Why elevating lunches will help crack more loyal patrons...
When we speak about lunches, what is the first image that comes to mind? Well, in our days that are marked by constant hustling–whether it's incessant meetings, long calls, and sending out a ton of emails–lunch becomes rather neglected. It's hardly a meal that is eaten at leisure.
Of course, there are people who step out for working lunches; yet again, there is a time constraint. Probably why most restaurants have limited lunch options on weekdays. The leisurely lunches are relegated to the weekends.
But it's important to understand that working lunches are not just run-of-the-mill anymore. For starters, they have become more frequent today. But what I've personally observed in The Pasta Bowl Company is that when people come in groups for lunch, they would want to have a quick meal but at the same time, would like to enjoy something that's elevated.
Time is an integral piece of the puzzle. So, if we or other restaurant owners can curate a good meal experience in a set time duration of 30-40 minutes, it's going to help in a big way.
The concept of lunches has certainly changed. It's also because in the past few years, the number of new restaurants and food and beverage concepts has dramatically increased. Previously, if one had to enjoy a refined meal experience, it was a given that it would take far too long. That's not the case now, at least with some restaurants.
Also, QSRs which continue to do well for working lunches have also upped their game. They have begun curating meal experiences that were earlier unheard of.
What has also changed over time is that people have begun preferring lighter lunch meals, which wasn't the trend before. With growing awareness of food on the back of international travel, today's patrons have a palate to experiment with newer cuisines and western food. For instance, a lot of Asian cuisines like Japanese have broken the monotony of eating Indian food out of a buffet. At the end of the day, as I mentioned earlier, the game changer will be offering a good meal experience by providing a healthy twist to lunches which isn't going to make diners lethargic after a meal.
To get more people to have lunch at their restaurants, chefs and owners have to leverage shorter durations. Besides, good food and hospitality will always stay constant. Also, amid increasing competition, restaurants are attempting to offer meal packages at discounted rates, which also works for a few who belong to specific positions.
But is that all? I personally believe it also helps to offer menus that change during the day or are cyclical in nature–this can also attract patrons to come back during lunchtime.
For instance, some of our typical orders during lunch time at The Pasta Bowl Company include salads, grilled chicken, hand rolled pasta meals and sandwiches–basically things which are less messy. People really enjoy grilled chicken with saffron polenta, spaghetti aglio olio, or spaghetti with Napolitana or Marinara sauce, or rigatoni or fusilli. Salads, as I said, are also popular–say a goat cheese salad, or an apple walnut and rocket leaf salad. Those who come in for late lunches prefer shareable meals like pizzas.
The biggest takeaway here is that to get good sales during lunch hours, it's important for a restaurant to run the extra mile. Some of the important characteristics include good quality, service and the value that you offer to your customer.
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