A franchisor’s success lies in their ability to understand the data.com/en/platform/’ target=’_blank’>menu trends and flavors that characterize the local food scene. They need to know what’s working, what’s not, and how to shift and adjust their offering, in order to get the most out of the opportunities that the local market has to provide. It’s no easy task, but it can be made simpler with the right research and analytical tools.
Thanks to data intelligence providers such as Brizo, franchisors now have access to real-time and comprehensive data that can provide insights into menu trends, flavors, and restaurant technology. This intelligence can be used by sales teams to target the foodservice market, to inform marketing initiatives, and to encourage production innovation and brand expansion.
In order to effectively evaluate the flavor and menu of a prospective location, the franchisor needs to first look at the prevailing menus and popular flavors, they then need to enhance their systems with more comprehensive market insights to make decisions that are based on data intelligence rather than guesses and assumptions. This guide will walk you through that process.
We’ll start with understanding the flavor profile of a local area. The franchisor needs to know what people in the area are gravitating towards when it comes to their food choices. This can be done in several ways; looking at local restaurant menus, surveying existing customers, and examining online reviews, are all great sources of insight for understanding the flavor profile of your local area.
Once you have a better idea of the local flavor profile, you’ll need to look at trends in menu items and pricing. Again, this can be done in several ways; you can review social media for food & lifestyle trends, survey of both customers and competitors, analyze the restaurant traffic and sales patterns, and also look at restaurant tech coverage. All of these activities are important and while one factor in isolation may be insignificant, taken together they can paint a powerful picture of the local foodscape.
Armed with an understanding of the flavor profile and menu trends of an area, franchisors can then confidently start to develop their own menu. This is where data enrichment choices are critical. With up-to-date menu and pricing data, franchisors can design menu items that meet both customer and operator needs. Additionally, they can also ensure that their pricing is in line with the current trends while not alienating potential customers.
Finally, to ensure that the menu is tailored to their local market, franchisors need to refine their offerings with local appetites in mind. This involves adding local flavors, sourcing fresh products from local food vendors, and adapting to local cultures and cuisines. It ensures that customers feel that the menu is an accurate representation of their local flavor, while also providing franchisors with the confidence to create a menu that is both accessible and appealing.
To summarize, understanding and evaluating local flavor is an essential step in any franchisor’s journey. With the help of data intelligence providers and modern research and analysis tools, they can gain insights into menu trends, flavors, and restaurant technology that they can use to inform their decisions. This can equip them with the foundation they need to create menus tailored to their local market and help them stand out from the competition.
