Check out why Souvlakihut and Healthy Habits believe 'Health is wealth!'
The blooming QSR industry continues to provide opportunities for big and small companies alike. Beyond the ceaselessly revolving technology and the round-the-clock change in consumption, Souvlakihut, Healthy Habits and other big Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) players are all eyes on the next big thing.
For Chooks fresh & tasty founder Steve Hansen, each day offers changes in what the customers want, need and expect.
“We all need to be listening and changing as we grow. Just in customer service there are opportunities every day. Many are focused on winning new customers but we also need to look after those that are loyal,” said Hansen.
Hansen gives high regards to loyalty and advertising. Chooks continues to conduct loyalty programmes while looking at new ideas and mediums to reach out to the customers.
For Bucking Bull, an Australian roast and grill restaurant, opportunities exist in most segments of the QSR sector. But founder Dean Vella believes there is a need to first have a greater understanding of current market needs so as to redefine products to suit consumer needs.
Katherine Sampson of Healthy Habits agrees. Sampson, founder and managing director of Healthy Habits, a food chain keen to providing healthy options for the conscious consumer, thinks the biggest opportunity in the market place at the moment is the offering of meal deals & bundled lunch options to consumers who have become much more price sensitive and spending conscious.
“When we first started, we identified a gap in the QSR industry to offer a healthy and affordable approach to family dining. While many other QSRs have healthy choices as part of their menu offering, we really saw an opportunity to differentiate ourselves from our competitors by basing our entire menu on a health offering,” agrees Bill Fotiadis, co-founder of the Greek restaurant Souvlakihut.
Fotiadis said while they offer takeaway to suit those with busy lifestyle, they also encourage dine-in trade, where customers are given a number and served at a table by a waitress, with proper plates and cutlery.
Mad Mex director Clovis Young couldn't agree more. He said consumers intuitively recognise and respond to healthy and higher quality products.
“There is a big opportunity for a higher quality product at a slightly higher price,” prompted Young. “Customers around the industrialised world are demanding more transparency regarding the supply chain of restaurants – looking at things such as locally-sourced products or domestic and high quality meats.”
Young said Mad Mex realises the value model of the traditional fast food to remain intact but introduces another model which is “better quality at a fair price.”
“In keeping with this theme, QSR moves into the casual dining and restaurant space with regards to the quality of the products, but at the same time retains the speed of service values learned in the traditional QSR market.”
So where is the sweet spot? Young said they believe it comes down to great restaurant quality food, meals around $10.00 and fast service that fits into increasing busy lives.
“In the current economic climate, our research has shown pizza lovers want, more than ever, genuine large pizza with plenty of toppings for a great price,” Eagle Boys Pizza's CEO Todd Clayton said.
Clayton said that until recently, Australia’s pizza industry consisted of large chains discounting poor quality pizzas and smaller gourmet chains with expensive pizzas.
“Eagle Boys has been working hard to carve out a niche in the 'middle ground' of this market – providing quality pizzas at a price that won’t break the bank,” said Clayton.
After successfully launching 31 new menu items in March 2010, Eagle Boys' full time Executive Chef continues to reinvent its menu with new quality items to attract new customers.
