Food for Thought: 10th August 2023
Dawn Gribble
?? Hospitality Marketing Expert | MIH | MCIM | Founder HospitalityMarketingHub.com ?????
Serving Up Industry Insights and Expert Advice for Restaurants
In this week's Food For Thought Newsletter
? Grab a Coffee, and Let's Get Started
?? Chick-fil-A Introduces Drive-Thru Only Lanes
Chick-fil-A will test two innovative digital-first store designs to reduce long wait times. Khalilah Cooper, the executive director of restaurant design for Chick-fil-A, stated that digital orders already account for over half of total sales in specific markets, and these tests were chosen with customers in mind to enhance their experience.?
One design will be tested in Atlanta, including four drive-thru lanes, with two dedicated to mobile order pickups. The kitchen will be twice the size of a typical Chick-fil-A location, and orders will be transported via an overhead conveyor belt. To be tested in New York City, the other design will serve as a point-of-pickup for mobile orders, utilising GPS tracking to ensure freshness. Both strategies aim to reduce wait times while maintaining exceptional hospitality.
Despite concerns about long wait times causing congestion and safety issues, a recent survey by Dutch Bros. reveals that drive-thrus remain highly popular, with twice as many people preferring them over dining inside.???
??? Instagram Experiments With a Range of Generative AI Elements
Instagram is experimenting with a range of generative AI elements to enhance user experiences. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that the company has witnessed incredible breakthroughs in generative AI and plans to integrate the technology into all its products.?
The platform is developing generative AI tools for ad creation and working on creative AI tools for regular users. These tools include generative AI sticker creation, visual editing tools, an AI chatbot for conversations in direct messages (DMs), a message summary feature, and labels to indicate when an image has been created by AI. The release dates for these features are yet to be announced; I'll keep you posted.?
?? YouTube Influencer MrBeast Sues His Food Delivery Partner Over ‘Inedible’ Burgers and Is Sued in Return
YouTube star MrBeast, whose real name is James Donaldson, has filed a lawsuit against his food delivery partner, Virtual Dining Concepts (VDC). MrBeast alleges that the company compromised on quality to expand rapidly. The lawsuit in Manhattan accuses VDC of breaching their contract and seeks to terminate their business relationship.?
MrBeast partnered with VDC in 2020 and started selling burger-and-fries combos through ghost kitchens. However, customers soon began complaining about the poor quality burgers, with some describing them as "disgusting" and "inedible." Donaldson's complaints about quality control were allegedly ignored. MrBeast also claims that his image was used without permission and that his company has not received any payment from the venture.
In response, VDC? has filed a countersuit against MrBeast, for breach of contract. VDC alleges that Donaldson breached the agreement and disparaged the MrBeast Burger brand, causing damage to partnerships with vendors and suppliers. The complaint seeks compensation for damages in the nine-figure range. The duelling lawsuits highlight some of the challenges virtual brand platforms face.
?? Starbucks Uses Augmented Reality to Celebrate and Encourage Kindness
Starbucks has launched an augmented reality (AR) experience to promote and celebrate kindness. Users can access the AR experience through the Starbucks mobile app or by scanning a QR code in stores or on the company's website.?
The experience allows users to use AR to place virtual sticky notes, photos, videos, and other elements into their environment. Users can view and share kind messages left by others and browse and send animated kindness cards to others. The campaign encourages daily acts of kindness and is supported by partnerships with the Born This Way Foundation and mental health company Headspace.
"At Starbucks, we are in the people business serving coffee," said Lindsey Derry, the vice president of brand and partnerships marketing at Starbucks. "The company believes in the power of connection and kindness, and this AR experience is an example of bringing those values to life."?
?? Taco Bell Faces Lawsuit Over 'Especially Concerning' Advertisements
Taco Bell is facing a class action lawsuit alleging that the fast-food chain has deceived customers by providing less beef and cheese in its Crunchwrap Supreme and Grande Crunchwrap menu items than advertised.?
领英推荐
The lawsuit, filed in New York Court, claims that Taco Bell's actions are unfair and financially damaging to consumers, especially given the current high inflation and food prices. Photos show a significant discrepancy between the advertised food and what was received.?
The suit seeks $5 million in compensation on behalf of all individuals or entities who purchased certain menu items from Taco Bell in New York between July 31, 2020, and the conclusion of the case, including the Crunchwrap Supreme, Grande Crunchwrap, Vegan Crunchwrap, Mexican Pizza, or Veggie Mexican Pizza.
The lawsuit states: "Taco Bell's actions are especially concerning now that inflation, food, and meat prices are very high and many consumers, especially lower-income consumers, are struggling financially."?
?? Concerning Link Between Microwaves and Microplastics Ingestion
New research from the University of Nebraska: Lincoln has highlighted the potential dangers of microwaving plastic food containers.?
Researcher Kazi Albab Hussain conducted a study inspired by his concerns as a new father and found that microwaving plastic containers releases toxic microplastics and nanoplastics, which can harm our bodies. In the study, 75% of cultured kidney cells died after exposure to particulates from microwaved baby food containers for 48 hours.?
Hussain hopes that in the future, plastic products will display labels indicating they are free from microplastics and nanoplastics. This discovery raises concerns about the widespread presence of microplastics and the need for alternatives to current plastic polymers.
?? Uber Eats Expands In-Seat Delivery to Oracle Park in San Francisco
Uber Eats has partnered with the San Francisco Giants to provide in-seat delivery at Oracle Park. This marks the second Major League Baseball venue where Uber Eats offers in-seat delivery. The company has also expanded its in-stadium mobile ordering to seven U.S. stadiums and five international venues.?
Uber Eats plans to learn from its partnerships with the Giants and the Yankees before expanding this service to additional venues. For in-seat delivery, customers input their seat location and other identifying information during the checkout process, while pickup orders can be collected at over 20 concessions booths inside Oracle Park. Delivery times typically range from five to 10 minutes.
?? WSTA Launches Low and No Alcohol Guides
The Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has launched the UK's first low and no-alcohol guides. The guides clarify the marketing, labelling, and production of low and no-alcohol wines and spirits. They focus on beverages with a maximum of 0.5% abv and provide pragmatic solutions to conflicting legislative requirements.?
The WSTA expects the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to conduct a consultation to seek views on changing the low alcohol descriptor guidance. This consultation aims to increase the consumption of low/no alcoholic products and shift the market's focus towards these alternatives. The WSTA and its members advocate for increasing the alcohol-free threshold from 0.05% to 0.5% to align with the European markets and address consumer confusion.
?? Gen Z Is Pinterest’s Fastest-Growing Cohort
Pinterest CEO Bill Ready recently revealed that the company is experiencing significant user growth, particularly among Generation Z users. The company's earnings report for the second quarter showed revenue of $708 million, surpassing consensus estimates of $696 million. Sales in Q2 increased by 6% compared to the previous year.
Gen Z is the fastest-growing cohort on Pinterest, engaging more deeply than prior user cohorts. The platform has a unique commercial appeal, with over half of users stating their intention to shop on Pinterest. The introduction of shoppable content has resulted in improved user engagement and satisfaction.
Pinterest provides a large user base for restaurants to target. The platform allows restaurants to easily share pictures and other content, driving more traffic to their websites and venues.
?? Oscar Mayer Joins Social Media’s ‘Hot Dog or Legs’ Debate
Oscar Mayer is launching a new marketing campaign called #HotDogsForLegs to join social media's popular "hot dogs or legs" debate. The campaign aims to connect younger audiences by merging the brand's product with the viral trend.?
The lighthearted debate, which has garnered over 9 billion views on TikTok, revolves around whether an image depicts tanned legs or hot dogs. Oscar Mayer plans to share bold pictures of real hot dogs on social media and in out-of-home (OOH) placements in several cities. The campaign also features images of fans' "hot dog legs" in upcoming creatives.
?????
That’s a wrap for the week!?
Please don't hesitate to contact me with any feedback or suggestions for future topics. Here's to Your Success ???