Maybe it’s just me — you can be the judge — but have you noticed that a great deal of recent restaurant openings are offering very similar cuisines?
Don’t get me wrong; I have preached for the last seven years that we have had a gap in the marketplace for affordable mid-price casual outlets that offer quality, consistency and value, while delivering a service ethos that has been lacking. And then, all of sudden, they arrive at the same time!
I am speaking about those recently opened café/bistro/eateries that have taken the bull by the horns and opted for an outlet that serves, dare I say it, an exciting breakfast offering.
This is then followed by a menu throughout the course of the day that would appeal even to the fussiest of foodies, their friends, their relatives and even their distant cousins.
Back to the topic, this high street bistro phenomenon is not a generalist approach to being everything to everyone — absolutely not. These outlets are exceptionally strategic in their approach, wanting to have their dishes ultimately Instagrammed and Snapchatted at every opportunity, allowing social media to do their marketing for them.
Their menus are focused; yes they deliver a burger and a salad, and mac ‘n’ cheese etc, but they do it very well — simple delivery and stunning ingredients, executed to perfection, with each dish harbouring a discreet little twist. It’s this identifier that you associate with the outlet and your experience.
What they have done is create a destination that I want to go to two or three times a week for completely differing purposes. And is that not what we all, as restaurateurs, strive to achieve? The magical formula that, aside from engaging levels of service, delivers a product that we are proud of. We almost take ownership of the outlet and call it ‘ours’, as in “let me take you to my new place for breakfast”.
Yes, of course, we still need our speciality Greek, Mexican, Asian, Peruvian (okay maybe a little break from Peruvian), outlets and yet I think there is a clear speciality in ‘focused generality’ that has entered the market and given us something that we can proudly refer to as local.
Now, time for the slightly controversial part. Where else could these outlets not only establish a footprint, but provide a decent offering across all three meal periods of the day? Where there is a captive audience and footfall from the public? That’s right Mr. All Day Dining in hotels… your days are numbered. In fact, I would go one step further and say, hand on heart, that the thought of a hotel buffet breakfast, going against the latest entrants in our ‘modern eatery’ segment, would fail hands down in a game of Top Trumps.
Maybe we shall see these outlets arrive into hotels in the not too distant future. One can only hope.
So, my challenge to you all is, if you haven’t found one of these places yet, don’t despair — they are there. To those creative minds behind them, congratulations and thank you. The ante has certainly been upped for 2017.
Duncan Fraser-Smith is the founder of The Cutting Edge Agency, which specialises in developing and creation of benchmark F&B concepts through conceptualisation and training, as well as sourcing and partnering with international brands and high profile chefs to successfully establish their presence in the Middle East. Visit:www.thecuttingedgeagency.com for more information.
Comment: To generalise or to specialise?
Duncan Fraser-Smith on how the ante has been upped for 2017
Maybe it’s just me — you can be the judge — but have you noticed that a great deal of recent restaurant openings are offering very similar cuisines?
Don’t get me wrong; I have preached for the last seven years that we have had a gap in the marketplace for affordable mid-price casual outlets that offer quality, consistency and value, while delivering a service ethos that has been lacking. And then, all of sudden, they arrive at the same time!
I am speaking about those recently opened café/bistro/eateries that have taken the bull by the horns and opted for an outlet that serves, dare I say it, an exciting breakfast offering.
This is then followed by a menu throughout the course of the day that would appeal even to the fussiest of foodies, their friends, their relatives and even their distant cousins.
Back to the topic, this high street bistro phenomenon is not a generalist approach to being everything to everyone — absolutely not. These outlets are exceptionally strategic in their approach, wanting to have their dishes ultimately Instagrammed and Snapchatted at every opportunity, allowing social media to do their marketing for them.
Their menus are focused; yes they deliver a burger and a salad, and mac ‘n’ cheese etc, but they do it very well — simple delivery and stunning ingredients, executed to perfection, with each dish harbouring a discreet little twist. It’s this identifier that you associate with the outlet and your experience.
What they have done is create a destination that I want to go to two or three times a week for completely differing purposes. And is that not what we all, as restaurateurs, strive to achieve? The magical formula that, aside from engaging levels of service, delivers a product that we are proud of. We almost take ownership of the outlet and call it ‘ours’, as in “let me take you to my new place for breakfast”.
Yes, of course, we still need our speciality Greek, Mexican, Asian, Peruvian (okay maybe a little break from Peruvian), outlets and yet I think there is a clear speciality in ‘focused generality’ that has entered the market and given us something that we can proudly refer to as local.
Now, time for the slightly controversial part. Where else could these outlets not only establish a footprint, but provide a decent offering across all three meal periods of the day? Where there is a captive audience and footfall from the public? That’s right Mr. All Day Dining in hotels… your days are numbered. In fact, I would go one step further and say, hand on heart, that the thought of a hotel buffet breakfast, going against the latest entrants in our ‘modern eatery’ segment, would fail hands down in a game of Top Trumps.
Maybe we shall see these outlets arrive into hotels in the not too distant future. One can only hope.
So, my challenge to you all is, if you haven’t found one of these places yet, don’t despair — they are there. To those creative minds behind them, congratulations and thank you. The ante has certainly been upped for 2017.
Duncan Fraser-Smith is the founder of The Cutting Edge Agency, which specialises in developing and creation of benchmark F&B concepts through conceptualisation and training, as well as sourcing and partnering with international brands and high profile chefs to successfully establish their presence in the Middle East. Visit:www.thecuttingedgeagency.com for more information.
Comment: What lessons did 2016 teach us?
Comment: Winning the expectation game