There’s a blurring of food lines in restaurants of late that shows them becoming restless with who they are.
- Dunkin' Donuts has gone beyond the sweet tooth and now offers sandwiches all day. Dreams of glazed donuts are expanding to visions of a Ham & Cheese Bakery Sandwich, Turkey, Cheddar & Bacon Bakery Sandwich and Chicken Salad and Tuna Salad Bakery Sandwiches. In other words, real food.
- Taco Bell is becoming your morning diner in some states. Its strategy is to allure breakfast eaters with name brands like Seattle’s Best Coffee; Cinnabon Delights; Tropicana Orange Juice; Johnsonville Sausage and Egg Wrap; and then non-branded Steak and Egg Burrito; Grande Skillet Burrito; and three combos that include a drink and hash browns.
- In an initial few markets, Starbucks is mimicking a wine bar by adding wine, beer, savory snacks, small plates and hot flatbreads.
- Hardee’s is taking a stab at the family-dining market by adding a Country Fried Steak ‘N’ Gravy Breakfast Platter with hash rounds, eggs, and buttermilk biscuit.
I don’t think that all this is a case of looking down the street at the next guy and saying “I can do that.” Rather, they are practicing Marketing 101—Change or self destruct. We’re living in a fast-changing world, and anything that is still done the same way it was three years ago is stale for sure and in danger of demise. We can expect to see a lot more upping the menu ante and a lot more often.
So, while we’re looking at change, I’d like to suggest another one for Hardee’s. Let’s think of a new graphic to replace the star. Perhaps run a Facebook contest for ideas and consumer interaction. If Walmart could replace the smiley face, Hardee’s can admit it’s time to find something better than the smiley star.
Tell me what you think.
Jody
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