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In-house dining at the workplace faces unique challenges. The dining facility should provide convenience for employees but at the same time the cafeteria still needs to provide attractive menu items, to prevent members of the staff from purchasing their meals from a local restaurant, which are in abundance in any city. Modernizing a corporate cafeteria through dining service consultants is the key to being provided with the advice of experts that are on the forefront of cafeteria trends and customer demands. Corporate dining consultants may recommend implementing services such as an improved menu, adding value and analyzing pricing strategy. These are three examples of services that can assist toward more loyal customers and an in-house dining facility which results in the potential for greater profitability. Modernizing the Menu The current trend in menu items of 2012 is, “Going Green.” This includes purchasing food items from local sources, organic meals, preparing food from scratch and a facility that takes great care to recycle, produce minimal waste and conserves utilities. Customers are demanding a more environmentally-friendly establishment and by offering greener menu items and an all-around eco-friendly service, customers will be more likely to eat at the corporate dining facility, since it provides the convenience of location and adheres to the customer’s own green initiatives. Adding Value to Meals Corporate dining facilities tend to lose customers due to the common occurrence of operating like a school cafeteria. The customer does not see the value for the food that is being provided. Unlike school-aged children, corporate customers have the money and the transportation to take their business elsewhere. The first step toward correcting this challenge is to prepare meals fresh-to-serve. This also allows the customer their own customizations such as condiments and the option to ask for no cheese or sauce, as an example, for their personal health or diet concerns. All too often a dining facility will immediately lower the price in the hopes that their customers will stay, based on the price-drop alone but when the value is already in question and then the price goes down, it doesn’t always produce the desired result. Analyzing Price Strategy Sometimes a dining facility has no choice but to raise the price of their products. When food, equipment and supply costs rise, so does the price of the menu items. However, dining consultants assist their clients with devising strategies to help offset a price increase. This can include having a two-sided menu that offers low cost and higher cost options. This will provide the customer with a range and choices; and customers love to have options. A consultancy firm that specializes in corporate dining facilities are available for management consultation, facility design and hospitality management. With strategies such as modernizing the menu, adding value to meals and working on pricing strategy, any in-house dining facility can improve relationships with their customers and increase the overall quality of the entire operation. A dining service consultants service can answer questions, provide innovative solutions and clarify and help to reach financial and operational objectives. To find out more benefits of consultancy for the hospitality industry visit, www.clariongp.com.
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