Agricultural News
Food Service Trends Positive For Beef Industry
Mon, 05 Mar 2012 08:58:47 CST
Food service trends are headed in a positive direction for the beef industry. So says Sarah Lockyer who is the director of digital content for the Penton Restaurant Group. Lockyer recently addressed beef industry leaders about how to capitalize on pent up consumer demand.
"Sales are expected to increase. Growth is expected to return. There are obvious headwinds which no one can ignore--there is the unstable economy, high unemployment and rising commodity costs--but most of the larger demographic trends still point to a growing food service and restaurant industry."
"You have increased population. You have a continued need for many families to have dual-income homes and you have now-what's different from a few years ago-is a pent up demand for dining out. "
Lockyer emphasizes the restaurant industry and the beef industry can benefit from this demand by paying close attention to what consumers are looking for at this particular time in a rebounding economy.
"It's not just about price. What restaurants have to do today that they didn't have to do in the past is really create almost a perfect-value equation to lure that diner in. And that equation includes price, of course, but also includes food quality and service and experience. Consumers are looking for where they can put their money. Of course, they'll look at price, but they'll also look for some of the other perks: 'Will I get buy one get one free? Will I spend maybe a little bit more than maybe I want to spend, but will it be a really nice experience? Will I get a good table? Will the server be good?'"
She says it's a given that consumers still love great burgers and great steaks, but that restaurants and the beef industry can do more than just provide the highest quality products to drive demand higher.
"The consumer now is looking for the story behind the food. 'Where does the food come from? What will it do to my body? Where did the chain or restaurant purchase it from? How was it prepared? And the beef industry can actually tell that story better than anyone else. So I think what the industry can do is help operators meet those two goals with continuing education whether it's on various cuts of meat, preparation techniques, purchasing options. You know, food as a story is so important for both operators and consumers."
Press the LISTEN BAR below to hear Sarah Lockyer speak about how the beef industry can capitalize on food service trends.
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