Back-To-School Shopping Plus QSR Foods Are An A+

Getting ready for back-to-school means shopping at the mall, looking for the latest fashion trends, waiting in line, and taking time for a quick meal. It’s a perfect opportunity for quick service restaurant (QSR) retailers to fill in the meal gaps.

Back To School Shopping . . . And Eating

It’s no secret almost every trip to the mall includes time to eat. With everything open, parents are opening their wallets for school clothes, gadgets, and all the things their students need. The best way for QSRs to capitalize? By appealing to parents and students alike.

Some ways brands have taken the lead in this space are through back-to-school promotions. This helps stay connected with parents, even if they plan to eat after leaving the mall. According to the National Retail Federation, in 2021, parents planned on spending $634 per child on school supplies and clothes. Capitalizing on this spending can help QSRs get a share of the profits.

One way is to create offerings that appeal to parents’ wallets and children’s stomachs. For example, Chipotle offered free delivery every Sunday in September 2019 to alleviate the stress of having to cook as school was getting back in swing. They aren’t the only ones thinking about grumbling stomachs. That same year, Bertucci’s created meal bundles to help families be able to pick up a full meal at a reasonable price.

Food is the New Fashion

Now that things are going back to a new normal, American malls may be mounting a comeback with restaurants at the tip of the resurgence. Malls are showing signs of thriving once again by adding more restaurants and food options at the forefront of it all. According to The Food Institute, big-city malls are seeing huge growth in traffic. Additionally, new restaurant concepts are being added to malls to keep foot traffic moving. There has been a drastic increase in the popularity of fried food. QSRs are offering fried food options to accomodate the taste buds of children, all the way up to adults.

QSRs must implement new ways to engage with their customers, including being more human and relatable, building loyalty, and offering delivery options from popular food court options. One of the saving graces for QSRs has been the adoption of food delivery or curbside pickup for customers who are too tired to cook but don’t want to go to a restaurant either. These integrations create back-to-school mealtime opportunities that may carry on throughout the year.

Pitco Can Make Menus More Profitable

Even with the health food market being huge, fried foods are profitable and popular. Pitco Fryers and QSRs can work together, with options that help save time, labor, and money. The automatic filtration and oil reclamation on these fryers can help save on labor costs and money.

With cooking oil prices being at an all-time high, the need for viable solutions that help QSR brands fully utilize their oil and realize additional profits makes a difference. That’s where Pitco Fryers excel. With an innovative and resourceful oil reclamation system in place, old oil can be removed from fryers. Holding it for disposal while automatically integrating fresh oil.

Many QSR brands don’t realize the potential and opportunities to cut costs while maintaining high standards for food quality. Pitco Fryers makes the grade for back-to-school and beyond.

Learn more about oil management to help get ready for the back-to-school rush – click below to schedule an appointment.