2017 Case Study

9 up-and-coming healthy fast food chains that should scare McDonald’s

Leanna Garfield – Feb. 8, 2017

Legacy mega-brands like McDonald’s, KFC, and Burger King have dominated the fast food industry for decades. But within the last few years, many American consumers have shown a growing interest in healthier fast food that incorporates more low-calorie ingredients and fresh produce while remaining convenient and affordable.

In late 2016, top food executives from PepsiCo and Campbell Soup Company told Fortune that cleaner food is not just a trend, but a movement. And that shift is spilling over into the fast food market too, forcing legacy chains to try to keep up. In the last four years, Taco Bell has pledged to cut artificial ingredients and use cage-free eggs, and has introduced a lower-calorie menu. McDonald’s has  worked with dietitians, removed antibiotics from its chicken, and added more salads to its menu.

But new healthy fast food […]

By OLIVER STRAND       APRIL 10, 2017

At Locol, a fast-food chain in California, a cup of premium coffee costs just $1, or $1.50 with milk and sugar. CreditEmily Berl for The New York Times

LOS ANGELES — The $1 cup of coffee is divisive, as drinks go.

For some, it’s a staple of the American morning: a comforting routine, a good deal. Anything that costs more than $1 is needlessly expensive, a waste of money — the coffee from a deli, diner or doughnut cart is all you need to start the day. For others, the $1 cup is suspiciously cheap. Maybe it tastes bad, or its production does harm to the land and is unfair to laborers. If you have to pay more, then that is probably a reflection of a drink’s true cost.

Can the two viewpoints be reconciled? Is it possible for […]

Fast food trends that will continue into 2017

January 10, 2017 by FASA Admin

According to QSR Magazine (www.qsrmagazine.com), 2016’s fast-food trends internationally could be summed up in three words:   Wacky. Creative. Simple. These trends will no doubt continue into 2017 with some tweaking and refining and hopefully some new ideas bearing fruit.

• Mixing it up is the order of the day…. it’s called Mash-ups. Anything to attract attention, offer something different and make money.  In the US Burger King did it with Cheetos Chicken Fries, and Pizza Hut tried it with the Grilled Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizza – the latter already made popular by Debonairs in South Africa.
• Breakfast becomes the new lunch and all-day option with most fast food brands (and some restaurants) climbing onto this new income source to add to the bottom line.  From offering breakfast specials that include scrambled eggs on pizza to offering breakfast all […]
  

Famous Brands’ employee strike in Midrand

MIDRAND – No end in sight for striking Famous Brands employees – May 9, 2017

Chief Executive Officer of Famous Brands, Darren Hele.

Famous Brands employees held a legal strike in Midrand on 26 April due to wage disputes. Midrand Police Station’s communications officer, Warrant Officer Mmakgomo Semono said, “On 26 April, at about 6pm, seven suspects were arrested for public violence and were part of the striking Famous Brands employees.”

Famous Brands’ chief executive officer, Darren Hele, said he could not confirm that the seven suspects arrested were in fact employees or former employees.

Hele said that he was aware that some disruptions took place on the day and that the company has obtained a court interdict which prevented the strikers from being closer than 50m from the entrance so the daily dealings of the company could continue as […]

Examples of Differentiation in Fast Food

by Neil Kokemuller

Differentiation is a marketing term used to describe the process of developing promotional messages that distinguish your products from those offered by competitors in the minds of target customers.

Effective differentiation is critical to building a strong business, especially in a highly competitive marketplace like fast food. Before starting a fast food shop or franchise, or buying into one, you need to consider how to differentiate from local competitors and chain restaurants.

Taste Quality

One way to differentiate a brand is by emphasizing superior product quality. Success in differentiating a fast food brand on taste quality revolves around impacting advertisements backed by a great product. Burger King stresses the quality of its flame-broiled burgers in its ads. Given that the company’s price points are higher than those offered by others, it is critical that customers believe the […]

Jun 1, 2017

Fast food might be a global industry, but it is a dominating part of the American eating habit. Americans are working longer, spending less time at home, and not wanting to cook when they get home. This is leading to strong fast food sales and larger waistlines.

The caloric intake of Americans is similar to that of Austrians. The US has a 31% obesity rate. Austria’s obesity rate is just 9%.

Fast Food Sales

In the United States alone, the fast food industry generated $191 billion in sales in 2013. By 2018, that figure is expected to top the $210 billion mark. Out of those sales figures, the rule that as McDonald’s goes, so does the industry is pretty accurate. With $60 billion in sales, McDonald’s brings in about 1 in every $3 dollars that gets spent.

• 83% of US families will have at least one meal from a fast food […]