Services for Chain Restaurant Operators
The Menu is the Heart and Soul of the Restaurant
Like no other document, the menu reflects restaurant identity, philosophy and reason for being. In a way, the menu is the restaurant's market plan because it lists what is for sale (product), positions items by menu part (place), differentiates items by perceived quality (promotion) and sets the terms for the transaction (price). Menu content for leading restaurants in specific and all restaurants in general provides a window on consumer food preferences and dining habits. Category management of all items on the menu demands micro knowedge of what competitors are cooking up and macro insight into what everyone has in the pot. MenuMine can assist chains to develop their food and flavor knowledge base. MenuMine's suite of research tools is designed to get quick answers to need - to - know, spur of the moment questions. Tools are also available to satisfy long term, strategic planning for chains on a variety of fronts.
Operator Menu/Market Intelligence Platforms
MenuMine
MenuMine is a menu information database for use by Marketing and Culinary R&D in the food industry to gain perspectives on new possibilities and gaps in their product line.
- 140k+ Unique menu items cataloged by up to 120 unique characteristics.
- Price trends going back to 1996. The MenuMine Database is unparalleled for data relevance and insight.
- Category Incidence Trending, Market Size Projections, Menu Price Trends, Chain Benchmarking Methods and multiple column Spreadsheets.
Chain Benchmark
Chain Benchmark provides menu developers with planning basics for all chains within their competitive set. Examined are key menu characteristics affecting menu item positioning within the concept and these include:
- Menu Part analysis for Appetizers, Sandwiches, Entrees, Burgers, Salads and Sides
- Influence of Cuisine of Menu Item separate and apart from concept positioning
- Influence of Protein by Type/Cut within each menu part
- Influence of Cooking Method by Protein Type
- Leading Item Analysis by Menu Item Class and Type within each Menu Part
- Menu Price Analysis by Menu Item Class and Type within each Menu Part
Local Market Services
Restaurant chains constantly monitor what the competition is doing. Frequently, restaurant management and staff are called upon to perform this data collection service. This process can be expensive when true costs are examined. Foodservice Research Institute is prepared to assist restaurant chains on a local market basis either on an ad hoc basis or as a formal program. Foodservice Research Institute is available to perform local market area assessments in four information gathering disciplines.
- Menu Pick-Up
- Price Check
- Menu Item Purchase
- Consumer Intercept
LTO-Trak
Reports on an approximate 40 LTO’s that appeared on chain menus in the previous month. Criteria is strict for consideration as an LTO. Items must be “new” or re-introduced from a previous year (McRib), They cannot simply be an item that has been repriced. Coupons or price promotions that are not new and are not available for a short period of time are not included as LTO’s. With these restrictions the list of monthly LTO’s is unique and more valuable to the product developer.
Download a sample PDF of the LTO report
New Item Database
More than 12,000 new items have been added to menus of the Top 500 chains in the last five years. A slightly smaller 10,000 menu items have been deleted. New items that are to earn a permanent status on the menu must meet various criteria for success. For any given chain concept these criteria become more focused. The MenuMine New Additions Database is available for analysis. Simply tell us what menu part and concept you are concentrating on and we will provide directional insight as well as a complete record of all activity in your concept including new items, LTO's, add backs and deletes.