A quick-service restaurant appeals to several target markets. Its fast and convenient service draws in both parents and Millenials, two demographic groups that most frequently patronize these restaurants. According to QSR Magazine, an average Millennial visits a fast food business at least 12 times a month and spends more money on food than any other generation. However, even though quick-service restaurants have a wide range of target markets, they often focus on two groups of consumers that are especially valuable to businesses.
Drive-through restaurants
Drive-through restaurants are fast food outlets with an emphasis on convenience. They can be the difference between a restaurant surviving a food pandemic and closing its doors. Whether it’s the resulting increased revenue from a drive-through system or a reduction in staffing, this new system is valuable to any restaurant’s bottom line. The following are essential things to look for when opening a drive-through restaurant.
Suburban typology is often critical for drive-through restaurant success. For example, many fast-food franchises prefer a large sign on an arterial road. It refers to a speed limit function, which enables motorists to register within a short window. By reducing the speed limit, planners can reduce the size of the sign. These are also essential considerations if a community considers a drive-through restaurant location. Like having an intuitive, quick service POS software used in a restaurant for delivering service at a faster speed.
The problem with traditional drive-through ordering is that the customer must pay before receiving their food. In addition, conventional drive-through ordering methods require the handoff of cash or a credit card, which is not safe for many people during COVID-19. By offering contactless payment options, restaurants can limit the number of cash transactions and improve the overall customer experience. For example, in a recent study, Chick-fil-A reduced its wait times by using a drive-through ordering system.
Self-service restaurants
The term “self-service” refers to a restaurant where customers order and pay for their meals themselves, especially in restaurants and gas stations. A restaurant can be a self-service or a traditional one, depending on the type of food and service offered. Self-service restaurants are the latest trend in quick-service dining. They allow customers to place their orders digitally or by phone. Some restaurants even have electronic payment options, such as PayPal.
Many restaurants are introducing self-service technologies to increase efficiency and minimize the need for waiters. Some technologies that allow customers to place orders electronically include self-ordering kiosks, online ordering platforms, and contactless payments. Restaurants with this technology offer many advantages for customers, and this trend isn’t going away. Instead, it will become more prevalent in the coming years as consumers continue to pay more attention to their dining experiences.
Millennials and Gen Z, two of the largest groups of consumers, have become increasingly accustomed to self-service dining. Having little contact with employees and interacting with strangers, they are happy with the concept of self-service restaurants. However, many restaurants object to the loss of the human touch. Harvard Business Review found that self-service restaurants increase customer satisfaction and sales but are still a source of controversy.
Fast food restaurants
Fast food is a popular restaurant type, with more than 200,000 outlets in the United States. It employs more than 4 million people and over 50 percent of those used in the industry work in fast-food restaurants. Revenue from these outlets was $200 billion in 2015 and is forecast to grow by 2.5% annually over the next few years, rebounding from a slump several years ago. Consumers’ primary focus is price, taste, and speed when choosing a fast-food restaurant.
Despite the low quality, most fast-food restaurants offer full meals for less than $10, and some even have lower prices than the average fast-food restaurant. Almost half of all Americans eat fast food at least once a day. While their quality varies widely, fast food restaurants have been a staple in American society for decades. They are generally affordable, offer quick service, and provide familiar foods to patrons.
Unlike other restaurants, fast food is typically served “on the go” and is generally served in a container. Traditionally, fast food does not require table service but instead requires diners to order their food and wait for it to be delivered. Typically, fast food outlets offer a variety of items, including fish and chips, sandwiches, pitas, hamburgers, french fries, and tacos. In addition, some fast-food outlets offer slower-paced meals such as chili, mashed potatoes, and salads.