Renovation over construction: How manufacturers can still win with restaurant makeovers

As the foodservice market grows, but real estate availability does not, major chains are looking to do more with what they have. This means shifting their focus from new locations to renovations.

Along with made-over facilities often comes a made-over menu. Dunkin’ Donuts is in the throes of a major renovation effort and they’ve also reworked their menu with the introduction of a chicken sandwich and — wait for it — a sausage donut sandwich, in some markets.

Foodservice equipment manufacturers still have lots of opportunities to sell their products, but as major chains’ mindsets shift, so too should the manufacturers’ sales and marketing approach. Here are a few things to keep in mind in order to align with this if-it-ain’t-broke trend:

• SIZE TO FIT: If operators are looking for new equipment, they’ll likely need that piece of equipment to fit in an existing (and often shrunken) footprint. Manufacturers who can come in and meet these sizing restrictions without any hassle for the operator will win out over those who are peddling a non-flexible, off-the-shelf product.
• RETURN IS A MUST: Renovations are expensive, so operators are always looking for ways to save. This often means working with the equipment they already have. In order to convince an operator to purchase a new piece of equipment, manufacturers need to have a bullet-proof ROI story that clearly demonstrates the payback time frame.
• WORKHORSES WIN: A piece of equipment’s ability to do [much] more than one thing is a nice-to-have now turned must-have. For operators to justify investing in new piece of equipment, they need it to work hard for them. Whether a task that’s currently happening elsewhere in the kitchen, or the ability to introduce a new menu item, the bottom line is that it needs to pad the bottom line.

Trends in the foodservice space come and go. But this is one that is here to stay.

Hear more from restaurant experts about how sizing equipment to fit existing spaces is an absolute MUST. And let us know in the comments other ways you think equipment manufacturers can succeed by accommodating and supporting renovations.