QSR customers begin craving for customisation
If price and speed are the king and queen of fast food service, then customisation is fast rising as a possible prince. QSR owners and managers reckon more fast food diners are demanding a free reign on what goes into their food and how it is served, from custom-assembled burgers to pizzas with hand-picked ingredients.
The customisation trend follows a heightened awareness in food intake among customers as they strive to keep within certain special diets. Brands have adjusted their systems to accommodate the variations that result from custom ordering.
Ali Baba, for one, offers products that are made to order so customers can customize their food, such as removing the lettuce, choosing their favorite sauce, and switching to gluten free bread.
“Dietary requirements are catered to as much as possible,” say Alan Holmes, operations manager at Ali Baba, citing customisation options on nuts, soy, vegetarian, and vegan.
In a lot of ways, QSR diners are now willing to spend for food that is tailor-made for their taste buds, as if they themselves were preparing the food in their own kitchens.
“I think it is a lot about giving customers choice so they can do what they have always done,” says Andrew Benefield, CEO of Mrs. Fields of this trend.
Benefield says in order to accommodate the custom food demands that come their way, Mrs. Fields encourages customers to tweak their Toastie with any ingredients from their range of fillings.
But too much choice could only end up confusing the customer, which is probably why around 96% of Mrs. Fields customers end up choosing one of the suggested menu items.
“I suspect it is much the same across the industry,” says Benefield.
