Blog Archives

[INFOGRAPHIC] What Every QSR Operator Should Know About Their Customers in 2023

In today’s competitive market, Quick-Service restaurants (QSR) operators need actionable insights that: Help them better understand their customers’ preferences and behaviors Ensure relevance and encourage adaptability Identifying their most valuable...

3 Successful Ways to Target QSR Frequent Diners

When Revenue Management Solutions (RMS) analyzed the numbers from its survey of nearly 800 restaurant goers, the results revealed a demographic honeypot. Frequent users —those dining out more than 10x a week — made up 25% of the total respondents. Based on their...

4 Things Every QSR Should Know to Increase Profitability– Part 2

In a recent post, we shared two essential things quick-service restaurants (QSRs) should know in 2023 to increase their profitability. If you missed it, take a moment to catch up on why and how loyalty programs, coupons, menus and the ordering experience can play a...

4 Things Every QSR Should Know to Increase Profitability– Part 1

Today’s restaurant consumers have changed. Not only do they perceive that restaurant prices are at their highest since Q1 2021, but they’re more price sensitive than ever and have even changed how they view menus. These changes in customer behavior aren’t necessarily...

We asked, they answered. What QSRs should know about value in 2023

As the economy shows signs, however slight, of easing its grip, saving money remains on consumers’ minds. Considering the economic climate, we asked our analysts around the globe for their thoughts on must-watch trends for Quick-Service restaurants (QSRs) in 2023. The...

5 Ways Generations Use Coupons at Quick-Service Restaurants

Boomers, Gen X, millennials and Gen Z; families with children and those without. How does each of these generations find deals for dining out — or do they look for discounts at all? RMS surveyed more than 790 people across the US to find out. Here are the top 5...

QSRs Should Expect a Mixed Bag of Consumer Behavior for the Holidays

Consumer perceptions of dining out and grocery prices reflect reality: They are not that different.Daily meals get made at home, but special occasions call for dining out.Intent to dine out more or much more is on the rise Consumers continue to feel the impact of...

How Much Price Is Too Much Price for QSR Customers?

The most recent third-quarter figures from the US Commerce Department indicate a 2.6% increase in the GDP. Compare that growth to the first half of the year, when the economy was headed the other way (downward), and if you squint hard enough, it may look like we’re...

Trading Down, Trading Out and Dining In: Restaurant Customer Behavior in Germany, France and the UK

Takeaways: The French value speed at QSRs and appear less frugal than guests in the UK and Germany.Guests in Germany and the UK might be memorizing menu prices.‘Everyday’ meals are being made at home, but guests plan to socialize and celebrate at restaurants. Revenue...

What’s on the Menu for Millennials? Your QSR Brand — If You Know Their Behaviors and Intent

Millennials may be over the once-ubiquitous “millennial pink” hue, but they haven’t lost their appetite for eating out — quite the contrary. Even with inflation rates the highest this generation has ever seen (including the years before they were born), they continue...

How to Make Better Use of Your Franchise Financial Data

Many Franchisors are dealing with the tedious, difficult challenge of reconciling their franchisees’ financial statements.Financial planning and analysis can help but needs accurate data to work.metiRi®, a cloud-based financial solution, helped large global franchise...

Restaurant Consumer Insights: Generational Trends and Guest Perceptions on Tipping, QR Codes and Reduced Menus

Consumers continue to change their dining behaviors, and some of those changes might be for good. In two recent US consumer surveys, RMS examined how millennials, boomers, singles and families are dining out and also looked at the overall restaurant experience,...

Restaurant Trade-Down Across the World

Key takeaways: Inflation rates are changing consumer behavior across the globe, with guests exhibiting QSR trade-down.Not all diners are spending less on FAFH; some are spending more.Data-driven information can help operators slow trade-down. In 2022, inflation hit...

Is Modifying Hours of Operation Right for Your Restaurant?

Analyzing hours of operation is an opportunity for profitModifying hours on a store-by-store basis might be wise but requires quantitative, evidence-based dataBrands can help their franchisees by supporting modified hours of operations For fast casual and...

Viva la QSR in France. Why Dining Out Is Still In.

Among six countries RMS surveyed, French diners are an exception: They are spending the same amount or more of their disposable income on FAH.Macroeconomics plays a large part in France’s unique dining perspective, but there are lessons for operators not in France. As...

Unlike Labor and Supplies, Restaurants Are Not Short on Data. Let’s Learn How to Use It.

Corporations and individuals create an estimated 2.5 quintillion bytes of data daily.Restaurant finance teams spend 80% of their time collecting data and 20% analyzing it. The industry needs to flip that equation.Poor data collection prevents accurate benchmarking....

Innovation for Quick-Service Restaurants in a Post-Pandemic World

Customers continue to count on restaurants for innovation across all channels.RMS findings indicate that it’s not value that compels guests, it’s quality. In a world gone hybrid, it might seem as if all available creativity has been spoken for, used in its entirety...

Order Up! What’s Ahead for Restaurants for the Rest of 2022

Plant-based (not vegan) seafood has arrived. So have robots.Ghost kitchens are smart, but some guests are leery.Tech and big data, but make it useful. RMS has been tracking the latest trends in the restaurant industry and was on hand at the 2022 National Restaurant...

Industry Experts Weigh In on Redefining the Restaurant Value Equation

About today’s value equation, The Elliot Group Chief Brand Officer Sarah Lockyer said: “It’s not just one value equation per brand, it’s the value equation of off-premise, the value equation of dining in, and the value of price and our collective ability to help...

Part Two: QSRs Look Beyond Increased Prices to Address Inflation

Key Takeaways: Transactional-level data analytics can help set ongoing price increases that customers can stomach and will build average checkFocus on the customer: Test menu changes before large-scale rollouts Tips to satisfy customer appetites and wallets As we...

Part one: QSRs Look Beyond Increased Prices to Address Inflation

Key Takeaways: Quick-service restaurants (QSR) can address inflation with a combination of menu engineering and pricingConsider product availability, and analyze your menu for what’s working and what isn’tInstead of resizing, reconfigure and consider what works from...

The restaurant landscape is shifting — accurate financial benchmarking lays the foundation

Franchisees’ and operators’ most frequently asked questions indicate the need for new benchmarks for the restaurant industry.Complicated assessments of sales, profit and performance have, in the past, relied on far-too-simple data. -Paul Compton,...

Telltale signs your customers are nearing trade-down or trade-out

Early warning signs include reductions in average check, average spend per guest, and add-on attachment rates.Monitor demand by item and cumulative traffic patterns as they can also indicate trade-down or trade-out. As inflation holds steady and prices go up, how can...

Dine-in restaurant guests share recent pain points

Restaurant brands are eager to keep diners coming back but may be surprised to find that it’s not always price that sends customers away. Diners have little patience for longer wait times, but upfront communication can help alleviate their...

QSR guests share what’s not working for them when eating out of home

Restaurant consumers are noticing price increases, but it’s the experience that’s bothering them the most. Longer wait times and order inaccuracies also noted. RMS suggests considering the value equation — improving the overall experience can offset price...

RMS Restaurant Perspective: Korea

COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines are starting to ease up across the US, but what does it look like in other areas of the world? How are restaurants dealing with changes in consumer behavior and tackling inflation? Revenue Management Solutions Consultant, Cathy Ko,...

Consumer Appetite for Plant-Based Foods

Remember in 2019 when the big news was that big burger chains (even chicken QSRs) were adding plant-based items from Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat to their menus? Demand soared, and stocks climbed. Fast-forward two years and the landscape, according to analysts at...

How restaurant brands can tackle pricing in a high inflationary environment

Philipp Laqué, Managing Director UK, International FranchisingRichard Delvallée, Senior Vice President, Consulting Services The pressures of the past two years are already causing big headaches for 2022, with conditions likely to squeeze operators even further. The US...

5 Restaurant Trends You Need to Know for 2022

A new year brings a new RMS report and trend predictions for 2022. Nearly two years into pandemic life, one might wonder, “Have we reached the end of the ‘new normal?” because as the latest findings indicate, the more things stay weird, the less they seem to change...

5 foolproof ways for restaurants to avoid serving up sticker shock when taking price

At RMS, we help thousands of restaurants mine mountains of sales data to uncover actionable insights. Throughout the process, we get hundreds of questions. In 2021, the question we heard most often was “How much price can I take?” The answer isn’t simple. “Taking...

How transparency, benchmarking and greater financial insights across your franchised brand can drive profitability

Profitable Restaurants: Sit down with RMS Director of Product Management Paul Compton Whether you’re a restaurant operator, franchisee or franchisor, for the past 18 or so months, the scramble has been real. Shifting demands from both consumers and health officials;...

How inflation expectations are driving inflation higher: The restaurant owner pricing loop unfolds

Jeremy Bess, Senior Director, Consulting Services at RMS As anyone who runs a restaurant can attest, the restaurant business never has a shortage of concerns. But these days, the concerns are nearly unprecedented. Based on the Labor Department’s latest price index...

New survey: Restaurant consumers spend more to eat out but cut back on delivery

Restaurant consumer survey reveals price tolerance and increased reliance on technology Another quarter has come and gone, and as we’ve done for the past 16 months, RMS is addressing the issues confronting restaurant brands, operators, franchisees and franchisors....

Vaccine requirements for dining out get mixed responses across the US

If you hoped the restaurant industry had reached peak “good news, bad news” (sales are up, supply is down; dining rooms are open, with no one available to staff them), you’d be premature. Take, for example, vaccinations. For our most recent quarterly consumer survey,...

US-Based QSR Operators See Opportunity in UK

With an international team delivering insights to brands in over 40 countries around the world, we have our finger on the pulse of trends, particularly those with a global impact. Philipp Laqué, Managing Director for the UK at RMS, recently flagged such a trend,...

Research finds blind spots, opportunities for online restaurant menu design

Since COVID-19, the restaurant industry has relied heavily on online sales for takeout and curbside pickup. Consumers have followed suit, turning to restaurant-prepared meals not just for dining out but for dining in at home, as well. In fact, RMS found that 67% of...

Ghost Kitchens Stick Around

As vaccines roll out, ghost kitchens — the brick-and-mortar spaces that sprang up as revenue lifelines during the closed dining-room days of the pandemic — are not silently ceding their turf. Quite the opposite. According to real estate firm CBRE, pre-pandemic, ghost...

First-ever buyer’s journey identified for restaurant online menus

If the drive-thru was the restaurant industry’s workhorse during the pandemic’s early days, online menus are emerging as the dark horse of untapped revenue opportunities of the current never-normal. In a first-of-its-kind research study, Revenue Management Solutions...

Restaurant guests can eat inside, but they still want to dine off-premise

Operators, franchisors and franchisees may want to sit down. There is good news to go around. Eating out is coming back, but as operators may have predicted, off-premise dining is not going anywhere. RMS surveyed more than 800 respondents nationwide to weigh in on...

What Consumers Expect From Restaurants Now

More than 800 US consumers recently shared their views with RMS about restaurants in the current COVID-19 times. The respondents represented all generations, from boomers to Gen Z. When asked about their restaurant usage, more than half (56%) responded they order from...

RMS Speaks About Europe’s Restaurant Industry

RMS UK Managing Director Philipp Laqué recently shared insights on the UK’s restaurant recovery at the European Digital Foodservice Summit in a presentation titled: “Beyond Lockdown – How Europe’s Restaurant Industry is Dealing with the Restart...

What’s ahead for food costs?

As we look ahead to what inflation and food costs hold for the balance of 2021, restaurant operators find themselves in that strange spot between not great news but not bad news, either. Or, as Jennifer Bartashus, Senior Equity Research Analyst, Consumer Staples &...

Should you be taking price? How restaurants can deal with inflation

As minimum wage hikes and soaring food costs take a toll on restaurants, brands are raising prices to offset costs, and some are letting their customers know. But while some operators are taking a big price hike across its whole menu and in every location, according...

What’s the deal with restaurant discounts?

Early in 2020, restaurants had to hit the brakes hard. The industry is revving back up now, but the landscape has changed. Drive-thru is on fire, dark kitchens came out of the shadows, mobile ordering is at an all time high and 90% of consumers say they prefer...

Insights Into Financial Health Help Restaurants Now

The pandemic created levels of volatility never before seen in the restaurant industry, and the pressures keep on coming. A year ago, we tracked capacity restrictions, stay-at-home orders and case counts. Now we’re watching commodity pricing, labor stats and the...

Restaurant and fitness brands use data and creativity to shape a new customer experience

The year 2020 was many things. For the restaurant industry, it was hands-down the year of the pivot. Out of necessity, customers engaged with brands in new ways, almost entirely via digital. Brands met their customers where they could, often developing unexpected and...

Unit level financial data eases mounting pressures for franchised brands

As people become vaccinated and restrictions are eased, consumers are eager to return to dining out. While the restrictions of the past year may be lifting, the pressures on operators, franchisees and brands are not. Food and labor costs are rising. Supply chain...

Your Top Restaurant Pricing Questions Answered

At RMS, we field a lot of questions from our clients. In the past 12-15 months, our clients have had new concerns, brought forward by reduced menus, an increasing number of digital channels, labor shortages and supply chain issues. But no matter the environment, one...

Restaurant consumer update: Are we happy yet?

In May 2020, RMS fielded a survey to assess consumer dining behaviors and perspectives during COVID-19. At the time, no one could have predicted we’d be at this for more than a year. But RMS adjusted, as we all did, and transformed a one-time COVID check-in to a...

9 Ways Restaurant Operators Can Adjust to What Will Be

There’s no denying COVID-19 has brought many firsts and rapid change. For most, it’s the first crisis that has shifted the lives of everyone on the planet, all at the same time. The disruptions in our collective social environments and lifestyles have been...

The Impact of COVID-19 on Restaurant Consumers

2020 has been called the “year of irrevocable inflection” for the restaurant industry. We agree and have expanded our data collection to support our clients and the industry as they manage rapid change. Most pointedly, we’ve checked the pulse of consumers with...

RMS research explores how casual restaurants can use their menu to capture the new digital consumer

More than half of all quick-service and limited-service restaurant sales will be digital by 2025, according to market research firm Incisiv. Is your menu ready? As digital sales rose like a rocket ship this past year, the use of printed menus shot down in the opposite...

The impact of plant-based foods on restaurant recovery

While the chicken wars flocked to new heights this year, another burger alternative is quietly growing its share: plant-based proteins. Not confined to a drive-thru sandwich, the category encompasses a wide range of grocery and restaurant options, including nut and...

How the stimulus package will impact your sales: a nuanced approach

As the U.S. House of Representatives works to advance its $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, it’s safe to say that the bill’s passage would positively impact restaurant sales. After all, if passed, the bill would grant individuals up to $1,400 directly and...

Minimum wage increases: 4 tips to help restaurants brace for what’s next

In 2020, 21 states raised their minimum wage. On New Year’s Day 2021, 20 more states did the same. Five additional states (Connecticut, Delaware, Nevada, Oregon, Virginia) and the District of Columbia will follow suit over the coming months, in addition to Florida’s...

A Look at 2021 Minimum Wage Increases

In 2020, 21 states raised their minimum wage. On New Year’s Day 2021, 20 more states did the same. Five additional states (Connecticut, Delaware, Nevada, Oregon, Virginia) and the District of Columbia will follow suit over the coming months, in addition to Florida’s...

Restaurant Industry Update: UK Edition 2021

We don’t yet know the long-term impacts of the COVID pandemic on the global restaurant landscape. And, in the UK, the bruised and battered industry is being hit by a second, potentially much bigger wave: Brexit. We checked in with our London-based Managing Director...

Drive-Thru Traffic Isn’t Stopping: Tips for Getting Your Share

In the most recent episode of Revenue Stream, Revenue Management Solutions VP of Consulting Services Chris Norton and Director of Behavioral Research Dr. Christina Norton talk about drive-thrus and restaurant loyalty trends. What can restaurants do to stay relevant...

Restaurant Consumer Trends in Dining 2021

2021 Forecast: Cloudy with a strong chance of in-home dining Product developers and differential calculus buffs have a term: forcing function. The term refers to a function in an equation or system that forces conscious attention upon something. In calculus, it...

4 Tips for Managing Consumer Expectations and Staying on Top of Restaurant Trends

Last time, we reported on a December webinar that laid out what investors are thinking for 2021. This week: what’s top of mind for consumers. Senior Food and Drink Contributor for Forbes.com Alicia Kelso hosted the panel discussion, which invited Nicole Miller Regan,...

What Consumers and Investors Think About 2021: A Power Panel

Back in April, a month into COVID restrictions, collectively we imagined that things would return to normal in a few short weeks. Like an overstretched rubber band, we thought we’d snap back. We weren’t quite right. What has stretched? Our creativity, our tech...

Restaurant Update from Asia

In April, RMS reported on the state of restaurants in Asia. Now, seven months later, it’s time for an update. For the sake of this article, we’ll focus on Korea. Unlike the U.S. and Europe, Korea has not had any mandatory shutdowns of restaurants during the pandemic —...

Family dining and the holidays, pandemic edition

Back in May, we interviewed diners across the globe and asked them about family dining. We asked heads of two-parent families with two children ages 6-12 to answer the question plaguing the industry at the time, which remains relevant now: What will it take for...

Predictive Analytics and The New Reality

At the recent MURTEC Restaurant Next event, RMS Chief Strategy Officer Joel Davis shared his views on using data to enhance customer service, loyalty and revenue. Davis, who leads RMS’ analytics and data strategy discipline, shared insights on WHY and HOW data...

2021 Planning: Financial Data will Repair the Cracks

In a recent TED Radio Hour episode on resilience, Esther Perel stated, “a pandemic, a disaster, highlights the cracks. It will also reveal light shining through.” While she was speaking to interpersonal relationships, her analogy also applies to our business, which is...

Should your restaurant be considering a subscription program?

More than six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant industry has been put to the test — and achieved previously unimaginable evolution at a previously unthinkable pace. Operators have coped with a complete revamping of day parts such as breakfast and...

Temporary disruption or here to stay? 5 restaurant trends to include in your recovery plan

To stay alive during the pandemic, brands, owners and operators have had to adapt. Many restaurants found it necessary to kick long-term plans into immediate action, such as adding drive-thru, while many made changes no one ever would have anticipated — fine dining...

Restaurant Pricing in the Time of Corona

“Should I take price?” has been the primary question from our restaurant clients of late. Our answer, surprisingly, remains the same now as it was pre-COVID: “That depends.” We remain in the midst of the greatest challenge the restaurant industry has ever faced. Yet...

How to Improve Restaurant Margins With Better Delivery Pricing

Delivery is on everyone’s mind right now. Restaurants traditionally oriented towards dine-in, have made significant moves to implement delivery options. As restaurants expand this contactless channel, they face a complex environment with higher costs to serve....

More take-out & delivery, hold the breakfast. How singles and families are dining today.

COVID-19 has had a lasting impact on families, and particularly on how, what, where and when to eat. Whether it is the decision to have a meal delivered or pick it up through the drive-thru, eat breakfast at 8 a.m. or 11 a.m., try out the neighborhood restaurant’s new...

News from Europe: What does the restaurant industry look like now?

In June, RMS Managing Directors Philipp Laqué, based in London, and Nicolas Bordeaux, of Paris, shared the state of the restaurant industry in Europe and the UK. We checked back in with our European outposts this month, with additional insights from Rosa Blanco-Vegas,...

Reduced restaurant menus offer opportunity for profitability and simplicity

Q&A with RMS menu engineering expert on top 7 reasons to reduce your menu The analogy may be obvious, but as with any successful recipe, a sustainable and profitable restaurant also comes down to using the correct mix of ingredients. Now that most everything we...

Update from the United Kingdom: Restaurants Receive Boost from Government

Normal is still a far way off for United Kingdom restaurant owners and operators, but July did bring about a few bright spots amidst a tough first half of the year. On July 4, restaurants and pubs opened. A few days later, borders reopened for travelers from...

Dispatch From Asia: What Does Restaurant Dining Look Like Now?

In April, RMS Managing Director Winny Daud shared her insights on Singapore’s response to the pandemic, based on her experience as a restaurant analyst, client partner and Singaporean. We spoke to her again this month to see what’s changed in the restaurant industry...

Finding New in the Old: The Rise of QR Codes during the coronavirus pandemic

When it comes to restaurant cravings these days, limited contact is what’s on the menu. In fact, “avoiding contamination” has replaced “food quality” as the most significant consideration when deciding where to dine. According to our survey of 1,200 U.S. customers,...

Consumer preferences have changed. These insights will help your restaurant recover.

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European chains face a mixed bag of recovery

When it comes to COVID-19 recovery, countries across Europe have one thing in common: doing their own thing. As a result, pan-European brands face different rules and regulations by country and, in some cases, even among in-country regions. What does this mean for the...

How to Make Sure Your Restaurant Brand Survives

From immediate response to resolution and recovery, maneuvering a crisis with any sort of certainty can be challenging. With COVID-19, “challenging” is an understatement. Brands had to think quickly to respond to the crisis, without any real historical precedent. As...

What Should Restaurants Measure Now?

Historical and comparative data and information guide us, informing both near- and long-term actions. But in these times without historical precedent, we are left with the question: what should we measure now? Information enables conversations—and solutions. RMS CEO...

Winning families back for dinner

Insights from in-depth interviews with moms and dads in Germany, South Korea, UK and US As we begin on the road to recovery, RMS is finding ways to shed some light on the dramatically changed consumer attitudes and behavior. In April, we conducted a global consumer...

Series 6 – How did each gender’s relationship with food and their dining habits change during COVID-19?

Consumer insights Understanding the restaurant consumer in a COVID-19 world In this multiple part series, we are analyzing responses of over 1,800 restaurant consumers from 3 major markets (US, UK, and Singapore/ South Korea/Taiwan) to understand their behavior and...

How fast casual PDQ continued to serve quality to customers

Before March 2020, new menus could take a year to launch, with every item in every medium checked and rechecked. But the pandemic changed everything. Fast casual chicken concept PDQ launched a new menu just days after the WHO announced the pandemic, deleting certain...

Series 5 – How did each generation’s relationship with food and dining habits change during COVID-19?

Consumer insights Understanding the restaurant consumer in a COVID-19 world In this multiple part series, we are analyzing responses of over 1,800 restaurant consumers from 3 major markets (US, UK, and Singapore/ South Korea/Taiwan) to understand their behavior and...

Restaurant CEOs on Leading Their Brands Now and Beyond Coronavirus

On April 29, Revenue Management Solutions and EZ CERT supported Franchise Times’ lively webinar discussion with Peter Cancro, Founder and CEO of Jersey Mike’s Subs, Joe Koss, President and CEO of Culver’s Restaurant, and Chris Newcomb, Co-Founder and CEO of Newk’s...

Sense360 Briefing with Dora Furman

Recently our own vice president, Dora Furman, fielded questions from the Sense360 audience about the state of the restaurant industry. Watch the...

Series 4 – U.S. vs U.K. frequent users

The pandemic has affected everyone, however, consumers in the United States and the United Kingdom act differently when purchasing from restaurants in response to COVID-19, yet they have similar concerns. Consumer insights Understanding the restaurant consumer in a...

Pricing Post Crisis: What Should Operators Consider?

RMS’ Chief Strategy Officer Joel Davis leads our analytics and data strategy discipline and serves as a strategic consultant for many of our customers. He’s been asked a lot of tough questions lately about how to move into recovery – and what to do about price. Below...

Revenue Management Solutions’ Global Survey Finds 8 out of 10 Consumers Trust Restaurants

Concerns vary by continent and country, yet consumer confidence underlies all (TAMPA – April 28, 2020) Revenue Management Solutions (RMS) revealed insights from its global consumer study that assessed consumers’ dining behavior and perspectives on the restaurant...

Field Report: How is Singapore Responding to COVID-19?

If there’s one thing that’s been consistent across the globe during the pandemic, it’s how differently each country is handling restaurant restrictions. It shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, there’s no handbook — government, corporate or otherwise — to help...

Series 3 – U.S. vs Asia frequent users

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Your Coronavirus Response Recovery Depends on Data

We’re in a time of great opposites. On one hand, you’re required to engage in the quickest thinking of your career as we rapidly change course to meet the needs of the day. On the other hand, the COVID-19 crisis will begin to subside, and that time will require a very...

Series 2 – U.S. Frequent users

During the pandemic, frequent users in the U.S. only marginally reduced ‘using’ restaurants, are mostly concerned about lacking social interaction and rely on “Word of Mouth” for their food...

Series 1 – Common consumer themes

Recommended for youInfographicsInfographic COVID-19: U.S. Frequent usersApril 2020InfographicsInfographic COVID-19: U.S. vs Asia frequent usersApril...

It’s a disaster. But will disaster insurance cover it?

Circumstances well outside operators’ control are forcing closures, loss of revenue and, in some cases, permanent shut downs. We can all agree that this is a “disaster,” but most business insurance policies only cover catastrophes of the physical kind, and will...

Piper Sandler invites RMS Chief Strategy Officer to share restaurant industry insights in the face of coronavirus

In a recent Key Opinion Leader conversation with investment bank and institutional securities firm Piper Sandler, RMS’ Chief Strategy Officer, Joel Davis, shared his thoughts about the current state of restaurant sales and consumer spending trends in the face of the...

Industry Notes: How restaurants can survive

These days are truly like none other. When Waffle House, notorious for its record of staying open during natural disasters, closes nearly one-fifth of its restaurants, you know it’s not good. But that’s precisely what’s happened amid the coronavirus pandemic. So what...

A time for ingenuity and relationships

Plato was right when he wrote, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” particularly now. Robin Blanchette, CEO of Norton Creative, agrees. “What worked yesterday may not work tomorrow,” she says. “The key is not giving up.” Norton Creative is a boutique creative...

Building carry-out and delivery sales

It is understandable that there is a sense of panic in the restaurant industry. However, you can do things now to mitigate the effect on your restaurant(s). Our partner, Norton Creative, a restaurant marketing and design agency, has shared a number of initiatives that...

How to manage operations in this delivery-only time

For most restaurants, there have always been three ways to serve guests and make money: dine-in, takeout and delivery. Now that government authorities, in an effort to help flatten the coronavirus curve, have required all dining rooms to close, you’re left with only...

Practice What You Preach: Tech Trends to Integrate in 2020

2020 starts a new decade. Some say a new beginning. And, according to Hudson Riehle from the National Restaurant Association, 2020 could bring forth a “new business model” for restaurants. We are excited about 2020 not because new things will start, but because,...

Margins, meats and the final mile: 2020 restaurant industry predictions

We recently returned from The Future of the Industry: 2020 and Beyond, hosted by Bloomberg Intelligence and The Elliot Group, where we listened to the most powerful minds in the industry debate today’s hot button issues – from plant-based meats, last mile delivery,...

The Psychology of restaurant menus: Part 2- Engineering

In Part 1 of our look at the psychology of restaurant menus, we examined how consumers react to design and what operators can do to ensure maximum impact for their offer. In this second part of the series, we’re looking at menu engineering. Revenue Management...

What to consider when designing your menu as we head into the new year

Holistic revenue management has been a big topic and will remain so into 2020. Growing traffic is a challenge and brands are working hard to ensure their menus and service proposition are as profitable as possible. Alongside sustainable food and provenance, the focus...

Dispatch from the field: focus on a strong economic model, but don’t forget the people

Las Vegas – We write from one of the most important restaurant conferences of the year – The Restaurant Finance & Development Conference hosted by the Restaurant Finance Monitor. The RMS team, including John Oakes, CEO; Jana Zschieschang, CMO; Bob Donofrio, SVP of...

1, 15, 20, 65, 70, 25, 2 and another 1.

No, this isn’t the algorithm for our newest pricing study. And these aren’t the winning lottery numbers. Instead, these numbers represent an instructive snapshot of the restaurant industry, courtesy of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association’s Marketing and...

4 steps to understand customer satisfaction and pricing power

Customer satisfaction is the underlying factor that leads people to keep coming back to your restaurant again and again. The simple fact is this: when restaurant operators excel in running their businesses, diners will continue eating there. High customer satisfaction...

How to incorporate seasonal trends into your menu

Every few months, restaurant operators are given the opportunity to refresh their food menus with the change of the season. By incorporating fresh flavors and ingredients to fit the season, restaurants can benefit from the excitement of innovation. A key factor to...

Menu design plays a key role in maximising food sales for hospitality operators

What role does our brain play in the way we read menus? In the first in a series on menu design and engineering, we take a look at current industry practices on how operators use menu design to drive sales. The saying goes that we eat with our eyes and there’s...

Meal kits & delivery trends represent key opportunities for operators

Philipp Laqué, RMS’ UK Managing Director, takes a look at the latest trends and innovations in at-home dining that operators should be looking to adopt. He also talks to Jackie Berg, VP Marketing for US-based Olo, the ground-breaking online digital ordering and...

What do restaurant operators need to consider when devising pricing structures for delivery offers?

Operators should look for a delivery partner who shares their values and enhances their offer. The provider should act as an extension to a business to reach more customers at different times of day or consumers who might not have considered the operator if they...

4 Proven Strategies to Raise Check Sizes

While restaurant traffic was down in 2018, many restaurants saw flat to positive sales growth due to increases in average check size. And while many brands raised their prices between 2–4 percent in 2018, others were able to achieve higher check growth through...

5 ways fast casuals can combat rising minimum wages

More states around the U.S. are raising the minimum wage in 2019. In total, 20 states will raise their minimum wage this year, with substantial increases of $1 in some states. For example, Maine’s increase will be 10 percent, Massachusetts’ is 9 percent, and...

5 ways to ensure your restaurant takes a bite out of the food delivery boom

Food delivery is certainly here to stay: It’s now a $100 billion-plus industry, with restaurant companies large and small embracing the concept. But are restaurant operators really getting ahead by making more and more deliveries? Fortunately, the answer is yes....

3 Tips to Win the Latest Restaurant Trend

It seems like there’s a new food trend popping up every week. The challenge is this: true concept innovators not only have to take an inspired idea and turn it into an irresistible offering, they must introduce it the right way and at the right time. With new ideas...

Is Dynamic Pricing Right for Your Restaurant Brand?

Many restaurant operators are taking advantage of dynamic pricing, but is it the right move for your brand? A few restaurants have been successful in executing dynamic pricing as a core part of their strategy, with the most well-known being Chicago restaurant Next,...

6 Key Ways Self-Serve Kiosks Can Boost Your Sales

Enhancing the customer experience through customization and convenience is more important than ever. While kiosk systems have existed since the early 1990s, their presence in the restaurant industry has increased in recent years as large brands such as Panera,...

Combat declining traffic by understanding the ailment before determining the remedy

Customer traffic is one of the key metrics restaurant operators use to measure success. When traffic is down, many chains turn to new promotions or even consider lowing prices, but will these actions reverse the trend? Before you take action, first take time to...

5 things to consider when choosing a delivery partner

With consumers seeking convenience, it is no secret that the delivery trend is here to stay. The strong drive towards on-demand delivery has led many third-party providers including UberEATS, Deliveroo and Just Eat to enter the market. With a vast number of delivery...

Generation Z Is Entering the Workforce: Are We Ready?

Just as restaurant managers figured out how to hire and retain Millennials, Generation Z (born after 1995) is looking for job opportunities. They have been described as being smarter than baby boomers and more ambitious than Millennials. Generation Z employees look...

What smaller chains should consider as they grow

Mine transactional data to understand customers and make smart decisions If you are the leader of a smaller, rapidly growing restaurant, you have to make decisions every day that may have a long-term impact on the concept’s success. Here are just a few examples: How...

Finding the sweet spot: What pricing strategy to use for distribution channels

For years, many restaurant operators have traditionally charged the same prices whether the menu is being used inside the restaurant, at the drive-through or for pickup, delivery or catering. But with the ever-increasing popularity of eating outside the restaurant via...

6 Tips to Help Restaurants Combat Higher Labor Costs

Though raising prices from the start is tempting, try these more effective solutions instead More and more municipalities around the U.S. are raising the minimum wage: In all, 19 states raised the minimum wage last year, with some of the largest increases in the...

9 Ways to Maximize Menu Profitability

Mitigate cost pressures and avoid giving guests sticker shock with these tips Too often, restaurant menus have catchy descriptions, gorgeous photos and an attractive layout, but are missing a key ingredient: They aren’t driving profitability. Certainly, you should...

6 Tips for Incorporating Applied Analytics Into Business Decisions

Restaurant operators have access to more data than ever. Here’s how to work with it. The adoption of more advanced POS systems in restaurants has led to data becoming more accessible than ever before. In today’s data-driven world, restaurants frequently want to...

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