Reality #4 — Differentiation in a world of blurred categories, look-alike menus, and more competition...

The slowing growth in both the number of units and sales per unit will produce more competition for the consumer food dollar.

Quick serve operators responding to a National Restaurant Association survey ranked competitive pressure at "86," on a scale where 100 is the most competitive. This is the third year in a row where the perception of market competitiveness increased.

Restaurants continue to implement strategies to compete more effectively:

1. Introducing new products to keep the menus interesting,
2. Updating restaurant formats to help reposition a brand,
3. Employing technology to increase speed, reduce costs and better serve the market, and
4. Improving the level of service to the guest by increasing the amount of training that affects the employee, the guest, and the financial well-being of the business.

Conclusion:

You can do business as usual and make less money, or address current market realities with workable solutions. Surely, failure to act will result in higher employee costs, unhappy customers, higher turnover and profit erosion.