Today’s consumers are increasingly customizing their food and beverages to match their tastes, dietary needs and desire for unique experiences. Many customers are looking to add variety and excitement to the items they already purchase for convenience. It’s up to convenience store operators to deliver the options customers crave to ensure they keep coming back. Here are six ways c-store operators can lean into customization and be successful doing it.
1. Offer a customizable core menu that allows for easy substitutions and add-ons. Certain menu items — such as pizza — have always been customizable. It is simply the way the category was designed. Both the consumer and operator have always approached it that way. Just as pizza relies on customization to succeed, other menu categories can’t ignore the importance of letting customers tailor their orders.
Retailers that don’t provide customization opportunities are likely to end up with a menu that is too large, spreading their focus too thin and ultimately failing to deliver what customers truly want. Alternatively, offering a customizable core menu that consists of items such as made-to-order sandwiches, bowls or wraps, provides customers with appealing choices and flexibility. While focusing on these core items, retailers can allow customers to choose their own proteins, toppings, sauces and sides, ensuring the customer gets it exactly how they want it while keeping preparation simple for the operator.
Operators can also create modular beverage stations, which provide customized cold and hot beverages as well as smoothies. Unfortunately, many operators choose to discourage customization. But this is not in the best interest of the operator. Your menu should provide options, and some of those options should be unexpected.
2. Leverage technology for custom orders. By investing in self-service ordering kiosks, user-friendly mobile apps or tablets, an operator can provide customers with the opportunity to customize their orders in a non-pressure environment. This technology also gives retailers the opportunity to suggest upgrades, such as “Add avocado for $1;” or “Create a combo;” or “Add a protein to your salad or bowl.”
These technology platforms can also answer questions regarding the ingredients and the portion size of a menu item. They can also save preferences for returning customers and provide an estimated wait time and pick-up notifications, which can motivate shoppers to check out other items in the store while they wait.
3. Make it easy for your staff to execute customization. Customization only works if employees can consistently execute. Team members must be cross-trained so they understand the menu and the options available and can prepare the products to specifications. It starts with an operator’s staff having the tools needed to be consistent. Whether a customer orders through technology or through a cashier at the register, customization can only consistently work if the customized changes to the norm are easy to see in a printout or KPS (Kitchen Production System). The line set up in the kitchen must be structured so that it’s easy for employees to find the items they need. Management must avoid stock-outs.
4. Guide your customer with customizable options. When a consumer walks into your store, many times they already have in mind what they are going to order, and, in many cases, it is very basic. But there’s still an opportunity to “wow” the consumer. Exceeding expectations should remain a key goal for any operator. That’s why it is important to offer up some trendy items. Spicy and bold flavors, for example, are very hot right now and can bring new energy to the menu. Offering menu items or limited-time options with trendy ingredients gives customers a chance to add excitement as they customize their own creations.
Beverages remain crucial to increasing traffic and average check. Providing options to build customizable hot and cold beverages has become a requirement for the consumer. Operators must encourage customization in this area.
5. Allow customers to customize by dietary preferences. Satisfying a customer’s dietary preferences does not need to be complicated, but it’s necessary to provide options. Health-conscious customization needs to be part of a foodservice operator’s story if they want to compete with fast-casual restaurants. Retailers can start with the basics, such as offering bowls vs. wraps, turkey bacon vs. regular bacon, fruit cup vs. chips, egg whites vs. whole eggs and more. Lower sodium, lower fat, lower sugar and low carb are all easy options to provide. It’s also important to offer vegetarian options that taste good. Remember, it’s not enough to just have any old options — they must meet the standards of regular menu items.
6. Create a signature customizable program. To approach customization, retailers can start by creating a signature customization program based around building a bowl, burrito, sandwich or other signature item. Provide the consumer with their basic options (a bowl can start with rice, quinoa, lettuce, etc. and continue to add more interesting options).
On the beverage front, remember that coffee is no longer about value. Instead, it’s about customer preferences. Does the consumer want hot, iced, cold brew or frozen? What type of milk do they prefer? Do they want flavor options? In most cases, the answer is yes. They want the option to customize their beverage and then possibly pair it with a pastry or a combo meal deal.
If you’re providing customization, make it easy to find and understand. It is important to be consistent from store to store so that the consumer knows they have the ability to make their order “their way.”
Bruce Reinstein is a partner with Kinetic12 Consulting, a Chicago-based foodservice and general management consulting firm. Learn more at Kinetic12.com, or contact him at [email protected].
