Non-traditional locations are places outside of a mall or a shopping center. We’re talking about airports, stadiums, campuses, arenas, carnivals, parks, office buildings – anywhere. These locations offer fast food diner franchise opportunities that take advantage of heavy foot traffic.
“Quick-service concepts” benefit from the bustling environment since these places are packed with people who would love to come-and-go. These businesses also target a specific demographic for every location.
According to Upserve, “a demographic is basically a subsection of a larger population.” Knowing the demographics of a food business allows the owners to shape their services such that it appeals to this particular group of people.
This delves into the trends of the demographic with regards to income, age, location, etc. Targeting a demographic enhances customer experience. The demographic varies with location. Couples in movie houses. Workaholic, on-the-go employees in office buildings, and broke college students on campuses.
Therefore, non-traditional opportunities are flexible because they need to camouflage with their target consumers.
Millennials in general
In Technomic’s “Eater Archetypes” (EAT), Millennials are in the top three demographics. According to Forbes, 44% of millennials’ money is spent on food. On average, they spend a total of $163 for eating out monthly.
This generation benefits local businesses because they’re vocal about their opinions, both in real life and on social media. However, millennials are an intelligent audience. They’ve grown skeptical of traditional advertising and would rather trust word-of-mouth.
Couples
Whether they’re on a first date or been together for a few years, couples frequent the movie house. Others often disapprove of going to the movies on a first date, but this doesn’t change the fact that they need something to munch on during the movie.
Servers might notice these customers’ conformity to social norms like the boy paying for the order. The dates may also want to impress each other or the couple being indecisive.
On a Rush
These are the busy bees mostly found in office buildings. They’re always on the go, catching deadlines or running late. They’re probably writing an e-mail from their phones while waiting for their orders. For them, ordering food is the most convenient choice.
Technomic labels them as “Busy Balancers.” This demographic is mostly female Millennials with mid to higher incomes. They get 23.4% of their weekly meals from food services.
Buzzed
As a food service provider, you have to thank the munchies—in some way. In festivals, for example, when Millennials had way too many to drink or the alcohol’s just kicking in, grabbing something to bite is their salvation.
However, these customers may be obnoxious and messy as they’re unaware of what they’re doing, and this could throw off other late-night customers.
Another red flag for buzzed customers is the possibility of puking, so you must keep an eye on these kids.
Students
Campus franchises should be ready for students trying to budget their allowance. This means that prices should be affordable and filling. Dense traffic should also be expected during lunchtime and in the afternoons when classes are done. Businesses should also be ready for students who may be in a rush because they’re running late for class.
It’s important to know your consumers well. When a business researches on the target demographic and perfected the art of satisfying them, non-traditional locations open the doors for growth.