Flexibility is a great way to create happy customers, and it’s an even better way to increase profits.
All across the landscape of food and beverage, we’re seeing certain types of operations go beyond their traditional services as they look for greater potential. C-stores are becoming more like coffee shops. Coffee shops are gaining fast casual characteristics. Fast casual restaurants are taking on more fine-dining type elements. And all across our industry, cross over is becoming commonplace.
Essentially, it’s up to operators to think outside the box. How are they doing this? For starters, they’re rethinking common conceptions about food and beverage service times and are coming up with some creative alternatives.
Just because an operation thrives as a high-end coffee shop during the day doesn’t mean it has to close its doors at night. A serving cart that provides pastries and cereals for breakfast can also double as a dessert bar at night. Omelet stations for brunch can shift out their service to a pasta station at night. That coffee shop we mentioned? What if it doubled as a cocktail bar at night?
The key here is flexibility — flexibility in thought, flexibility in concept, flexibility in execution, and the flexibility in the equipment it takes to pull it all off.
MENU VERSATILITY
When it comes to flexible serving options, the first thing to consider is the ability to serve multiple types of menu items from the same location. This means a given piece of real estate can be attractive to customers and guests for greater periods of time. This is the ultimate in flexibility and profitability.
MOBILITY
The next step in flexibility is having the ability to take foods and beverages to the guest instead of the guest needing to come to the operator. Mobile serving stations are an easy way to transform the point-of-sale from point-to-point.
USABILITY
The final aspect of flexibility is to find equipment that is known for its usability. How easy is it to transform a serving cart from breakfast service to lunch? Are carts easy to move? How long does it take to clean? What about service and maintenance? The bottom line is flexibility is only implemented by staff members, so equipment needs to be easy to use.
MISE EN PLACE
For the ultimate in flexibility, consider the Lakeside Mise En Place cart. It easily transitions from a back-of-house helper to a front-of-house money maker. Explore ideas and get inspired with more information here.
