With food service establishments under continuous pressure from staff shortages and rising costs, the challenges of this hyper-competitive hospitality and out-of-home sector are ever-increasing, so delivering brand experiences, not stuff, has never been more important.
Consumers are no longer satisfied with the mediocre and seek out venues that deliver rewarding experiences which satisfy their emotional needs – not just their physical needs.
These eateries combine good food and drink with great interiors and that magical ‘other ingredient’ which separates a fabulous eatery from an average one – brilliant staff who deliver elevated service.
Without doubt, the restaurants and pubs that achieve the highest ratings and popularity are those whose service is impeccable and where customers are ‘entertained’ on a personal and individual level, not just served.
Staff who are always attentive, who can spot a problem before it happens, who are just visible without being disruptive and know how to make out of home feel like at home – but better!
Danny Meyer of the celebrated restaurant, The Gramercy Tavern in New York talks about all his staff having a high HQ – a high hospitality quotient. Whilst they don’t top the awards for best food or best wines or fine dining, they have been consistently voted Number 1 Restaurant in the World because of their focus on making their customers feel individual and special.
And in his best-selling book, Will Guidara, presents his essential lessons in hospitality for every business which he describes as ‘unreasonable hospitality.’ Will was twenty-six when he took the helm of Eleven Madison Park, a struggling New York City two-star brasserie that had never quite lived up to its majestic room.
Eleven years later, EMP was named the best restaurant in the world. How did Guidara pull off this unprecedented transformation? Radical reinvention, a true partnership between the kitchen and the dining room—and memorable, over-the-top, bespoke hospitality. Guidara’s team surprised a family who had never seen snow with a magical sledging trip to Central Park after their dinner; they filled a private dining room with sand, complete with mai-tais and beach chairs, to console a couple who’d had a vacation cancelled!
Today, every food and drink eatery can choose to be a hospitality business, not just a place where people eat— transforming ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences – and Will urges us all to find the magic in what we do—for ourselves, the people we work with, and the people we serve.
So what can FMCG brands learn from this elevation of consumer service?
In my mind one of the cleverest food brands of recent years has to be Graze. Established as a direct-to-consumer online brand, the surprise snack item that arrived with every online purchase was a brilliant idea – the unexpected gift, the conversation piece, the anticipation builder.
Graham Bosher, the founder of Graze had previously launched the successful, movie rental business LoveFilm and there is no doubt he understood all the wonderful, positive attributes of a family watching a film together at home.
The special occasion, the ritual of getting everything ready – super comfy seating, rugs, snacks, drinks. And then to enjoy the treat – the surprise and the escapism of the unexpected drama unfolding before them.
And in founding Graze he considered these key emortional attributes and hit upon the idea of the unexpected, surprise addition.
Each week, avid subscribers would wait with excitement and anticipation to receive their box through the post. And as many of them had them delivered to work, it was only a matter of moments before colleagues were crowding around to see ‘what was new’ and to try and pinch a taste – and to also fall in love with the brand. Brilliant marketing.
A lot can be learned from businesses that both delight and surprise. They communicate at a deep human level that triggers positive emotions and, in doing so, create experiences rather than simply sell stuff!
In the hyper-competitive environment of the 21st century, irrespective of which sector they operate in, brands increasingly need to create intrigue to stop and engage consumers in their tracks so that they can then go on to create powerful, emotive connections with their audience.
And those that make people smile by combining great product attributes with a wonderful experience are going to be the businesses that thrive.