As fast-paced life becomes increasingly faster, most people cannot afford the luxury of having meals at a restaurant or a café indoors. Thankfully, the abundance of grab-and-go food options has significantly eased the time-sensitive lives of workers and students alike, who are always on the go. Alternatively coined as grab-n-go, GNG, and Grab & Go, these meal options meet the younger generation’s need for convenience and speed. Adding grab-and-go options to your menu will help you appeal to a broader audience who enjoy pre-packaged and pre-made meals.
Due to the on-the-go meals resurgence, especially in light of the covid-19 pandemic, it’s time for food businesses to spice things up. In addition to popping up in restaurants and cafés, these easy meals are also becoming available on custom grab-n-go food carts. Food carts and free-standing kiosks are tailored to the establishment’s theme. You can make your GNG food sales as successful as they can be by following these tips.
1. Take merchandising seriously
How a product is marketed adds weight to its appeal to the customers. Packaging comes in as the highest priority here as people are more likely to be lured into buying a well-designed meal than one with little to no appeal. Transparent boxes, cartons, or cups can help showcase any food item in all its glory. Taking the greener route by shifting to more eco-friendly packaging options can help reach the masses, all while promoting environmental awareness. Clear and cleanly packaged to-go items can be attractively displayed on custom grab-n-go food carts.
2. Keep things clean and neat
Pandemic or not, hygiene and organization are the foremost priority in any food establishment, no matter the scale of service. Since a customer is more likely to approach your business if the sanitation and facilitation are top-notch, consequently, this area needs a lot of effort.
Ensure that the kiosk that displays the said items is always kept neat and clean at all times by cleaning the racks and the display glass and washing any removable items regularly. Labeling the shelves, food items with names, what dietary food groups they belong to, and expiry dates are terrific ways to keep the customers informed. You can group similar items together, so customers don’t have to explore the whole place for a similar on-the-go item, especially when they’re in a hurry.
3. Choose your foodservice setting wisely
There is more to marketing strategies than just the products themselves. They also take into account the context of the product’s sale. Having grab-and-go options adjacent to your restaurant setting can keep your tables from becoming too full when demand is high during peak hours. Selling grab-and-go items as part of your daily specials menu can increase sales. Placing a vending machine with items like pre-packed salads or sandwiches is also a great and healthy option.
Having grab-and-go items near an entrance or exit or a POS station effectively attracts customers in supermarkets and bakeries. Smaller local delis generally have healthier options than fast food franchises. To streamline service at delis, you may offer on-the-go items that require minimum effort to heat up and eat.
Kiosks and GNG food carts are increasingly popular, especially since they fit very well in under-used spaces. A grab-n-go food cart in a school zone can help reduce foot traffic in cafeterias. A free-standing kiosk near a corporate zone could benefit employees.
4. Minimize physical interaction
The Covid-19 pandemic has made most of us pretty paranoid about what germs we might carry. Keeping up with the traditions of the recent pandemic and minimizing the need for human interaction while purchasing food items can make the process both convenient and hygienic. Self-checkout options are incredible but may need to be more user-friendly for the older generation. Vending machines need not provide just snacks to munch on; instead, they can be set up to provide smaller on-the-go packaged meals too.
Ordering food online is not new to anyone in this day and age since it’s one of the most convenient options for getting food delivered to your table directly. It is most helpful for people who are either on a diet or busy. Many food establishments offer to-grab-and-go options even online. Small businesses also help you subscribe to a pre-made meal weekly or monthly.
5. Get creative with designing meals
Sandwiches, salads, and just about anything that is no hassle to gobble down may be standard on-the-go options. However, serving up innovative options may give your company the sales boost it needs. Keep up with the latest food trends to provide your customers with something new. Most recently, vegan options have popped up across restaurants and delis alike. Plant-based food items aid you in reaching out to a rather specific group of customers. These are especially great as grab-and-go items since they can be easily incorporated into sandwiches, creative salads, and dairy-free beverages. You’ll want to look out for groovy ingredients to tempt customers to try new flavors.
Conclusion
The thing about grab-and-go meals is that they’re meant to optimize the customer experience. These items must have the utmost convenience and a tasty and fulfilling meal for busy professionals. In the current world of fast-paced living, grab-and-go products will only increase sales in the near future. To shine as a company, you must be the face of change that this industry needs to deliver. After all, bad days are rarely an obstacle to good food and quality service.
