Now more than ever, it makes sense to choose quality pizza cheese
MUCH HAS CHANGED in foodservice since our last issue. The industry is now starting to emerge from the long period of lockdown - but with restrictions just beginning to ease, it could take many months to rebuild business to former levels.
Thanks to pizza’s popularity as a takeaway and home delivery choice, yours may be one of those businesses which have been able to keep operating, albeit at reduced levels. Your challenge now is to retain that order channel while rebuilding your broader customer base, even as competitor outlets start to reopen. You also need to focus on generating enough repeat business to build your operation back to sustainable levels.
Now more than ever, customers will be looking forward to returning to the dining experiences they remember from pre-lockdown. That means value for money, satisfying food and a memorable dining experience that ticks all the boxes in presentation, taste and service.
So while it’s important to keep an eye on costs as you start ramping up, don’t make the mistake of cutting corners on your most important ingredients. In the case of pizza, that means cheese – it’s the base ingredient which literally binds all the others together and delivers on texture and taste. A great pizza cheese – like Perfect Italiano Traditional Mozzarella or Ultra Mozzarella – makes all the difference in creating a memorable pizza experience to keep customers coming back.
The superior stretch, melt and browning properties of Perfect Italiano ensure a perfect pizza every time. And when you need a cheese that will perform consistently at higher heat levels, Perfect Italiano Ultra Mozzarella is the ideal choice – it can handle the heat of the hottest ovens with minimal oil-off, even melt and consistent browning and blistering.
Both cheeses colour to a golden brown and give great taste and stretch. So when your customers start coming back through your doors, give them the memorable experience they’ve been missing and which will keep them coming back – terrific tasting pizza made with a cheese you can count on.
Set to trend post-lockdown
ONLINE ORDERING
Pushed to the forefront by the lockdown, online ordering has been adopted by more customers than ever before so you can expect it to become a major profit channel into the future. Now’s the time to make sure you’re partnering with the best order platforms for your business.
HOME DELIVERY
Many businesses which weren’t offering home delivery pre-lockdown have been quick to adapt their business accordingly and have gained a new appreciation of the value of this market. And many businesses have found they don’t need to maintain their own delivery staff but can utilise the many third-party delivery providers available. The most important factors are to make sure your meals reach customers in a reasonable timeframe and arrive at the right temperature and condition.
CONTACT-LESS LOYALTY PROGRAMS
Digital POS software enables you to offer customer loyalty programs which customers can register for by swiping a loyalty card across your terminal – reducing personal contact, which is likely to be a permanent requirement from now on. These branded swipe cards are a simple and efficient way of keeping track of customer data such as number of meals served and money spent, making it easier to reward customers through targeted promos and meal deals.
CATERING FOR DIETARY NEEDS
Many customers will have tighter budgets post-lockdown and so will be more choosy about where and when they eat out. From gluten free to flexitarian meals and beyond, the more different dietary needs you can cater to, the greater your potential customer base – and opportunity for repeat business, as customers are loyal to those businesses who meet their needs.
Perfect Solutions
Welcoming customers back into your business
THE RECOVERY of the foodservice market to the effects of the industry wide shutdown of dining out may well be a long process, but over time it will come to pass. Cautiously at first, people will begin to return to their favourite eateries, even with social distancing restricting how many can be served at any one time. And millennials in particular – those for whom eating out has always been a regular part of their lives - will be keen to return to their former habits.
As your loyal customers begin to return to your business, now is a great opportunity to engage with them by thanking them for their patronage and welcoming them back. Together, you and they can celebrate how our foodservice sector has hung in there for the long haul, has seen out the lockdown period and is once again open for business and ready to ramp up as restrictions continue to ease.
Here are five suggestions for how you can invite your customers to share in celebrating your return to sit-down dining and welcome them back to your establishment:
1. Create a special signature pizza or pasta in celebration of the easing of restrictions. For example, you could base an exciting new recipe around your most popular ingredients, try an innovative variation of an existing favourite or come up with something entirely new.
2. Introduce a ‘welcome back’ menu which combines old favourites with innovative items. If you need to reduce the existing menu in order to adapt to smaller staff due to the need to serve fewer customers because of social distancing restrictions, you can position it as a ‘best of the best’ offering which includes your most in-demand meals.
3. Provide personalised thank you messages to customers via staff or POS displays. You can instruct staff on what to say, greet customers with a warm welcome while entering, add a thank you for your custom/welcome back message to their bill or sales receipt, and include a welcome note on in-store signage and menus.
4. Offer special discount deals to encourage additional purchases. With customers celebrating the return to eating out, discount specials may help persuade them to choose an extra course, side dish or drink they might not ordinarily purchase. Remember, it’s all about making the occasion extra special.
5. Go the extra mile in delivering great service with a smile. Nothing encourages repeat business like personalised service and making customers feel truly welcomed and appreciated. Showing them you recognise how important they are to your business through friendly personalised service takes only a little extra effort but it can make a big difference.
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