Chipotle has a well-defined and transparent advancement structure that encourages loyalty from part- and full-time employees, thus reducing turnover and training costs. Brand Identity is the second key factor. Chipotle recognizes the value in cultivating a dining experience that places ownership upon the customer, basically saying: "You know what you want, tell us what you'd like and we'll customize it to your specifications, as quickly as possible." Providing this highly customizable, affordable menu mostly consisting of whole foods is a cornerstone to the Chipotle experience. The final key factor is Ingredient Transparency.
They also decided that steak places were a relatively untapped market in the U.S., and they saw it as a gold mine. The company continued to grow and today is known all across America. They built their company off of the basis that people always come first, and that the best ingredients make for the best product. Outback prides themselves on quality of their food and the service that they provide to the customers. At this point Outback Steakhouse is looking to globalize their product and they are trying to open another restaurant with the same types of principles as Outback called, Carrabbas Italian Restaurant.
Chipotle offers tasty Mexican-style food for those customers who disdain McDonald’s, yet at a price that is low enough to capture many price-sensitive customers. Furthermore, by promoting a minimalist, tradition-bucking, efficient yet friendly image, it has successfully captured the loyalty of young, busy people such as college students looking for a cheap bite. However, Chipotle is more than simply the image of a mouth-watering burrito and with a three-word tagline. For over a decade, it has focused on sourcing its products in an environmentally sustainable way, ensuring that its poultry and meat products come from natural and organic sources, providing a fair wage to its employees and suppliers, and even going so far as to testify before Congress as an advocate for the prohibition of antibiotics in meat production. Unfortunately, most of Chipotle’s customers are unaware of its efforts at social impact.
The world famous “golden arches” were not a symbol of the McDonalds empire at this time. The sign simply read “McDonalds Hamburgers, buy em by the bag”. In 1949, French fries grabbed the hearts and stomachs of America, and replaced the potato chip as a side item for fast food meals. Buying food in “large” quantities at low prices became the American way. In 1954 Ray Kroc, a multi-mixer salesman who intended to sell the McDonald brothers his product, becomes interested in the business and establishes himself as the franchising agent.
They also want to maintain a certain atmosphere for their customers while they shop so they have that great experience and want to come back, for instance natural displays and educational demonstrations. Developing expertise and resource strengths – Whole Foods ensures that team members were knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the products and they educated the customer as often as they could. Staff members are empowered to do whatever it takes to meet or exceed customer expectations. Whole Foods believes that keeping their employees happy will in turn lead to happy customers. To keep their passion for the company offers their employees flexible schedules, benefits and profit sharing, just to name a few.
The company was trying to succeed better by “Being better than the guys across the street”. They wanted to get new potential customers from the “normal” restaurants. Panera competes through differentiation. They feel so pride about themselves by offering healthy, fresh foods. Every other branch has to make sure that they offer Panera´s standard to their customers by showing protocols of their products.
Peking Gourmet Inn Chinese Restaurant Evaluation DeVry University Pecking Gourmet Inn is a local Chinese restaurant that offers authentic northern Chinese cuisine. Pecking gourmet was started in 1978 by Eddie Tsui who envisioned authentic taste that could only be achieved by growing his own jumbo spring onions as well as formulating his own recipe for hoisin sauce and hand crafting each pancake. My family and I evaluated Pecking Gourmet Inn Falls Church, VA because we love pecking duck and pecking gourmet is said to serve one of the best ducks in America. When I go into a new restaurant I tend to judge the establishment based on three general factors: the food, customer service, and the all-around atmosphere. When I decide on where to go out to eat I love trying new places that offer culture, consistency, and uniqueness that big restaurant chains typically do not provide.
When the focus is placed on an employee’s level of potential and motivation at entry level positions, Outback is able to bring on low cost employees that demonstrate the ability of growing with the company, understand the expectations of the job and why providing a high level of customer service and hospitality is important at any job level. This allows Outback to maintain a solid and dedicated pool of employees that contribute in generating profits for the company while keeping costs low at the staffing level. This aids in a competitive advantage for Outback, as they are recognized as an employer who values their staff as well as the customers dining experience. Customers will frequent a dining establishment when the expected service and quality is a constant at every dining experience. Maintaining the same staff with the same positive attitudes and drive provides this for Outback, thereby keeping customer satisfaction always at a high level.
In the beginning of the book Carl N. Karcher is examined as one of the fast food pioneers with the McDonalds being the others. Karcher opened a drive in BBQ restaurant, and the post World War II provided him with plenty of customers. Nearby, the McDonald Brothers were running their own family restaurant, which was called “McDonalds Famous Hamburgers”. It was the McDonald brothers who began the speedee service system in which brought the customers out of their car and into the restaurant. (Schlosser, 2001, P. 25) After being inspired by the McDonalds, Karl Karcher opened his own self-service restaurant, Carl Jr.’s.
Wendy's Chili: A costing conundrum David Thomas founded Wendy’s International, Inc., in Columbus, Ohio, in November 1969 as a fast-food outlet to provide bigger and better hamburgers within a short time to customers. Since then Wendy’s has grown rapidly. Wendy’s initial success comes from the founder’s strong belief that the combination of product differentiation, market segmentation, quality food, quick service, and reasonable prices would produce a successful company. Wendy’s most popular product is the “Old Fashioned” hamburger which is made from fresh beef and is squared in a unique shape so as to differentiate it from the others. In addition, Wendy’s targeted different continually growing segments of the hamburger market such as young adults and adults.