New survey reinforces the rise of food-led pubs
Food could be the key to improved business performance for pubs according to a recent survey by customer intelligence specialists, The Mystery Dining Company.
Not only did over two thirds of the survey's 357 respondents believe that improved food options would encourage them to visit pubs more frequently, nine out of 10 people also confirmed that they will check out the food menu in a pub even if they are not intending to eat during their visit.
This will come as good news for pubs that have already been tapping into consumer demand for quality informal dining options and looking towards pubs to deliver this.
However with respondents citing their main reasons for choosing a pub as being either for a meal and a drink (36%), for socialising with friends (31%), and for just a drink (14%), it appears that a sociable and relaxed environment with a good selection of drinks on offer remains a key attraction for customers.
Sally Whelan, director at The Mystery Dining Company, explained: "For consumers there is still a significant emotional difference when it comes to choosing to eat at a pub as opposed to a restaurant and the pubs which are performing best are those who have adopted the best elements of the restaurant sector, that is seasonal menus, with an emphasis on good quality ingredients and engaging, consistent customer service, but who have retained a strong identity as a pub operating as part of a community."
Value for money, she says, remains the most important factor for the customer when they are assessing the overall experience, so it is important to take this into account when developing both food and beverage menus.
Whelan added: "A menu acts as a shop window for a venue's ability to deliver an enjoyable and memorable experience and the fact is that with prospective customers seeking out menus when they visit publicans should be using this to their benefit. It could be really useful to get some different opinions on what your menu says about you as a destination and how the quality of the experience is represented by your prices – this intelligence could make a dramatic difference as to whether customers choose to return for a meal on another occasion or suggest it to others."
Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: "Food is increasingly important to the ongoing viability of the British pub. This survey demonstrates that enhancing the quality of food served in our pubs and investing in the delivery of an excellent customer experience is critical to the success of much of the pub sector."
The positive news for pubs is that there has also been a dramatic shift in perceptions, with 80% of survey respondents believing that the customer service offered by pubs has improved significantly in the past five years.
The survey found that more than half (54 per cent) would not be visiting the pub more this year than in 2011 and 13 per cent actually intended to head to their local less in 2012 despite it being a strong year for sport on the box.
Over 2,000 people were questioned for the survey, conducted by Opinium Research, and the top three factors that influenced where sports fans choose to drink and watch sport were revealed to be location, drinks price and the size of the TV screen.
Size matters
Nieve Cavanagh, senior product marketing manager at Casio Projectors, who commissioned the research, said when it came to pubs planning how to attract sport-loving punters it was a case of 'size does matter'.
"In a tough economic climate, most pubs and bars are facing very real financial pressures, and realistically, there’s a limit on what venues can and can’t do. Lowering the price of booze will mean taking a significant revenue hit; a change in location is impractical, and landlords can’t really control factors such as atmosphere. But audio-visuals (AV) can be relatively easily upgraded," she said.
