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SERVING UP OPPORTUNITY: REVENUE-DRIVING IDEAS FOR RESTAURANTS
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SERVING UP OPPORTUNITY: REVENUE-DRIVING IDEAS FOR RESTAURANTS

The shifts in post-pandemic consumer behavior are opening doors in strategic ways for restaurants. And in a time when people are actively seeking creative ways to connect, it’s refreshing to see many restaurants rising to the challenge through curated, portable dining experiences. A great way of answering the call is to add a retail-ready, grab-and-go component to your business model. In addition to providing additional revenue streams, grab-and-go food items are a great way to foster partnerships with other local establishments, such as hotels, grocery stores, gift shops, and boutiques.

Here are a few of our favorite takeaway ideas emerging in the hospitality industry that will resonate with future consumers, with the added benefit of providing new business opportunities:

SHIP-N-BAKE GIFTS

Restaurants who are known for their “one thing,” are allowing customers to deliver a cherished dining experience to a location of their own choosing. Tinys Milk & Cookies’ frozen chocolate chip cookie dough is a fresh-from-the-oven, giftable experience for any occasion. And by adding it as an e-commerce option through their website, they are able to offer a fully sensorial memory-in-the-making that can be shipped anywhere! 

BUILD-YOUR-OWN KITS

Providing customers with an opportunity to flex their own creative muscle is a great way for restaurants to reach those who are hungry for memorable experiences (not to mention a perfect opportunity to curate user-generated content!). Hot Cakes’ S’mores Kit is a blank slate for creativity, at home or even in the great outdoors! What’smore (pun intended), these are retail-ready for local partnership opportunities. 

MODULAR DESIGN

Offering a ritual-like dining experience is a way to treat customers to an authentic, immersive experience – but how to recreate that feeling at home can be a challenge. Bondi Sushi does this well with their custom bento boxes, making each bite of food a moment to be savored through their modular presentation. What’s more, a compartmentalized box design offers an easy way for food delivery partners to transport food in a presentation that would make your chefs proud.

AT-HOME HAPPY HOUR

If you’re famous for drawing a crowd during happy hour, there may be an opportunity to transport that experience elsewhere. Perry’s Steakhouse offers their signature sliders in a fun carrier as way to bring the Happy Hour feeling home. They even partner with local hotels as a room service menu item!

If you’re looking for ways to stay relevant, bolster your bottom line, and promote brand loyalty in today’s hospitality environment, we encourage you get creative with how you utilize at your back-of-house operations. There are ample possibilities to deliver positive brand experiences and business opportunities beyond the confines of your dining space. This will not only help you stand out among competitors, but might even translate into revenue-generating opportunities for your business!