A Lexicon for 2007

Ten key terms that will shape the dialogue between consumers and foodservice operators in the year ahead.

By Scott Hume, Executive Managing Editor -- Restaurants & Institutions, 1/1/2007

What will consumers expect from foodservice operators in 2007? New. More. Better. Faster. Cheaper. They may not yet know exactly what they want in terms of menus and services, but they will want it all to be available when they decide. Expectation and anticipation define the dynamic between diners and operators.

"It’s human nature," Matt Rapposelli, executive chef at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, says of the shifting wants of the 7,900 very-demanding young adults he serves. "What was special last week becomes regular, and then students are looking for special again. Don’t get me wrong: high expectations are a thing of beauty. You couldn’t ask for anything more. But the speed with which tastes and desires change can be a challenge."

The pace won’t decelerate in 2007, nor will the challenge in anticipating or responding to it lessen. What will consumers expect? The editors of R&I believe these words will be central this year to the interchange between consumers and operators: service, quality, convenience, natural/organic, value, health, updated traditions, bold flavors, customization and evolving expectations.

How consumers define these terms will influence dining satisfaction; how operators interpret them will have a significant impact on business success.

serv•ice, n.

• As defined by: Tim Stannard, managing director of Bacchus Management Group, a San Francisco-based multiconcept operator whose operations include The Village Pub, three Pizza Antica locations and soon-to-open Spruce, a fine-dining restaurant.

"You have to deliver hospitality as well as service. You can serve food promptly and decant wine properly, but service by itself can be unemotional, sterile. Consumers expect you to go beyond technically correct service. I want a server looking to me for clues about what I need and then tailoring service to those needs.

"As a diner, I’ve been in restaurants where I was awed and impressed with the precision of the service, but where no one really seemed to care about me. They simply were hell-bent on delivering exactly the experience they’d been trained to deliver and nothing more. That’s not hospitality. Developing true hospitality is not just doing things for guests, it’s creating relationships.

"Hiring practices, more than anything else, determine whether hospitality is delivered. We can teach people to wait tables or tend bar or even to cook, but you can’t teach an empathetic personality. And it has to start there, with caring about guests and their experience.

"We in foodservice always can do a better job, and there’s always a pull toward faster, cleaner, more technological service delivery. But I think we run a huge risk of eliminating the human factor. Restaurants are special places where people come together; we should utilize technology without stripping away human contact. Online reservations systems are great, but they can eliminate opportunities for human interaction. Hand-held order takers bother me a bit too. I want servers to look guests in the eyes and react. If they’re just staring at a hand-held screen, there can be a disconnect with guests.

"When you come into our restaurants, you should expect a high level of service, but not cold service. If we don’t create a warm and friendly atmosphere, diners don’t come back."

qual•i•ty, n.

• As defined by: Andy Magowan, co-chef and co-owner (with Drew Brown and Abby Pearce) of Piedmont, an Italian-influenced restaurant that opened in November in Durham, N.C.

"When I go out to eat, I look for the quality of ingredients, for freshness. I can’t speak for all consumers, but I think expectations are changing. Ingredient quality is going to be really important.

"I think Michael Pollan’s book about the food chain, ‘The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals’ [Penguin Press, 2006], is going to be the ‘Silent Spring’ of this generation. It’s awakened a lot of people and I think there’s going to be a lot more consumer interest in what goes into making their food. They’re not just going to be interested in the personality of the chef and how food is prepared, but going back up the food chain to how food is raised or grown, and where it comes from.

"People want a [dining experience] that’s not too expensive but good quality, somewhere they can hang out with friends and feel that it’s their place. There was a time when guests felt different or better than other people if they knew what arugula was. I think there’s less pretension in food and service now. No one should be made to feel stupid because they don’t know about some new food or special because they do.

"Food should be there for everyone to enjoy, and that’s what we’re trying to do. People want comfortable and friendly—but not overbearing—service. They just want to feel like they’re a part of a restaurant too."

con•ven•i•ence, n.

• As defined by: Brad Pinkerton, director of marketing development for Irvine, Calif.-based El Pollo Loco. The chain recently replaced its 48-piece Party In A Box family chicken meal with a formal catering program, including a toll-free number guests can call to place in-home or in-office meal orders.

"Convenience is menu, hours, service speed, all those things that make it as easy as possible for customers to get what they want when they want it. We used to joke that we had a great catering program if you had 25 people who all wanted chicken on the bone and two sides. We’ve opened that up now with smaller-size meals and added our Mexican items—burritos, tacos, taquitos—for those who may not want to get their hands messy eating our chicken.

"We’ve learned that customization and flexibility also have to be part of [convenience]. So when we created the new catering program, in addition to the toll-free number we developed an online component for those who’d rather work through the Internet. The phone order-takers have been trained to walk people through the process so they can decide how much food, and what kinds, they’ll need for an event.

"Online is always available, of course, and we’ve made the phone number available from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. We learned that when guests called a restaurant between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., getting someone to talk them through the catering process was difficult because the general managers, who usually answered, were also trying to run their restaurants at peak hours. We now understand convenience is also letting guests have as much time as they need to order."

nat•u•ral/or•gan•ic, adj.

• As defined by: Dan McGowan, president of the eight-unit Big Bowl casual-Asian chain owned by Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. A rebranding program that began in 2004 included encouraging unit chefs to source produce from local farms, then extended to introducing organic free-trade coffee and now includes internal testing of chicken raised with organic feed and free from growth hormones and antibiotics.

"I think consumer interest in local, natural and organic foods is a trend that’s only going to get stronger. People used to talk about ‘soccer moms’; I like to talk about ‘Whole Foods moms.’ Both men and women are more attuned to where their food is coming from. They don’t mind spending 30 cents for an apple rather than 22 cents if they know it’s organic or natural and that they don’t have to worry that it might make them sick.

"We only have eight stores, so our market research comes from being on the floor, talking to customers. We started hearing about locally grown and organic foods and thought we had a real opportunity to start tapping into local markets for the stir-fry bar.

"We’ve gone to natural and organic options with our produce and coffee and now we’re taking it to a new level. If we can make the natural chicken work for us, 70% to 80% of our menu will be natural or organic, which is a powerful statement. I think people won’t mind if it means we have to raise some prices because the Big Bowl customer is well-educated, very aware of what’s going on in the world and will appreciate it.

"There’s a segment of consumers who are concerned about products they’re buying and are willing to pay more if they know the food is good for them, good for the environment or both. I think the trend is going to grow. Maybe 1% of foodservice is pursuing this now, and I don’t see it being 25% next year, but I think it’s going to ramp up little by little, year by year. It’s not a fad."

val•ue, n.

• As defined by: Clay Dover, executive vice president and chief concept officer for the Metromedia Casual Dining division (Bennigan’s Grill & Tavern, Steak and Ale and The Plano Tavern) of Plano, Texas-based Metromedia Restaurant Group.

"Looking at 2007, value is one of the top drivers for our brands and casual dining in general. Lower gas prices have not been an immediate relief for casual-dining restaurants, as evidenced by soft same-store sales for several of the segment’s players. I believe that quick-service concepts and the fast-casual segment took advantage of consumer trade-down, and have successfully kept many of those guests even after gas prices went down.

"Consumers continue to look for value in ways that have now become habits for them. We will see this reflected in the industry in the following ways: fewer price increases; a focus on branding as a value message; upgrading product quality; [exploring] alternative delivery options and takeout by casual dining, including catering and party platters; and value-based promotions such as bundled meals and introductory pricing.

"The trick will be how to encourage new trial or increased frequency without trading guests down. Everyone wants to trade guests up, and the consumer will pay [a higher] price if they believe value is there—tangible or not. Restaurants don’t want the guest who is going to pay full price to trade down to the value option.

"There is a lot of strategic thinking that must go into value by restaurants. You no longer can mail out a $5-off coupon and see the increase in traffic that came in just a few years ago."

health, n.

• As defined by: Consumers.

Most adult consumers (64%) consider themselves to be healthful eaters and nearly half (45%) say they adhere to some type of health-conscious diet, according to Harris Interactive research.

And what does healthful dining mean? Vegetables are most-often named (85%) by consumers as connoting health, followed by fruits, whole-grain breads and fish, according to R&I’s 2004 Obesity in America study.

But while 71% of consumers agree they ultimately are responsible for making healthful food choices, 46% strongly agree that restaurants should provide nutrition information about all menu items, according to Philadelphia-based Aramark’s Nutritional DiningStyles study.

More than one-third (34%) of respondents to this survey say it is important for restaurants to offer health-conscious menu items, Aramark reports. Yet R&I’s 2007 New American Diner Study finds that only 11.3% of consumers strongly agree with the statement, "The last time I purchased food from a restaurant, nutrition issues were a major influence in my meal selection."

Consumers are raising the bar on healthful food-away-from-home offerings. Aramark’s research finds that only 14% of consumers say they are very satisfied with the healthful options available, down from 22% in 2005. The biggest decline in satisfaction comes with casual-dining restaurants: 16% say the variety of healthful options is satisfactory; less than half the 34% who expressed satisfaction a year earlier.

up•dat•ed tra•di•tions, n.

• As defined by: Brian Hinshaw, regional executive chef for Columbus, Ohio-based Cameron Mitchell Restaurants.

"We travel all over and are always looking to stay on top of trends. Over the last couple of years, tastes have gone back to more traditional foods. We try to take a classic and twist it a little. A lot of that has to do with the comfort level people are looking for. It may be different in New York City, but Columbus, Ohio, is a small market. You’re trying to thread a needle when you try doing food that’s too tricky.

"At [our upscale restaurant] M we have a classic wedge salad, but we’re using the new baby icebergs, about the size of a softball. We cut a little off the top and bottom then build it with smoky bacon lardons, grape tomatoes, red onion, blue cheese and cabernet-buttermilk dressing. It’s basically the classic wedge but the look of it is new, and it sells like crazy. Iceberg lettuce is comfort food, apparently.

"At Mitchell’s Ocean Club we have a fondue dish that’s fun because people like to share. There’s an oldie! Fondue was big 15 or 20 years ago and it’s making a comeback. We’re doing a simple beer-cheese fondue with cured salami, veggies and bread [for dipping]. When we put it on the menu I thought, ‘Hmmm, I don’t know,’ but it’s been a big hit.

"We’re also menuing deviled eggs with caviar and truffles. We put a little truffle oil in the [egg] mix, top it with a little sturgeon caviar and it’s selling like mad. Deviled eggs are about as retro as it gets, but these have a twist."

bold fla•vors, n.

• As defined by: Kim McBee, vice president of marketing for Greenwood Village, Colo.-based Red Robin Gourmet Burgers.

"We get tons of comments from guests about what they want [on the menu]. It’s ‘We want flavorful things’ and ‘Can you do more flavorful sauces?’ This summer we had the 5 Alarm Chicken Burger [with pepper-Jack cheese, jalapeños and chipotle mayo] and people loved it. It’s great that you can add so many flavor combinations on beef, chicken, turkey or whatever and people will try it, but what consumers want probably is more about bold flavors than spice.

"Part of being an innovator is having new flavors. Customers expect it from us; they love having new flavors available, though our loyal guests always seem to go back to their favorites. We’re testing an Orange-Chili Chicken Burger that’s going well, and we’re also trying a Spiced Pear and Green Tea Smoothie that we think will resonate with customers because they are now open to so many flavors.

"This year we launched our first Next Gourmet Burger Kids Contest, open to kids 10 and under, and you wouldn’t believe the amazing, creative ideas they have. We had 16,000 entries. The four finalists are the Reuben Burger, Cactus Jack Burger, Oooey Gooey Nachos Burger and the Spicy Asian Burger."

cus•tom•iz•a•tion, n.

• As defined by: Rich Neumann, director of dining services, and Matt Rapposelli, executive chef, at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

Neumann: "Kids are exposed to a lot more restaurants growing up than we were. They’re brought up on eating out so they expect the college dining experience to be like a restaurant, and they expect to have control of their meals.

"We have 7,900 students on meal plan to satisfy, so we have a number of areas where they can customize their meals. We offer pasta bars in all dining halls; a wok station in one dining hall; a make-your-own wrap bar in another, which becomes a make-your-own Mexican bar at night; and ice cream bars with up to eight flavors of ice cream and toppings so they can make whatever they want.

"We’re also seeing more and more students on special diets—such as kids with peanut or shellfish allergies—and we need to develop menus for them. But overall, the desire for customization absolutely has increased in the past few years, which Matt and I attribute to Food Network on television."

Rapposelli: "For the past five years, I’ve participated in career days with eighth- through 12th-graders at a local high school. Five years ago, maybe one or two hands went up when I asked if anyone watched shows on Food Network. At an event two weeks ago, it was probably half the students. Starting in eighth grade, that makes for very sophisticated, demanding palates. These are the kids we’re going to be dealing with very soon and they have big expectations about what they want and how they want it as far as food goes."

e•volv•ing ex•pec•ta•tions, n.

• As defined by: Julaine Kiehn, director of campus dining services at the University of Missouri, Columbia, a 2005 R&I Ivy Award winner. She is responsible for six residential dining facilities, four c-stores, a cafe, a juice bar, two food courts and three coffeehouses as well as for pleasing 6,000 demanding meal-plan students who will carry their high expectations with them when they graduate.

"It is still, ‘I want what I want, when I want, and where I want.’ We need to provide a wide variety of foods during a wide range of service hours from a variety of locations. We do this by having unique menus at each location with a variety of price points, both all-you-care-to-eat and takeout service, national, regional, and self-operated brands, and service up to 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

"‘I want it fresh.’ We are offering action stations/display cooking in all operations and making items to order as much as possible. We also are trying to purchase more local foods, which is proving to be a challenge from a distribution point of view, and sometimes from a quality point of view.

"‘I want it my way.’ The action stations/display cooking with made-to-order service fit well with this expectation.

"‘I want authentic ethnic foods.’ We are meeting this by increasing our culinary expertise and using more authentic recipes, ingredients, and preparation methods.

"‘I want more vegan/vegetarian menu items, and more healthful menu items.’ This is a smaller but vocal minority; however, we are incorporating items with a more healthful nutrition profile by increasing the use of grains and vegetables/fruits. These items also are conducive to display cooking/action stations, so healthful foods provide good crossover with other evolving expectations."