jimtrue.com : school : HS1322 : CH10: Marketing to the Health-Conscious Guests

Posted by Jim True on December 8, 2009 7:42 PM. Last Updated December 8, 2009 7:42 PM

Disclaimer for all material noted here is at the bottom of this web page.

CH10: Marketing to the Health-Conscious Guests

Final on 6,7,10, 4 & 11

Marketing

the process of finding out what your customers need and want, and then developing, promoting, and selling the products and services they desire

Gauging Customers' Needs and Wants

Figure 10.1 - Customer Survey
Interview waitstaff about customer requests
Do a customer survey
Informally get customer feedback
Key in on:
- What are your customers asking for?
- Which items are most frequently requested?
- How much time does your staff have to meet these special requests?
- Which requests are easy to meet? Which are not?

Adding Healthy Menu Options to the Menu

Who is involved? Directors, Managers, Chefs, Cooking Staff, Waiting Staff, Nutrition expert or specialist
How to inform your customers of healthy options?

Simply describe the items well
Have waitstaff offer and describe the items
Highlight items with symbols or words
Include a separate section on the menu
Add a clip-on to the menu and/or a blackboard or lightboard

Figure 2, 3, 4 and 5

Menu Terminology

Use words that are familiar yet cutting-edge and exciting: Creamy, Crispy, spiced, Glazed, Caramelized
Customers generally prefer a good description of the ingredients, portion size and preparation method to Kcal, fat, etc.

Promotion

Advertising
Sales promotions

Sources of Promotional Materials:
Food manufacturers
distributors
Food marketing boards and associations

Publicity

Press Releases
Column for local newspaper
Cooking demonstrations
Restaurant newsletter

Staff Training

Scope and rationale for program
Grand-opening details
Ingredients, preparation, and service for each menu item
Some basic food and nutrition concepts
How to handle special requests
Merchandising and promotional details

Program Evaluation

How did the program do operationally?
Did the food look good and taste good?
How well did each of the healthy menu options sell?
How much did each item contribute to profits?
How did the program affect profitability?
Did the program increase customer satisfaction
Did the cooks prepare and plate foods correctly?
Did the waitstaff promote the program and answer questions well?
What was the overall feedback from customers?
Did the program create repeat customers?

Fine-Tuning the Program: Possibilities

Develop ongoing promotions to maintain customer interest
Add, modify or delete certain menu items
Change pricing
Improve the appearance of healthy items
Listen to customers to get future menu and merchandising ideas

Responding to Special Guest Requests

Diet low in Fat, Saturated Fat and Cholesterol: Fish, Chicken, Turkey and LEAN Red Meats
Low Sodium
Vegetarian
HIgh Fiber
Low Lactose
Gluten free: protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and other related grains such as bread, cereal, pasta. Corn, potatoes, rice, soybeans, fresh meats, fish, poultry, fruits, vegetables
Low in added sugars
Figure 10.10, pg. 375-377

Keep in Mind these Basic Preparations

When marinating meats, there are many no-salt, no-sugar rubs and seasonings
Blanched vegetables can be reheated in a small amount of seasoned stock, then finished with whole butter, extra-virgin olive oil or nut oil
Appetizers: hummus, baba ghanouj, white bean and roasted garlic with baked whole-wheat tortilla chips or a variety of vegetables
Create a well-balanced dressing that is low in fat and made with extra-virgin olive oil and good vinegars and fresh herbs/spices
Keep a stock or clear broth for reheating vegetables
Desserts: Ricotta cheesecake with a roated walnut, spices and splenda crust
Berry shortcake
Flourless chocolate cake with fresh fruit garnish

Diet Low in Fat, Saturated Fat & Cholesterol

Lean beef, poultry and fish
Reduced fat cheeses
Monounsaturated fats
Lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains

Low Sodium Diet

1 teaspoon salt contains 2300 mg of sodium
Avoid high sodium processed foods, use fresh foods

Vegetarian Eating - KNOW for test

Lacto-ovo Vegetarians: Eat Milk products and eggs
Lacto vegetarians: eat milk products only
Vegans: No milk products or eggs, only 4% of vegetarian people
Pesco-vegetarians: Only fish or shellfish or seafood

Potential Health Benefits of Vegetarian Eating

Lower incidence of:
- Hypertension
- coronary artery disease
- colon cancer
- type 2 diabetes

Why become vegetarian? - KNOW FOR TEST

Health benefits
Ecology: livestock require much land, water and food to be raised.
Economics
Ethics
Religious beliefs

Nutritional Adequacy of Vegetarian Diets

Can be nutritionally adequate when variety and adequate in kcalories (except for vegans who need Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D)
Nutrients that need Special Attention: Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron, Zinc
Vegetarian Food Pyramid: Look for figure in book Figure 10.11

Menu Planning Guidelines for Vegetarians

Use a vide variety of plant protein sources at each meal
Use a vide variety of vegetables
Choose lowfat and nonfat varieties of milk and milk products and limit eggs
Offer dishes made with soybeans-based products
For menu ideas, don't forget to look at the cuisine of other countries

Restaurants and Nutrition Labeling Laws: KNOW ON TEST

Food prepared and served in restaurants or other food services are exempt from mandatory nutrition labeling found in packaged foods
Restaurants are NOT exempt from FDA rules concerning nutrient claims and health claims when used on menus, table tents, posters or signs
Any food being used in a health claim may NOT contain more than 20% of the Daily Value for fat, saturated fat, cholesterol or sodium
When providing nutrition information for a nutrient or health claim:

Restaurants do NOT have to provide the standard nutrition information profile and more exacting nutrient content values required in the Nutrition Facts panel of packaged foods. They can present the information in any format desired, and they have to provide ONLY information about the nutrient(s) that the claim is referring to

Disclaimer: These are MY notes taken from classroom lectures while I'm in the classroom. While I'm perfectly happy to share my notes with my classmates and I know I take very good notes, you should still make every effort to attend the class and TAKE YOUR OWN NOTES. I will not transcribe everything the instructor says in the classroom, and I will NEVER post pre-exam reviews. My notes will not replace the value of actually attending class and taking your own class notes.I also cannot attest to their accuracy, other than they are what was provided in the lecture; you should not reference my notes as "expert opionion" by any means, and if you notice an error or omission, please do me the favor of e-mailing me with the correction and I will re-post my notes. End of Disclaimer.