SheeFood

Dining Out Deals in 2012

Two dinners for $20. Gotta love that. And most of us do love that. That’s just the problem for the casual-dining restaurants that lure customers in with them as a limited-time offer (LTO). They create monsters. Think Chili’s and Applebee’s. They made money off of the “two for $20” LTO dinners for several years only because it brought in more guests. But once the deals were off, the value-oriented customers were out of there. Sales went down. The deals had to be brought back. And thus went the cycle.

Enough of that nonsense.

Now go to Applebee’s and Chili’s, and you’ll find the deals are a permanent fixture on the menu. It’s a new way of thinking for full-service restaurants that fast-food restaurants have been onto for a few years. It used to be called barbell pricing. Now it’s called tiered pricing. There must be something on the menu for everyone—the value-seeker and the hungry one looking to indulge with little thought to price.  

Among fast-food restaurants, the latest obvious example is Wendy’s. It has a value menu (“My 99¢ Everyday”), but at the indulgent end, it has Dave’s Hot ‘N Juicy Cheeseburgers that are at least $4. And now, in the middle, they have the new “W” cheeseburger for $2.99 that has two 2.25-ounce patties. There’s something for everyone—quality and price-wise.

That’s what casual-dining restaurants are discovering.

It’s this new equation that may lead the full-service restaurant segment out of negative sales. According to Mintel, full-service restaurants’ sales were down 0.7% in 2011 (after being down in 2010, also), while limited-service restaurants (which includes fast-food and fast-casual restaurants) experienced 3.4% growth in 2011.

The economy will likely pick up, which will improve sales for full-service restaurants, but if they play their menu pricing/value strategy right, sales will likely go up in spite of the economy.

What that means for all of us, expect some pleasant permanent price deals on nearly any full-service restaurant menu going forward. I’m thinking-the kind where you pick a salad, entrée and side for a more reasonable price than you might have expected before. That will be the value side of the menu. Just start looking for it. I saw it at Ruth’s Chris Steak House last month.

Tell me what you find.

Jody

The True Meaning of Artisan

I hate the word artisan. In fact, if one more fast-food chain claims that word, I think I’ll scream.

A few months ago, I loved artisan. But that was when I was writing a couple of cheese articles. For one, I interviewed a teacher from the Culinary Institute of America. He explained how a chef could start with fluid milk and end up with sliceable artisan cheese in less than three hours.

The other article (for Sizzle magazine, see “Cheese Culture” article to the right) was specifically about artisan cheese, and I got to the bottom of the meaning of artisan. Here’s a quote:

At its core, experts agree that artisanal cheese is made by hand in small batches by an artisan. Some would add that no machinery is used in the process, but that’s a background issue that should not take the focus off of the art. “Large-scale equipment would never be involved, but some use smaller-scale equipment or machinery, more using technology through temperature control or scales, things like that,” says Jenny Harris executive chef/fromager (cheese expert) for Tria Commissary, Philadelphia.

So you see, I know that there are people whose pride, joy and heritage are wrapped up in hand-crafting cheese—and bread and pasta and beverages…

Too bad, the richness and meaning of artisan are pretty much gone, swept away in about the span of one year, ever since marketers seized the term as an attention-grabbing adjective.

• Domino’s now has a line of artisan pizzas.
• Wendy’s offers an artisan egg sandwich.
• Burger King’s BK Chef’s Choice burger is served on a new “artisanal-style” bun.
• And in the past week, Red Mango announced its new artisan hot chocolate in four flavors.

So, what do consumers think about this? Not much, according to Mintel research. In a survey, consumers were asked to rate their interest level in a list of menu descriptions/preparations. Fresh topped the list, with 89% indicating an interest. Artisan took up the rear, with only 28% interested in it. Why is that? I think it’s because artisan is a craft, not a marketing term. So, I (and most people) don’t like the word—out of context.

What do you think?

Jody