The Impact of Humor in QSR Advertising and the ‘Pestaurant’

MRM’s Daily Bite features an intriguing study on guest habits, a steakhouse’s big anniversary and a popup with an ‘insectersting ‘twist.   Send news items to Barbara Castiglia at bcastiglia@modernrestaurantmanagement.com.

Advertising’s Impact on QSR

A poll from LAVIDGE and Mosaic Multicultural found insightful consumer views about advertising from quick service restaurants such as McDonald’s, Subway, Chipotle, Taco Bell and several others, as well as from casual and fine dining restaurants. Among the key findings of the “2017 Southwest Food Service Marketing Report” are that consumers prefer images of food as well as promotional offerings, and are influenced to make decisions when they see and hear advertising that is humorous.

Additionally, consumers strongly resonated with friendly customer service and ads that included the words “tasty” and “delicious.”

LAVIDGE has compiled results that will put an end to guessing what drives consumer response. This includes how advertising affects the frequency of consumer visits, the most effective and ineffective restaurant descriptions, highest preferred marketing statements and most memorable advertisements.

The findings determine several behaviors about the way consumers respond to food service ads:

• Most frequently visited restaurants/QSRs have the best advertising
• The top three descriptions that influence consumers to visit a restaurant are tasty, friendly and delicious
• The highest preferred marketing statement is “Made Fresh Daily”

“With the highly competitive and growing food service industry, this is the ideal time for marketers to understand how to successfully communicate and get their message across to consumers,” said Tim Trull, managing director of strategy at LAVIDGE.

LAVIDGE has compiled results that will put an end to guessing what drives consumer response. This includes how advertising affects the frequency of consumer visits, the most effective and ineffective restaurant descriptions, highest preferred marketing statements and most memorable advertisements.

The findings determine several behaviors about the way consumers respond to food service ads:

• Most frequently visited restaurants/QSRs have the best advertising
• The top three descriptions that influence consumers to visit a restaurant are tasty, friendly and delicious
• The highest preferred marketing statement is “Made Fresh Daily”

“With the highly competitive and growing food service industry, this is the ideal time for marketers to understand how to successfully communicate and get their message across to consumers,” said Tim Trull, managing director of strategy at LAVIDGE.

LAVIDGE and Mosaic are full-service advertising, public relations, communications, consulting, interactive and multicultural marketing agencies headquartered in Phoenix. WestGroup Research conducted the poll and surveyed 531 consumers from throughout the Southwest, providing original insight for food service executives on specific tools and tactics to market their services effectively.

The LAVIDGE/Mosaic 2017 Southwest Food Service Marketing Report is complimentary and available here.

MealPal Secures Investors

MealPal, the subscription service for lunch pick-up from restaurants, secured a $20 million Series B investment. This round of funding, led by Menlo Ventures, brings MealPal’s total funding to $35 million since its January 2016 launch. The financing is in tandem with the company’s other major announcement today: MealPal has expanded its service from lunch pick-up to include dinner starting in New York City.

“MealPal has only begun its mission to help people eat intelligently by providing a convenient way to get a delicious meal at an affordable price whether at the office or at home,” said Mary Biggins, co-founder and CEO of MealPal. “MealPal has helped thousands of people upgrade their lunch break by skipping long restaurant lines and getting lunch for as little as $6. Now we’re excited to bring this quality, affordability, and efficiency to dinner.”

Similar to its lunchtime service, MealPal is offering New York City members two different subscriptions for dinner: a 20-meal plan for $6.49 per meal and a 12-meal plan for $6.99 per meal. With a subscription, MealPal members can select dinner from hundreds of restaurants on the platform and enjoy delicious meals that typically retail for $9-$15 at a fraction of the cost. Dinner service coincides with the expansion of MealPal’s New York footprint to include the Upper East Side, the Upper West Side, Murray Hill, and the East Village. Since its launch in 2016, MealPal has served more than three million lunches and expanded to 12 markets, most recently Manchester, U.K. and Melbourne, Australia.

“MealPal’s unique pick-up model is shaking up the food service industry, improving mealtime for both consumers and restaurants alike,” said Venky Ganesan, managing director at Menlo Ventures and MealPal board member. “Their lunchtime success and ability to secure such a large subscriber base in a short amount of time gives us full confidence in their expansion into dinner and into further cities globally. We are thrilled to partner with Mary, Katie and the team as they continue to thrive in this competitive space.”

Previous investors, including Bessemer Venture Partners, Comcast Ventures, Haystack Partners, and NextView Ventures, all participated in this new round. The new funding will support further team and market expansion in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, as well as new markets throughout Europe, in the next several months.

“MealPal has helped us increase our lunchtime revenue at lower labor costs with improved margins,” said Nabeel Alamgir, CMO of Bareburger. “Our guests love this service because they can order ahead, skip the line, get an affordable meal, and have more time to enjoy their lunch break. We’re excited to offer them the same benefits now for dinner, too.”

Smith & Wollensky Celebrates 40th Anniversary 

The Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group, Inc (SWRG), a collection of American steakhouses headquartered in Boston, MA, is celebrating 40 years as America’s classic steakhouse this October. The original Smith & Wollensky location opened in 1977 in New York City. Described by the New York Times as “a steakhouse to end all arguments,” the brand has expanded to nine locations, including Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Houston, and Miami Beach, as well as their first international location in London.

“We are proud to celebrate 40 incredible years as “America’s Steakhouse,” said Michael Feighery, CEO and president of Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group. “From the beginning, Smith & Wollensky has exemplified an unwavering commitment to quality, integrity and hospitality. Our team is dedicated to delivering the best steakhouse experience in the country and abroad –  and we are proud of the esteemed relationships we have created over the years to honor our charm, iconic reputation and thriving growth.”

To commemorate four decades, the team at Smith & Wollensky will take guests on a journey with a special “Then & Now” presentation of a dry-aged USDA Prime New York Strip, offered in classic and contemporary preparations throughout October. 40 years ago, the New York Sirloin was the cornerstone of the classic Smith & Wollensky experience, and to rejoice in four decades of serving high quality steaks, the team will bring back a nostalgic version of this cut from the original menu with a twist: 18oz. with a unique 40-day dry-aged preparation, presented larger in size than the traditional. The classic steak will be simply broiled, served with creamed spinach, roasted mushrooms and buttermilk onion rings – three classic sides still adorning the menu today.

Corporate Executive Chef Matt King has also created an elevated “now” take of this popular steak that highlights the evolution of Smith & Wollensky, with a more composed, seasonal presentation of this same 18oz. 40-day dry-aged USDA Prime New York Strip, featuring mountain bleu cheese and foie gras spinach fondue, king trumpet mushrooms tossed in truffle honey, and sweet potato fingerlings. Each steak presentation is offered at $77, in honor of the year 1977 when the first Smith & Wollensky location opened. 

As part of the anniversary celebration, the steakhouses will also feature premium wine and whiskey offerings that are well aligned in their own history, heritage and longtime presence as part of the “America’s Steakhouse” dining experience, including Robert Mondavi Winery and Woodford Reserve. Celebrated as a pioneer in the world of California wine, Robert Mondavi’s signature cabernet wines have been a longtime favorite among Smith & Wollensky guests as a superior steak-pairing wine.  The Oakville Cabernet, from Mondavi’s To Kalon Vineyard, will be featured by the glass and bottle at special prices, for a limited time. The steakhouses will also feature Smith & Wollensky 40th Anniversary branded Woodford Reserve Bourbon bottles and specials, including an anniversary Woodford Reserve Rye crafted Manhattan cocktail, barrel-aged in-house for over 30 days.

Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice Celebrates Grand Opening in United States

Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice, the Chinese brand with a singular menu item, opened its doors to the brand’s first U.S. location in Tustin, CA  on Sunday, Sept. 10.

“This grand opening is a milestone for Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice, marking the first time we’ve been able to share our signature Huang Men braised chicken and rice with American customers with an incredible response,” said founder Xiaolu Yang, who opened the first Yang’s Braised Chicken Rice in China in 2011. “We know locals were initially stunned to learn our menu only has one item, our signature braised chicken dish prepared three ways—regular, authentic (most popular) and spicy. Now that they’ve tried it, we know our new fans understand why one dish has been the engine behind our expansion into the United States!”

The grand opening event drew more than 400 guests, including representatives from the Chinese Consulate, Tustin City Council members and local foodies who had registered online to reserve a space at the event, all to try the brand’s signature braised chicken and rice for the first time in the United States.

At 1,500 square feet, the Tustin restaurant has seating for 40, initially serving 200 portions of the braised chicken and rice dish for the day. All orders are first-come, first-serve, as the restaurant is not accepting call in orders or reservations. In order to ensure as many guests as possible can be served, there is a one order per person policy during the limited serving period.

The restaurant’s single menu item got its start when Yang’s grandmother acquired the secret recipe for the sauce and began serving it at the family’s many well-known independent restaurants. With years of culinary training under his belt, Yang began lovingly adapting the sauce of the braised chicken recipe and added rice before launching it at his fast casual restaurants in 2011.

“With the wildly successful launch of our first U.S. location, we are well on our way to developing a significant footprint in the United States,” said CEO of the U.S. group, Xinyu Zhang. “We look forward to launching our franchise network and spreading our home-cooked, taste-of-childhood flavors throughout more communities in California and the nation.” 

While the majority of locations in China are owned by multi-unit franchisees, the Tustin restaurant is owned and operated by the corporate team. The brand aims to start signing deals with qualified franchisees to bring the brand to targeted markets throughout California, New York, Chicago and San Francisco within the next year.

The Popup ‘Pestaurant’

Ehrlich  seeks to show that pests do not have to be feared – people can also enjoy them in delicious culinary creations. On September 26, Ehrlich will host a free pop-up “Pestaurant” at the Pratt and Light Plaza in Baltimore, Maryland at MD-2 & E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202, between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Passersby will have a chance to sample a variety of dishes created especially for the event by the Eleven Courses Catering & Event Company, including June Beetles Encrusted Croquettes, Fried Cricket Crostini, Maryland Mealworm Crab Cakes, and Grasshopper Bark. As September is Hunger Action Month, “Pestaurant” will serve as a reminder of the issue of food insecurity – or the lack of access to healthy foods – and importance of considering a variety of food sources. In support, Ehrlichwill be making a donation to benefit the Maryland Food Bank and the organization’s ongoing, local initiatives.

The objective of “Pestaurant” is to raise awareness and to show that pests, while often feared, can actually contribute towards a healthy diet. While people tend to only look for preventive options to guard themselves from insects, they should also consider that pests are high in protein, zinc and calcium. “Pestaurant” offers attendees the opportunity to sample unique dishes, partake in the popular cricket eating contest and take “Pest Selfies” for a free and fun experience.

“‘Pestaurant’ has been very well received in the past, with activations across the country for attendees who are excited about the unique opportunity to be adventurous and try cuisine, infused with pests,” said Mischelle Ambrosio, Ehrlich Baltimore District Manager. “We are thrilled to bring this event to Baltimore and to offer the community the fun experience to pile their lunch plate with pests on Tuesday, September 26.”