I found an article that talks about a quick service chain in Washington called Burgerville that, upon start up, has been all about having local foods to make their burgers. This restaurant chain has been very popular and very cheap considering all ingredients are grown locally. The way this chain can have a seven dollar check per customer is because they have great relationships with all of them.
This article gave me an idea on how people can pay so much money and not mind, because the food is all local and they are supporting their own economy.
One of the hardest temptation to avoid in the restaurant is money. Money can play a big role in a majority of decisions affecting the establishment. This is current when figuring out a price for each menu item. In taking a menu item and costing out the percentage of food cost, labor cost, and a few extra cents to have a cushion for the business always seem to be outragous. That is what this company of 39 Quick Service Restaurants called Burgerville has pride them on. Providing a ethical dining experience with low prices, use of local ingredients, and entering the green and sustainability phase.
ReplyDeleteQuests that come to eat will feel satisfied with the taste of the hormone free, grass fed beef for their burgers as well as milk for the chesse made to accompany that burger. In developing a professional relationship with the producers of your products you can rest assure that they will take care of you and provide you with first come first serve ingredients that restaurants rarely get to serve.
This company also provides health care for all of its employees that work over 20 hours a week. This is a break in the normality of the requirement that employees that work over 40 hours a week will recieve health care.
To me this company seems to good to be true. They are doing all the right things to look good for the public. With the price of health care, local products, going green and connections with the local farmer are extremely costly services. I dont know how this company plans to make money and be a successful business, but apparently they are doing well if there are talks of expanding.
For a fast food chain to use sustainable and local products are fantastic. I really respect a restaurant, especially a fast food restaurant that can offer that. This restaurant is really looking forward into the future and is making a name for itself. I could truly see one of these opening up in California, probably in the Las Angles or San Diego area. There is many farms and other local places where you can get produce and meat products from right outside the city and the fad diets are very popular in that area.
ReplyDeleteToday in class we talked about going green in the restaurant industry. During the presentation it was mentioned that it is easier for a business to go green when they first start, rather than trying to convert their business. I think that it is interesting that this company Burgerville did just that when they opened in 1961. Although they are more sustainable and local, than green, I can't beleive that the company knew even then that these steps were important.
ReplyDeleteBurgerville is doing something that we do not see in many of the typical fast food burger joints, they are using sustainable and local ingredients on their menu. Although, I think that this is a great strategy for this company I don't think it will be something large chains like Burger King could do.
I think that like Burgerville, a number of smaller quick service restaurants will be taking part in this trend. Today many people are more conscience about the food they are eating, even at their local drive through. By incoparating these steps during the beging stages of development the restaurant will have more chances for success in the going green market.