QSRs offers fresher fare to fight prepped food rivals
These days quick service restaurants not only consider other brands their competition, but also a growing number of supermarkets, convenience stores and big-box retailers that serve prepared food choices, often even launching their own restaurant concepts.
These non-traditional QSR rivals even launch their own branded restaurant concepts in an attempt to capitalize on the captured market that frequent their locations, such as supermarket shoppers that want to eat after their grocery run.
But QSR managers insist they still hold an edge against these relative upstart concepts because of the fresher fare they offer diners.
In September, for example, Brumby’s Bakery held a National Bread Swap Challenge, where customers could swap their supermarket loaves for a freshly baked Brumby’s loaf.
Brumby’s Bakery managing director Matthew Marshall said this event was the brand’s way to prove to locals that fresh is always best.
He argued that manufactured bakery products do not have the same quality and freshness compared to a loaf handcrafted by real bakers. Brumby’s Bakery bread also contains 100% locally sourced Aussie wheat which he said further sets it apart from the supermarket variety.
“Our bakers get into store while our customers are still sleeping and spend hours kneading, proofing and watching as the loaves they’ve made by hand slowly rise in the oven,” said Marshall.
“We strive to deliver home grown goodness to families all around the country and urge customers to taste the difference by taking part in our national bread swap challenge,” he added.
Marshall reckons customers still yearn for the bakery chain’s freshly baked, high-quality bread as proven by the more than two million loaves that are sold yearly.
Similarly, Ali Baba sets itself apart from the growing glut of prepped food options with its fresh tailored Lebanese food choices, says Alan Holmes, operations manager at Ali Baba.
Ali Baba products are made from fresh bread and sauces which ware prepared on site, and they also allow customers to customize their orders according to their taste preferences (removing lettuce, using gluten free bread, etc) and dietary requirements (vegetarian, vegan, no nuts, etc.).
