Today’s consumers are truly eating more at restaurants. This has resulted in a level of spending that just overtook grocery sales for the first time in history. 

Interest in professionally prepared food is piquing, helping new restaurateurs get their businesses off the ground. Bigger restaurants and food service corporations can offer indirect lessons on how to succeed in the market. Here are three lessons gleaned from industry leaders.

Small and Growing Chains Reveal What Customers Are Looking For

Smaller chains are more influenced to follow consumer demands, making them some of the most capricious segments of the market. Up and coming restaurants, like Five Guys and Smashburger, play off customer demands, not just for their burgers, but for an overall innovative experience.

This also makes chains a great indicator of what people are interested in eating because paying attention to these trends is how they survive. One trend, found by The Second 100, which ranked smaller quickly growing chain restaurants, was that diners currently love opportunities to get their food (burgers, meat dishes and coffees are most popular), in casual, but engaging spaces.

While small chains don’t always have staying power, taking suggestions from their business models can give your restaurant a welcoming feel. Matching elements, from décor to menu choices helps your customers get a feeling of growth and success when they first step foot in your place.

However, Big Chain Investments Decline

Bigger chains, on the other hand, are facing issues. In spite of increasing customers going to restaurants, large chains – and their investors - are still feeling the effects of the recession. Therefore, the number of chain locations is decreasing drastically, as money for renovations is running out. Investors remain nervous about funding expensive projects that may fail.

This isn’t a pleasant trend, but it is an important one. It reminds restauranteurs to be frugal with funds, and only spend capital when it is wise to do so. Eventually, investors with money in their wallets will re-engage with the restaurant industry. Until then, it is imperative to tighten up the budget and cut unnecessary costs, so that your restaurant can survive, and hopefully thrive.

Customers Like Honest and Fresh Food Choices

Fresh and healthy are bankable terms right now. They show customers that you care about their wellbeing and that of future generations. The terms can also prove useful for getting good publicity, locally and nationally. These buzzwords can put your restaurant on the map.

Health is becoming an important concern to diners who look at rising obesity and illness rates with fear. 

Mexican food restaurant Chipotle launched an online game to prove that its food really does have health integrity. The “Friend or Faux” game, which allows players to compare its ingredients to those from competitors, serves as an easy way to demonstrate restaurant quality transparently to current and potential customers.

Not every restaurant can afford its own game, especially restaurants that are just emerging. However, well-placed and creative ads, manicured publicity, and a well-known company narrative can also deliver benefits.  Chipotle’s fun, humor, and message, for example, can be conveyed in many ways that meet many budgets.

The restaurant industry is never easy, but it’s often rewarding. Coming out of a tough economy, it is difficult to grow a business that people may still view as a luxury service. Even then, how do you convince customers to try your restaurant above another? It is more important than ever to pay attention to the success of established restaurants and try to replicate their examples on a scale that is affordable to your venture.

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