Operators from all walks of foodservice life are facing unprecedented labor shortages. Here’s how to reach them.
Across a diverse range of viewpoints, geographic reach, and culinary philosophies, a full 72% of restaurant operators rate recruitment and retention of workforce as their No. 1 challenge, according to the National Restaurant Association.
With this need comes the opportunity – we’d even say responsibility – for suppliers to the foodservice industry to put practical solutions in the hands of operators.
And that takes nimble innovation and on-point communication. Here are top considerations and tips for promoting the most timely solutions you have on deck.
The overwhelming labor shortage is coloring every conversation with operators because it’s the first thing they have to address day in, day out. While Instagram-worthy dishes and cutting-edge culinary content continue to be driving desires, speaking to such aspirations needs to be framed with a practical edge.
The bottom line is that branded content and communications must reflect the environment that foodservice operators are facing today. Operators need to know upfront that you understand their immediate challenge – akin to conducting a symphony with two string players – while never ignoring the larger art that moves them.
Here are four key areas where we are seeing the foodservice supplier industry adapt, innovate, and be the kind of problem-solvers that are a lifeline for foodservice. Helping operators accomplish more with less.
Many full-service restaurants have simplified their menus to ease the workload on short-staffed kitchens and to streamline their takeout and delivery model. Products with multiple applications have always been important to chefs and operators to save on valuable storage space, but simple products that can flex to multiple dishes carry a critical benefit for today’s operator.
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No surprise here! Commercial and non-commercial foodservice operators need product solutions that will save them time and eliminate costly staff training. Highlight those value-added or ready-to-serve products in your portfolio. The time is ripe for products that reduce prep time in the kitchen while helping operators ensure a consistent menu experience time after time, location after location. Think pre-peeled potatoes, par-baked breads, and even prepared entrees that are easily customizable.
While some chefs may never budge on their scratch-made recipes, many operators are moving away from scratch in favor of speed-scratch items – products that don’t compromise on quality but improve a kitchen staff’s ability to start a recipe quickly and consistently without the prep and trained labor of scratch cooking.
Calls to action:
Take the burden of time off the operator by creating product training and recipe content that can be easily consumed on the fly in the back-of-house. Think prep, storage, cooking, and plating. Anything that a stretched-thin line cook might need to know to effectively work with your product.
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Foodservice is a game won and lost in the margins. Operators are making buying decisions based on saving pennies per serving. Help operators do the math to show how your products make cents.
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NK is here to help you help operators. Request a consultation today.