You’ve undoubtedly walked into a busy coffee shop or fresh-style fast food restaurant to long lines and wait times. Instead of continuing to peruse the menu board and place your custom, made-to-order fare, you begin eyeing the coolers that feature prepackaged food items. You check the time, you scan the crowd. You opt for the latter option for food or fuel. This is an example of a grab-and-go purchase made within a restaurant.
Grab-and-go markets in restaurants refer to designated areas or sections within a dining establishment where customers can quickly and easily purchase pre-packaged food and beverage items to take away. These markets are designed to provide a convenient option for diners who may not have the time for a full sit-down meal or who want to enjoy their food on the go. Grab-and-go markets offer a variety of ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat items, ranging from snacks and beverages to pre-packaged meals and culinary products. Customers can select their desired items, pay, and leave the restaurant without the need for a traditional dining experience. These markets are often strategically located near entrances, exits, or high-traffic areas within the restaurant, making them easily accessible for customers looking for a quick and efficient dining solution.
Grab-and-go markets in restaurants offer a convenient way for diners to quickly pick up pre-packaged meals, snacks, beverages, and other items without the need for a sit-down meal.
What are the Best Grab-and-Go Options for Restaurants?
By offering a diverse range of options that cater to different tastes, dietary preferences, and occasions, your restaurant's grab-and-go market can become a popular destination for customers seeking convenience, quality, and a quick meal solution. Here are some of the best options to consider for setting up grab-and-go markets in restaurants.
Quick Classics
Offer a selection of pre-packaged meals that customers can simply grab and take with them. These can include sandwiches, wraps, salads, sushi rolls, and other ready-to-eat items that resemble similar menu items on your made-to-order offerings. Continuity will help elevate your brand and increase loyalty.
All the Beverages
Be sure to include a range of beverages like freshly brewed coffee, iced coffee, tea, bottled water, and cold-pressed juices. Having a variety of drink options caters to different preferences.
Stock the Snacks
Offering a variety of snacks such as granola bars, nuts, trail mix, yogurt cups, and fruit cups is a winning idea. Consider offering healthier options like cut fruits, vegetable sticks, and hummus packs. Balance is the key to everything, so consider providing a selection of freshly baked goods such as muffins, croissants, cookies, and pastries. These items can complement the beverage offerings and satisfy customers' sweet cravings.
Make it a Meal Dael
Grab-and-go options extend beyond snacks and quick items; many options exist for customers to take home and heat up later, such as soups, wraps or panini sandwiches, pasta dishes, and mini-sized casseroles. These items are ideal for busy customers who want a convenient (not to mention, restaurant-quality) meal at home. Offer meal kits with pre-portioned ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes. Or, allow customers to create their own meals by offering a variety of base ingredients, proteins, toppings, and sauces. This adds an interactive element to the grab-and-go experience.
Eat Local
Play around with ways to engage your community or niche region. Partner with local vendors to showcase and sell their artisanal products, such as jams, sauces, chocolates, and specialty snacks. This can add a unique touch to your grab-and-go market.
Seasonality Sells
Rotate your offerings based on the seasons, events, and holidays. Think of it this way—if your standard fare menu appeals to seasonality and calendar changes, so should your grab-and-go options. For example, offer pumpkin spice items in the fall or heart-shaped treats for Valentine's Day.
With a Side Of...
Don’t forget to stock essential convenience items like condiments, salad dressings, and packaged utensils for customers to take home or use on the go. This small but important consideration elevates your customers’ experience and drives repeat business.
Bernick’s can Offer You the Best Grab and Go Options for Restaurants
When it comes to ideas for your grab-and-go, Bernick’s has endless ways to help your business boom. You could implement a loyalty program where customers earn rewards or discounts for making repeated purchases from the grab-and-go market.
You could consider the impact of using eco-friendly and recyclable packaging for your grab-and-go items to align with environmentally conscious customers. Lean into the tech-heavy world of your customers by implementing a mobile app or online platform where customers can place orders and make payments ahead of time, streamlining the pickup process. Finally, we’ll show you how to create attractive displays with clear signage and labels to help your customers easily identify and choose the items they want.
With Bernick’s, you get the whole package deal.
