By Joan Lang
BJ’s Restaurants, Five Guys, Panda Express… what do they have in common?
For one thing, Technomic’s recent Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report named these three among their Top 10 Fastest Growing Chains in 2010, racking up year-over-year sales gains of 20%, 13%, and 38%, respectively—remarkable at any time much less at the tail end of the worst recession in decades.
There’s more to it than that, however. Even though the 10 chains on the list range from the limited-menu hamburger specialist Five Guys to the full-service, beer-centric Yard House, and from mainstream ethnic concepts like Mexican (Chipotle) and Asian (Panda Express) to all-American wings (Buffalo Wild Wings), they share more than stellar growth. For instance:
- A Distinctive Point of View – Marketing types might call this the brand promise, but the tightly conceived concepts of chains like Five Guys (better-quality burgers and fries) and Noodles & Co. (“travel the world without leaving your table”) are a case study in successful restaurant development. They take to heart the maxim that you have to be able to describe what you’re doing in a sentence or two in order for it to work.
- Social Consciousness – Many customers today want to know that they’re part of something that contributes to the greater good, not just good food. Chipotle’s much-touted “food with integrity” philosophy (naturally raised pork and beef, antibiotic-free chicken, locally raised produce when possible) and has put it on the forefront of ethical sourcing. Firehouse Subs, meanwhile, takes its firehouse heritage seriously, having created a registered nonprofit dedicated to better equip, educate and fund public safety measures.
- Something No One Else Has – There may be little new under the sun but there are certainly ways for restaurants to set their menu or service offerings apart. Yard House is a premium casual eatery known for its extensive menu, classic rock music, and the world’s largest selection of draft beer, with more than 250 taps (in fact, the concept takes its name from the three-foot-high glass that was handed up to stagecoach drivers during “rest stops.”) Panda Express units, many of which are located in supermarkets, provides a fresh, fast, budget-priced alternative to Chinese restaurant-fare, along with very convenient catering and party platter options.
- Menu Variety and Craveability –Consumer demand for variety, choice and quality has never been greater, charging restaurants to offer a wide selection of appealing food that will keep bringing them back. The menu at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse is unusually comprehensive, running the gamut from pizza and burgers to such upscale items as Miso Salmon and ribs made with BJ’s own Jeremiah Red Ale. And Buffalo Wild Wings may specialize in wings but it also menus a robust selection of tenders, flatbreads, burgers, ribs, wraps and signature Buffalito’s sandwiches, as well as no fewer than 14 different sauces, from Sweet BBQ to better-be-ready Blazin.’