Revered research and consulting firm, Technomic, recently announced the results from their 2016 Chain Restaurant’s Consumers’ Choice Awards. We love reviewing these types of recognition so we can better understand what customers truly want when it comes to their dining options.

 

What exactly are the criteria that each restaurant is judged on? The four factors include food quality, intent to return, sustainability and whether the restaurant provides value through service. So who made the cut? We are so proud to discover that two of our clients were awarded — Firehouse Subs and Seasons 52 both won for the fast casual and full service categories, respectively.

 

Additionally, Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake, Bonefish Grill, In-N-Out and Ben & Jerry’s took the cake as well. For the full list of winners, click here.

There was a time when the restaurant industry could pretty much count on success by following Ray Kroc’s mantra: Provide QSCV (Quality, Service, Cleanliness, and Value) to the customer. But the world’s gotten a whole lot more complicated since McDonald’s was the defining restaurant brand.

 

For today’s customers, QSCV is a given; so are qualities like inviting décor, menu customization and a positive overall experience. In fact, it could be argued that nowadays customers also expect brands to do good. Whether that means sustainability initiatives like responsible sourcing and reducing environmental impact, or making a commitment to giving back to the local community, it all points toward a more ethical, conscientious and transparent way of doing business.

 

Proponents of what’s come to be known as CSR, or corporate social responsibility, believe that their success is only possible through a commitment to all stakeholders, including not only their customers but also their suppliers, their employees and the community at large. And according to numerous studies, consumers are looking for the same thing: In the United States, says a 2014 study by Nielsen, 42% of consumers prefer to do business with brands that are committed to positive social and environmental impact.

 

Many of Synergy’s clients are already on board with this trend. LYFE Kitchen offers more than just healthy, flavorful fast-casual food; it means having a Sixth Sense, making a commitment “to look out for the well-being of our customers, our employees and our communities” in the words of its founders. Burgerville is also known by the company it keeps, partnering with local farms and businesses that share the concept’s commitment to quality food and regional vitality. Ignite Bistro & Wine Bar set an intention for a new menu that would offer “fresh, approachable and sustainable food that has a local connection and means something to…the locals, the community, and the people who have made us love being in Carlsbad.”

 

Now, after 28 years in business, Synergy Restaurant Consultants is ready to give back to its community in a significant way. Synergy Managing Partners Dean Small and Danny Bendas both met while studying at the Culinary Institute of America, which opened many doors to them as they began pursuing their restaurant industry careers.

 

“The CIA gave me and Danny the foundation and confidence to pursue our dreams and help others along the way,” says Small. “We have always wanted to make a difference in this amazing industry and to create new opportunities for others to evolve.”

 

To that end, Synergy is working with the CIA to establish a five-year, $50,000 fund that will provide a series of scholarships within the school’s new “Intrapreneurship” degree concentration. Launched in 2015, the concentration is designed to provide students with the financial literacy and resources to innovate, create, learn how to run a business and overcome adversity in a real-word setting, according to the CIA.

 

The Synergy Restaurant Consultants fund will provide four $2,500 scholarships per year for the next five years to students within the program, and will also establish the Synergy team as mentors in both formal and informal ways to student entrepreneurs.

 

“Contributing to the advancement of the entrepreneurial-based CIA program is a very exciting step for us, because entrepreneurship is deeply rooted in our own company DNA,” explains Dean Small. “We have always embraced the entrepreneurial spirit of operators throughout the world who have put it all on the line to build something they are proud of, and now the scholarship fund brings that full circle for Synergy.”

 

Restaurant Business magazine’s recent special report on “The Consumer: What Drives Today’s Consumers” raises lots of interesting questions.

 

Take the piece on “Millennials’ Favorite Chains,” which details the preferences and habits of that cohort of the population whose loyalty everyone seems to be after these days. At Synergy, we are particularly interested in this group because we have worked with seven of the brands on the list: Firehouse Subs, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, and Fuddruckers in the fast casual segment; IHOP and Huddle House in midscale dining; and Seasons 52 in casual dining.

 

What characteristics unite concepts as seemingly diverse as a quick-casual chicken specialist and an iconic 24-hour diner specializing in breakfast and other comfort foods, the donut franchise Krispy Kreme and The Cheesecake Factory with its mega-menu of trendy foods? And when you compare the Millennial’s list to the overall consumer favorites, what are the key takeaways about these folks who were born in the 1980s and ‘90s, also known as Generation Y?

 

1. They’re looking for value. And value means different things for different need-states. For a busy Millennial mom with young children in tow after a soccer game, there’s value in Raising Cane’s menu anchored by a kid-friendly product (chicken fingers!) that also appeals to adults. And for the Southerners in Huddle House’s core markets, hearty servings of traditional favorites like Patty Melts, Country Fried Steak and signature all-day breakfast resonates.

 

2. They want healthy options, emphasis on the option part. Like all consumers, Millennials may say they concerned about health and nutrition but still order dessert, and in fact there’s ample evidence that this cohort is actually less likely to follow common dietary guidelines. If you examine the menu at a Seasons 52, you’ll see items like entrée salads and a Vegetarian tasting along with more indulgent choices like a Braised Short Rib and Aged Cheddar Flatbread—but note that most of the items follow the brand’s stated goal of weighing in at under 600 calories. That’s called having it both ways.

 

3. They insist on variety and on calling their own shots. Even within the narrow parameters of its core product, Krispy Kreme’s cult following is achieved via dozens and dozens of doughnut varieties, including LTOs like football- and heart-shaped doughnuts and fun emoji-inspired items like the Smirk. And while none of the brands on the list has a telltale DIY menu feature, a huge menu like The Cheesecake Factory’s 250-plus-item list allows customers to order whatever and how much they want.

 

4. They’re fueled by a sense of nostalgia. Huddle House has been in business since 1964, IHOP since ’58, In-N-Out since 1948. No Gen Y’er was around then, of course, but the increasingly complicated circumstances of entering adulthood now are leading this beleaguered generation to long for the “good old days” and the warm fuzzy feeling that a plate of pancakes can provide.

 

5. They’re very social—and socially conscious. Younger Millennials are still very much into meeting up with friends, having a few drinks, and sharing and sampling an experience-based dining occasion. Can you say Bahama Breeze, with its huge selection of appetizers, small plates and snacks, and over-the-top desserts, plus cocktails and tiki drinks by the pageful? This generation is also very socially conscious, a dictum that defines Firehouse Subs, with its community-based Helping Our Hometown Heroes foundation.

 

6. They’re turned on by great service and the personal touch. From its earliest roots in Southern hospitality, Chik-fil-A has been known for its customer orientation—an approach that hasn’t changed even as the brand has moved into high-tech features like app-based ordering and staffers armed with tablets to speed up the line in busy New York City.

 

Raising Cane’s photo credit: Shoshanah license CC by 2.0