Are labor shortages causing you to reduce your deli hours? We get it! Fortunately we have two key strategies to help you win back those full business hour sales. By entering the menu matrix and harnessing your partnership power as detailed below, you can leverage your shortened deli hours to amplify your business to fit ever changing on-the-go consumer trends.
Enter the menu matrix.
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Utilize a Grab & Go program. Leverage your staff with a complimentary Grab & Go program by bulk preparing items that your customers can easily snatch from your self service warmer, because let's face it, your customers are busy too. This eliminates the need to build to order and bottlenecked customer lines.
- Be sure you are taking the SMART menu approach. Not sure what to offer on your menus? We've taken out the guess work by providing you a simplified, targeted menu offering that will allow your team to manage key items. This also reduces your inventory and preparation needs, again leveraging your staff so that they aren't trying to do too much at once.
- Streamline your weekend operations instead of fully closing your deli on the weekend. If experiencing labor challenges, offer core items that still provide your customers with options. By closing your deli over the weekends, you risk training your customers that you have zero options available and having them go somewhere else. This can be as simple as offering one protein and limited sides, or again, offering grab and go solutions.
Harness your Partnership Power.
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Our support is your success. Having a branded food program will give you access to proven methods that get results. We have several unique and crave-able options that we can tailor to your location. You're not alone. Implementing one of these programs will not only take your business to the next level, it will provide you with many levels of support from labor challenges to experts that will help maximize your profitability.
- Utilize the correct technology. A person is only as good as the tools they have to create. Take the guesswork out of your daily decisions with the technology we offer to provide the needed data to make the right choices in foodservice. Use this data to offer the best and most desired products to your consumers, as well as face staffing shortages by shifting your team more towards your busiest hours of foot traffic.
- Realize the untapped potential of 3rd party delivery. Chances are, you've heard of Doordash and UberEats. Your customers certainly have - so why not utilize this opportunity to incrementally grow your sales. On average, we've seen store sales increase by 150 orders. This might seem like a lot when facing labor challenges. On the contrary, you can set the hours of service on these platforms, allowing you to maximize your labor. And when you actually break that number down, it is as easy as adding three in person consumers to your daily ticket rings. Here, you are reaching completely different markets, increasing your chances of becoming a sought after market.
Bonus Strategy - Happy Hours!
Who doesn't love a good happy hour deal? Consider creating a happy hour promotion during your lulling hours to capture unrealized sales. Value promotions, such as happy hour specials, are key to get customer's in the door - especially during these harsh times of inflation when we all might be looking to pinch a penny or two. Plus, a sale is better than no sale, right?
Again, we are here to support you. Please reach out to our Customer Success team or your local Retail Growth Advisor to start implementing these solutions and re-capture those full business hour sales you might be missing out on with reduced deli hours.