As you work on your reopening and get back to business, we wanted to share some top insights from the insights survey commissioned by Aviko Foodservice.
The survey which was run via the company’s consumer social media channels collated data gathered from the public regarding the long-awaited reopening of hospitality. The aim of the survey was to ensure pubs, restaurants and cafes can be as successful as possible.
The survey covered everything from cuisine types to the planned frequency of visits and pulled together over 4,000 responses from the UK public. The findings were:
Meal Variety for the Customer
The survey revealed that 59% of respondents were really looking forward to a meal out with the family, followed by 48% eagerly anticipating a meal out with their partner and 41% who wanted a meal out with friends.
Aviko asked respondents what cuisine type they would order on their first visit – and pub food was the resounding winner, with 60% craving traditional pub dishes.
With that in mind, hospitality businesses could use this to further influence their menu variation in terms of food offering – from family-friendly menus with great children’s choices to vegan, vegetarian and couple-friendly options, such as sharing platters.
Be Prepared for the Business
The future looks positive too with 96% stating they intended to go out at least once a month. Breaking this down further; 27% (+9%) of people said they intended to go out weekly, and 20% (+12%) said they would go out more than once a week. This suggests it will be a great time to get out there and start enticing potential customers to your venue.
Ensure you are tuned into their requirements and interests, what encourages them and what doesn’t.
As the survey suggests covid concerns will not stop the majority but safety is still a major concern. So communicate your safety in the venue, through your website and social media channels. It will provide extra peace of mind for customers who may still be apprehensive about dining out.
Quality is Key
Consumers overwhelmingly chose quality of food as their number one priority. Quality of service, meanwhile, narrowly pipped safety to the post.
Serve up good quality food and ensure your service is remarkable so diners keep you top of the list when choosing where to eat next.
Popular Times of the Day
Take advantage of the fact that dinnertime is bound to pull in most of your customers, with the survey suggesting that dinner is the mealtime that most of the survey respondents said they were looking to enjoy.
The survey showed 74% said they were intending to go out to dinner, followed by 56% for lunch. Brunch and breakfast were at 13.5% and 12.5% respectively while snacking out followed at 8%.
