground A5 Wagyu brisket and chuck short rib. It’s topped with The Macallan- and Kopi Luwak coffee-infused barbecue sauce; truffled Cheddar cheese; Joselito vintage jamon (the best ham in the world); Dom Pérignon-battered onion rings; Beluga caviar; white truffle; Tiger tomato and cucumber that was pickled in matcha; smoked mayonnaise made saffron, chive and duck eggs; and king crab cooked in white wine.

Oh, and the burger is given a whiskey-smoked treatment before it’s served.

Speaking of service, what kind of bun is luxurious enough to hold the Golden Boy? A saffron- and Dom Pérignon-infused gold leaf one, of course.

Gourmet Gimmick?

The latest headline-grabbing burger is truly a hedonistic indulgence. Unlike some haute hamburgers from the past, however, it’s made with truly impressive ingredients.

Before the Golden Boy made its appearance, one simply had to make a BOUS (Burger of Unusual Size) to get attention. One could also go the “gourmet” route by pairing their signature burger with a pricey bottle of Champagne.

After those two routes turned a bit stale, chefs with impressive credentials could make news by making gourmet burgers from “fancy” meats, slapping foie gras and an aged cheese on top, and dusting the bun with gold.

De Daltons’ burger is clearly taking the gourmet burger in an ultra-luxe direction. All challengers to the King of Burger throne will have to follow suit.

Yes, the Golden Boy is a gimmick. Yes, it has helped De Daltons pull focus and grab the global restaurant spotlight. However, as ludicrous as many will find the price tag, the burger does deliver on luxe ingredients and pageantry.

So, am I suggesting that restaurateurs review their menus, local suppliers, and market to come up with their own headline-generating luxury menu item? Well, yeah.

If an operator’s kitchen team has the skills to execute on a specialty high-priced item while remaining authentic and without alienating loyal guests, go for it. If there’s only PR, marketing and revenue upside, creating one incredible “off-menu”item is worth the effort.

Again, this comes down to operators knowing their guests, their markets, and what they’re great at doing. The word “gimmick” doesn’t have to be a dirty word—it can be a positive if done correctly.

Image: De Daltons

by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Make Your Restaurant Concept ABSURᗡ in 2021

Make Your Restaurant Concept ABSURᗡ in 2021

by David Klemt

Those seeking new restaurant opportunities in 2021 should give serious consideration to Absurd! Kitchen Co., KRG Hospitality’s unique turnkey QSR.

Development of the concept was motivated by the realization that operators need to continue to pivot to survive the pandemic and thrive in a post-pandemic world.

“At KRG Hospitality, we immediately pivoted in March 2020 into ‘rescue mode,’ understanding the immediate needs of so many independent operators,” says Doug Radkey, president of KRG Hospitality.

Moving forward into 2021, guests will be more concerned health, safety and their comfort than ever before. Absurd! was developed as a response to heightened guest expectations and to create a path forward for operators in the post-Covid-19 era. Not only is the concept forward-looking, it’s designed for turnkey operation.

Restaurant guests were growing accustomed to the convenience of frictionless ordering, pick-up and delivery. Lock downs, restrictions, and health and safety concerns have pushed delivery and pickup closer to the forefront of guest expectation. Absurd! leverages the latest in technology and utilizes a subscription element to reward loyalty while offering a convenient and safe QSR experience.

In the new era of restaurant operation we can expect guests to be less tolerant of waiting in lines. Multiple publications have published articles hypothesizing that the Covid-19 pandemic we lead to the end of waiting. Considering the importance of social distancing and how commonplace curbside pickup has become, it’s understandable that many guests have developed a preference for speedy, safe service.

Equally understandable is a guest wishing to keep interactions with other people to a minimum. The ability to peruse a menu via QR code or pay their bill using their own device has offered a level of comfort to guests during the pandemic. It’s logical to believe these guest habits are here to stay.

At Absurd! locations there are no traditional lines. By design, there’s no contact between guests and staff. Guests interact with a location via designated pick-up or drive-through areas. In the pick-up area, guests access food-safe storage units through their mobile devices to grab their orders. The drive-throughs only serve delivery drivers or those who have placed pre-orders. Convenient, safe, time-saving restaurant features for a post-pandemic world.

Absurd! cuisine is inspired by Southern flavors and dishes such as loaded chicken strips, fried waffle sticks, breakfast bowls, and sandwiches. There are options for the full range of dietary needs and preferences, such as dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan meat alternatives. Along with a competitive, high-quality menu, KRG Hospitality has developed a retail offerings that include branded dry spices and meal kits, leveraging another trend that has seen significant growth during the pandemic. The concept’s packaging is sustainable, and adding a food truck can expand an Absurd! operation’s reach.

“Approximately 85 percent of the food menu will be prepared on-site, including the seasoning mix and ‘dredge’ for the fried chicken, which is intended to also be gluten-free and dairy-free,” says Radkey. “The brand is able to accomplish this by maintaining a small but robust and strategic menu mix over the breakfast, lunch, and dinner day-parts. Other food items such as the chile cornbread, breakfast biscuits, and sandwich buns will be sourced through regional partnerships.”

While developing Absurd!, KRG has created a loyalty program to go along with it that’s relevant to today’s guest preferences and consumer habits. Loyalty programs have made the news lately, with attention being paid to how they’ve been changing for the past couple of years. Tech has emerged as a driver for such programs, combining guest data and personalized digital interactions to increase loyalty. However, creativity is a crucial element as well. Recognizing the value of a unique but easily understood loyalty program that offers an attractive value proposition, KRG’s approach for Absurd! is a beverage-based subscription service.

“With a low monthly cost of approximately $8.99 USD per month, the Absurd! beverage subscription program, which is optional, gives the brand an easy way to attract customers and convince them to change their traditional F&B ordering habits while building a strong base of loyalty (and data),” says Radkey. “Consumers today are accustomed to low-cost monthly subscriptions. Therefore, we think it is time for restaurants to tap into that opportunity. The ‘unlimited drinks’ within this program include coffee, iced tea, lemonade, and an assortment of flavored soda waters.”

Absurd! Kitchen Co. isn’t unique for the sake of being different. First and foremost, the concept was designed for experienced and new operators alike so they can thrive in the new era of hospitality. The dedication of KRG Hospitality to helping operators flourish with concepts that are scalable, sustainable, profitable, memorable and consistent is ingrained in Absurd’s DNA.

The concept is a recession- and pandemic-proof QSR that doesn’t rely heavy upon day-to-day involvement by the owners, making it ideal for operators of any level, from the neophyte to the experienced hospitality group.

Click here to learn more about Absurd! and visit www.AbsurdKitchen.com to download this turnkey concept’s information packet.

Image: KRG Hospitality

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