Research solidifies what every operator should know and all strive to obtain: repeat customers are the lifeblood of your operation. And guest satisfaction is the most important attribute to manage when it comes to encouraging repeat business, according to research conducted for Hershey's Foodservice and Sweet Street Desserts.
For onsite operators, the real challenge lies in keeping repeat customers interested and coming back and desserts play a key role. According to NPD Crest, panelists who consumed a dessert as part of their meal/snack occasion rated significantly higher in the "highly satisfied" rating than those panelists who did not have a dessert.
Additionally, satisfied customers' a la carte purchases increase check size and margins (see below).
Incremental Sales Builds Profitability | ||
| What generates $1 in new sales? • Selling one $3.95 dessert to every fourth guest. • Selling one $5.95 dessert to a table of six. • Selling four $5.00 desserts to every 20th takeout/to go customer | ||
| Margin dollars matter | ||
| Dessert price | $2.95 | $3.95 |
| Food cost (30-33%) | .95 | $1.35 |
| Margin | $2.00 | $2.60 |
| Margin Dollars | ||
| if 1 of 8 buy dessert | $25,000 | $32,500 |
| if 1 of 12 buy dessert | $16,500 | $21,000 |
| if 1 of 20 buy dessert | $10,000 | $13,000 |
| This analysis assumes an operation that services 100,000 customers annually. | ||
| Source: Hershey's Foodservice and Sweet Street Desserts | ||
