What Makes a Successful French Fry Restaurant Stand Out From the Competition?

Running a french fry restaurant may appear in theory to be nothing more than opening the doors, throwing in potatoes, oil and salt and closing the doors again. In practice however, there is a very different set of circumstances. The heyday of the successful fry shop is over and in their place has arisen a fiercely competitive market place of specialty fry shops, (fast casual)concepts, food trucks and international (variable geometry) chains. Customers have an abundance of choice and to operate profitably means the French fry restaurant must be much more than just a French fry selling operation.

Great Fries Start With Great Ingredients

Nothing is more critical to a successful french fry shop than product quality. Seems simple, yet too often operators take this for granted. Variety of potato used. How fresh they are. Even how they‘re stored can impact the end product. Customers may not be able to define precisely what makes a great fry, but they do know when they get one. The restaurants that get to that golden brown, light and crispy stage every time get customer loyalty. That, in turn, creates repeat business, and that keeps the restaurant open.

Consistency Is What Creates Loyal Customers

Consistency is one of the most difficult problems in food service. ‘Anyone can do a great batch of Fries once’, but a chef can do it day after day. This is what is required for success; a customer wants the same standards whether they are eating out on a Tuesday afternoon, or a busy Saturday night. A successful french fry restaurant will have systems in place to make sure they are consistent; a balance of correct preparation, cooking times, oil management and training. Without consistency, even the best recipes will fail.

Creative Menu Development Helps Restaurants Grow

Sure, the fries are king, but savvy operators recognize that so long as customers know there’s variety to be had, they’ll keep coming back. Specialty toppings, loaded fries, dips and dips, seasonal additions all keep the excitement going. Some businesses even create whole signature dishes around local tastes or mashups of classic combos. Others may serve fries with high-end meats and gourmet fare. In the end, it’s simply giving folks a reason to come back. They love the comfort of traditional fare, but they love the intrigue of something different every time.

The Power of a Great Crispy Chicken Sandwich

If you look at a handful of successful fry-centric concepts, the one item you‘ll see added on to these has often been a crispy chicken sandwich. There is a logical there. Fries and chicken are a natural pairing; people tend to get them together, boosting ticket size and leading to an even better meal. And when you do a crispy chicken sandwich properly, you also tend to attract people who weren‘t actually coming in for fries. Once those people are there, it‘s a good bet that those fries will make it into the basket.

Customer Experience Matters Just as Much as Food

Some restaurant owners get too caught up in recipes and forget about the friendly aspect. That‘s the mistake, people remember how they felt when they were in your restaurant. How your staff treats their tables, how quickly orders are taken and served, cleanliness of the premises all affect whether you will get repeat business. A french fry shop with great food and bad service will not last as long as a place that make their customers feel welcome all the time spread good word of mouth across their community.

Branding Creates Recognition in a Crowded Market

Good restaurants stand out, they don‘t just fade into the background. Good branding will make a customer remember what restaurant they‘ve been to and what they liked about it. It can include anything from logo to packaging to Facebook page to restaurant layout. A good french fry restaurant will eventually develop a personality that its customers buy into. Sometimes its a fun and humorous brand. Sometimes its a high end and a super premium brand. Whichever route is selected should be adhered to at all customer contact points, this will help to consolidate the brands identity.

Social Media Has Changed Restaurant Marketing

A decade ago, restaurants relied on traditional advertising to attract traffic. Now most of the traffic comes from sharing on social media. Fancy frites or an oversized crispy chicken sandwich give people a reason to post pictures of your product. Equipment like restaurant branded signage or frite cups get their own free marketing if your menu items appeal. People want to show off good looking food so give it to them. Forced marketing campaigns never do as well as meaningful, shareable food.

Speed and Convenience Influence Modern Dining Decisions

Convenience has become a quite popular key to success in a restaurant concept. Customers want to be able to order quickly, receive fast service and have prompt delivery. A french fry concept that incorporates mobile ordering, quick and organized kitchen routines and an efficient take-away system will be a step ahead. Convenience doesn‘t take over value but it does reinforce it. We are living hectic lives and with great quality food and convenience we can be sure to have a future.

Community Connections Build Long-Term Success

Estands need not undervalue the importance of local relationships. Making contributions to community events, using local suppliers, and engaging in local causes can pay substantial loyalty dividends. Customers tend to patronize businesses they feel good about supporting. A french fry franchise that becomes integrated into its community is more than just a conduit for the product. It develops bonds that make it more resilient through the arrival of competitors.

Conclusion

The thing that sets a successful french fry concept apart from others is typically execution. From great ingredients and consistency in preparation through branding and marketing to attitude and training, all these pieces fit together. Building the offering with crisper chicken sandwiches and other hot items helps boost sales and keep the concepts appealing to the broadest possible base. People keep coming back to places they can trust to offer value and an experience and that makes all the difference.