4-minute read ---
Restaurants operating in the competitive digital market are discovering creative ways to attract, gain, and retain a loyal customer base. In addition to Loyalty and Rewards program-based solutions, restaurants are offering creative home meal services that extend the restaurant-customer relationship to customer’s own kitchens, dining rooms, and back porches.
During the pandemic, many restaurants implemented “grocery” type services by allowing customers to order food products such as raw meat and produce, spices, sauces, and baked goods via online order, pickup, and delivery. A year later, 65% of operators plan to continue offering grocery items to customers.¹ Grocery-style services allow customers to receive best item quality and pricing for essential items or unique treats based on the restaurant’s volume. Items range anywhere from fine wines and quality steak cuts to homemade pastas and locally-sourced produce.
Beyond maximizing inventory, restaurants promote perishable products and grocery services with do-it-yourself restaurant meal kits. Meal kits and to-go services provide restaurants with a unique channel to promote their brand and convey strong impressions of customer-centric dining services, offering customers an engaging alternative to traditional takeout, pickup, and delivery orders.
If offered, 41% of consumers would buy a make-at-home meal kit from their favorite restaurant.² Restaurants can market do-it-yourself meal kits to enhance holiday meals, create memorable “date nights,” or host an engaging “night in” for family and friends. Do-it-yourself meal kits unlock a new level of customer engagement as the restaurant actively fosters at-home experiences that customers participate in and enjoy. Owners and operators can complement meal kits with video tutorials from local chefs, promote their brand with custom printed recipes, or enhance their online presence with tutorial websites where customers can leave feedback about their experience.
During the pandemic, many restaurants implemented “grocery” type services by allowing customers to order food products such as raw meat and produce, spices, sauces, and baked goods via online order, pickup, and delivery. A year later, 65% of operators plan to continue offering grocery items to customers.¹ Grocery-style services allow customers to receive best item quality and pricing for essential items or unique treats based on the restaurant’s volume. Items range anywhere from fine wines and quality steak cuts to homemade pastas and locally-sourced produce.
Beyond maximizing inventory, restaurants promote perishable products and grocery services with do-it-yourself restaurant meal kits. Meal kits and to-go services provide restaurants with a unique channel to promote their brand and convey strong impressions of customer-centric dining services, offering customers an engaging alternative to traditional takeout, pickup, and delivery orders.
If offered, 41% of consumers would buy a make-at-home meal kit from their favorite restaurant.² Restaurants can market do-it-yourself meal kits to enhance holiday meals, create memorable “date nights,” or host an engaging “night in” for family and friends. Do-it-yourself meal kits unlock a new level of customer engagement as the restaurant actively fosters at-home experiences that customers participate in and enjoy. Owners and operators can complement meal kits with video tutorials from local chefs, promote their brand with custom printed recipes, or enhance their online presence with tutorial websites where customers can leave feedback about their experience.
Meal kit services unlock a new level of restaurant-customer engagement
Meal kits enable restaurants to reach new demographics unfamiliar with preparing meals in their own kitchens, or those interested in re-creating their favorite dishes from local restaurants. Home meal services provide customers the tools they need to take their culinary skills to the next level, with ingredients, tutorials, and recipes from nearby businesses.
Customers too busy to shop for groceries can schedule meal kit deliveries online ahead of time, paying for their items through an online portal. Young adults and college students can purchase DIY meal kits as a fun way to explore a new town and local restaurants. “Picnic basket” meal kits also enhance a restaurant’s offerings at farmer’s markets, fairs, pop-ups, and other outdoor events.
As more restaurants work to meet dietary-specific needs, meal kits support tailored solutions to diet-specific customers and can be prepared and packaged in areas free from potential contaminants.
In addition to DIY meal kits, restaurants can expand services with fresh or frozen meal kits ready for customers to heat up and enjoy. Frozen meals can be supplied directly from the restaurant’s kitchens, or through a meal/delivery service aggregator partner. Aggregated items expand the business and allow restaurants to focus on preparing great food and drinks while third-party aggregator services and delivery companies streamline operations and promote local restaurant offerings.
Over the last two years, restaurants began offering “alcohol to-go” to make up for lost revenue. As more states allow wine, beer, and cocktails to be delivered from local restaurants, owners and operators in these states can create happy-hour themed meal kits with drinks and cocktail recipes to compliment dishes and treats exclusive to their restaurant.
With more customers working from home, meal kits provide a means for restaurants to promote their brand, food and services while helping increase revenues.
Restaurants that use Aldelo Express Cloud POS and Masa+ Online Ordering can create and track custom meal kits, monitor related inventory, and track sales anytime, anywhere. Together, Aldelo Express and Masa+ provide full-featured POS, online ordering solutions, and a powerful cloud back-office platform that equip owners and operators to optimize their business today and adapt to customer expectations of tomorrow.
Learn more about Aldelo Express and Masa+ by contacting an Aldelo representative today at [email protected] and 877-639-8767.
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Restaurants that use ultra-competitive Aldelo Pay or Aldelo Partner Merchant Services obtain access to a Centralized Multi-Store Restaurant Technology Platform that includes Masa+ Online Ordering, Unlimited Software Releases, Unlimited Software Upgrades, and 24/7 Technical Support! *** Please contact an Aldelo representative today for more details, including a free Aldelo Express POS demo trial [email protected] | 877-639-8767 | [email protected] |
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¹ https://nestleprofessional.turtl.co/story/top-2021-foodservice-trend-report/page/7/4
² https://www.restaurant.org/Downloads/PDFs/Research/SOI/restaurant_industry_fact_sheet_2019.pdf