Commentary

Conflict, unfortunately, is a part of life and when you are in business it can seem that it is a part of every day.

Over the past year, contactless payments have played a critical role in helping the restaurant industry maintain hygienic and secure operations. Now, more than ever, consumers want the pleasure of making a purchase without any safety concerns. What’s more, they expect businesses to meet the hygiene and security standards mandated by their governments, and to act with agility as rules change.

Put yourself in the shoes of a shift manager running a busy fast food restaurant on a Friday night.

One of the key revenue drivers for QSRs is repeat business. Don’t get me wrong. Attracting new customers is important for growing your business, but the benefits of retaining customers cannot be ignored. Many studies have shown just how much value repeat business brings. A Bain & Co. study unveiled that a 5% increase in customer retention can up a company’s profitability by 125%.

Restaurant chains around the world are finding their feet again as efforts to contain Covid-19 improve and vaccination efforts accelerate.

Throughout Australia, and perhaps throughout the world, the F&B industry has changed rather drastically over the last decade. In the past year alone, the pandemic that crippled the world led businesses to adapt and innovate at such a rapid pace in order to survive.

It’s been a little over two years since I was appointed Executive Chairman of Retail Food Group (RFG), following a renewal program across the Board and executive management.

How do you offer the personal touch of a barista who knows your coffee order before you walk into the cafe, but in a fast food chain with 1,000 outlets?

At some point you’ve probably heard someone describe their job as being like “building a plane as I’m flying it”.

It seems, on the face of it to be the antithesis of good customer service - replacing the human touch in restaurants with less personal drive-thru, kiosk and delivery options.

This year marks 100 years since the first real fast food restaurant in the world opened its doors.

(Editor's Note: Reposted with permission from LeaseInfo Group.)

I’m going to be honest: since COVID-19 hit Australian shores, I have spent just one day working at home with the wife, kids and dog, and that was enough for me. I was lucky to be able to ride my bike into an empty office, with its vacant desks and deserted boardroom, and do the ultimate soul searching there.

During COVID-19, food delivery has boomed. As more and more customers choose to stay inside for their own safety, restaurants and cafes are having to adapt their models to continue to serve them.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has gripped the planet, one of the most clearly and significantly impacted industries has been hospitality, spanning the largest global QSR brands all the way to your small neighborhood coffee shop.

If someone had told me in February this year that in a month’s time I would be leading a department that supports technology in 2,500+ stores and multiple offices across three regions (ANZ, Europe and Japan), as well as building and evolving a multi-billion dollar digital platform all from my home while the world was in lockdown, I wouldn’t have believed them.