5 Traits of Successful F&B Concepts
First Published: 27 Jan 2021
Last Updated: 21 Mar 2021
We have worked with F&B owners for over a decade. The following tips are the common thread we have extracted from the concepts of these successful F&B owners.
Allow us to share these 5 traits with you, so you are able to build new brands and food offerings on solid foundations to become the next successful F&B business!
Why do some F&B businesses take off and cease operations within a year, while others can enjoy a long life of over 20 years? While there may be many different answers, often the reason is due to the business straying away from the basics of running a successful F&B business.
Without further ado, here are the 5 traits of successful F&B concepts:
1. Clean and Professional Brand Image
Singapore is home to affluent consumers, always on the look-out for new and quality food. And in their quest for such indulgence, these consumers are keenly conscious of: brand, packaging, and most important of all, its social-media-worthiness.
Being seen with the coolest and newest often feed their self-esteem and welcome envy and comments from their friends and followers. Thus, food has evolved into a social-media phenomenon!
While these consumers may not be part of your target audience, it is important to understand and be familiar with the social media landscape, to ensure your brand does not make the mistake of becoming phased out or worse – canceled.
2. Simplicity - Less is More
In food, we have always believed in Signature Dishes – the subject expert in that cuisine and the dish.
As an example: when you crave certain types of cuisine or a specific dish, you are bound to think of the most famous brand or dish that is in your vicinity. Depending on how great the dish is, you may even travel the length of Singapore to get to it.
What is meant by “less is more”, is for you to become a specialist in your offerings for your customers. Rather than selling tons of different dishes and varieties without a focus, create a signature – something unique to you.
So start by creating a Signature Dish in the market where people will not only remember you for, but travel for you.
3. Showmanship and Food Presentation
We are visual creatures, and as a result, visually enticing food concepts play a large role in brand success. Visuals anchors are very important to brands as the anchors greatly affects our palette and, in turn, our craving for certain food.
A great example that we share with our clients is the brand, Tori Q. Tori Q allows you to watch and experience the cooking process while you queue, allowing you to follow the journey of your food, becoming invested in the dish, and finally a sense of accomplishment when you select your food and consume it.
This sense of accomplishment would be associated with the taste, and so the next time you feel a sense of accomplishment, you’d be reminded of a specific taste in your mouth, triggering your next visit to Tori Q.
Visual delights palette!
4. Quality of Ingredients
Every gram of fresh ingredients matter! Have you ever experienced that a soup tasting slightly different this time around?
Consumers are very sensitive to the quality of ingredients and always err on the side of caution, not wanting to risk their stomachs just to chase after a specific taste.
To provide delightable food offering – never short change your consumers with lower quality ingredients, just to make a slightly larger margin. Treat your consumers with respect and heart, and you would in turn be treated the same.
Remember! Food is about its ingredients and the ingredients form the DNA of great amazing food!
5. Food Consistency
Standard operating procedures (SOP) for food preparation are an integral part of providing quality food that are consistent in their taste.
Consistency of food represents your brand, and your brand promise is your food offering. If that consistency drops, your customers will leave you.
Consistency can also be applied to your customer service, brand packaging, social media communication, and any other part of your brand that consumers would be able to interact with. A consistent brand is the quickest way to build trust among your customers.
Looking for further guidance with your concept or improvements to your current offering? With over a decade of experience in the industry, we are ready to help!
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