Words: 2657
A fast food restaurant, also known as a quick service restaurant (USSR) within the industry itself, is a specific type of restaurant characterized both by its fast food cuisine and by minimal table service. Food served in fast food restaurants typically caters to a “meat-sweet diet” and is offered from a limited menu; is cooked in bulk in advance and kept hot; is finished and packaged to order; and is usually available ready to take away, though seating may be provided.
Fast food restaurants are usually part of a restaurant chain or franchise operation, which provisions denaturized ingredients and/or partially prepared foods and supplies to each restaurant through controlled supply channels. Arguably the first fast food restaurants originated in the United States with A&W in 1916 and White Castle in 1921. Today, American-founded fast food chains such as McDonald’s and KEF are multinational corporations with outlets across the globe.
Variations on the fast food restaurant concept include fast casual restaurants and catering trucks. Fast casual restaurants have higher sit-in ratios, and customers can sit and have their orders brought to them. Catering trucks often park just outside workmates and are popular with factory workers. Some trace the modern history of fast food in America to July 7, 1912, with the opening of a fast food restaurant called the Automat in New York. The Automat was a cafeteria with its prepared foods behind small glass windows and coin-operated slots.
Joseph Horn and Frank Hardhat had already opened the first Horn & Hardhat Automat in Philadelphia in 1902, but their “Automat” at Broadway and 13th Street, in New York City, created a sensation. Numerous Automat restaurants were built around the country to deal with the demand. Automata remained extremely popular throughout the sass and sass. The company also popularized the notion of “take-out” food, with their slogan “Less work for Mother”. Modern commercial fast food is highly processed and prepared on a large scale from bulk ingredients using standardized cooking and production methods and equipment.
It is usually rapidly served in cartons or bags or in a plastic wrapping, in a fashion which reduces operating costs by allowing rapid product identification and counting, promoting longer holding time, avoiding transfer of bacteria, and facilitating order fulfillment. In most fast food operations, menu items are generally made from processed ingredients prepared at a central supply facilities and then shipped to individual outlets where they are cooked (usually by grill, microwave, or deep-frying) or assembled in a short amount of time either in anticipation of upcoming orders (I. . , “to stock”) or in response to actual orders (I. E. , “to order”). Following standard operating procedures, pre-cooked products are monitored for freshness and disposed of if holding times become excessive. This process ensures a consistent level of product quality, and is key to levering the order quickly to the customer and avoiding labor and equipment costs in the individual stores. To make quick service possible and to ensure accuracy and security, many fast food restaurants have incorporated hospitality point of sale systems.
This makes it possible for kitchen crew people to view orders placed at the front counter or drive through in real time. Wireless systems allow orders placed at drive through speakers to be taken by cashiers and cooks. Drive through and walk through configurations will allow orders to be taken at one register and paid at another. Modern point of sale systems can operate on computer networks using a variety of software programs. Sales records can be generated and remote access to computer reports can be given to corporate offices, managers, trouble-shooters, and other authorized personnel.
The aim of this project is to conduct a market study on a thriving fast food & dessert chain, going deep into its formation, history and growth; then to analyses the reason that make it so popular. In this project we will be conducting a market study on the global fast food & dessert champ Basking Robbins. BASKING ROBBINS INTRODUCTION Basking-Robbins is a global chain of ice cream parlous founded by Burt Basking and Irvin Robbins in 1953, from the merging of their respective ice cream parlous, in Glendale, California.
It claims to be the world’s largest chain of ice cream specialty stores, with more than 5,800 locations, 2,800 of which are located in the United States. Basking-Robbins sells ice cream in over 30 countries. The company is headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts. The Basking-Robbins ice cream parlous started as separate ventures from Burt Basking and Irvin Robbins, owning Burst’s Ice Cream Shop and Snowbird Ice Cream respectively. Snowbird Ice Cream featured 21 flavors, a novel concept for the time. When the separate companies merged in 1953, this concept grew to 31 flavors.
Basking-Robbins is known for its “31 flavors” slogan (which is featured in logo, in pink). The idea for having so many came from the Carson-Roberts advertising agency (which later became Googol & Matter) in 1953, along with the slogan “Count the Flavors. Where flavor counts. ” It also was more than the 28 flavors then famously offered at Howard restaurants. In addition, the number 31 was chosen so a customer could have a different flavor every day of any onto. Burt and Irvin also believed that people should be able to sample flavors until they found one they wanted to buy -?? hence the iconic small pink spoon.
Basking- Robbins franchisee, Mitch Cohen of New York, currently holds the Guinness World Record for scooping 19 ice cream cones in one minute. The Guinness World Record for the largest cup of ice cream is currently held by Basking-Robbins. Created on September 13, 2005 in celebration of the company’s 60th birthday, the enormous scoop of vanilla ice cream weighed in at 8,865 pounds! CORPORATE HISTORY OF BASKING ROBBINS By 1948, Burt and Irvin opened six stores, the first franchise covering the sale of ice cream was executed May 20, 1948, for the store at 1130 South Adams in Glendale (Store #1).
Burt and Irvin were brothers-in-law. In 1949, the company’s production facility opened in Burbank. They made the decision to sell the stores to the managers, thus becoming one of the first franchised food service businesses. In 1953, Basking-Robbins hired Carson-Roberts Advertising who recommended adoption of the 31 as well as the pink (cherry) and brown (chocolate) polka dots and typeface that were reminiscent of the circus. The first store that adopted the new 31 look was 804 North Glendale Eave. In Glendale, California in March 1953. Between 1949 and 1962, the corporate firm was Huntington Ice Cream Company.
The name succeeded the Basking-Robbins Partnership and was eventually changed back to Basking-Robbins, Inc. On November 26, 1962. Basking-Robbins also was the first to introduce ice cream cakes to the public. Basking Robbins often still incorporates 31 in its promotions despite offering more flavors. For example, in Malaysia this includes giving 31% off their hand-packed ice cream on the 31st of a month, which invariably causes queues at their outlets. Basking-Robbins was owned by the founders until purchased in 1967 Oust prior to Burt Basin’s death) by the United (United Fruit).
In 1972, the company went public for the only time in its history when United Brands sold 17% in an PIP. A year later, British food company J. Lyons and Co. Purchased Basking-Robbins from United Brands and all public stock. J. Lyons then merged with Allied Breweries, becoming Allied-Lyons in 1978. Allied-Lyons then merged with Pedro Doomed S. A. In 1994, becoming Allied Doomed. Basking-Robbins, Tog’s, and Dunking’ Donuts now comprise Dunking’ Brands, Inc. Dunking’ Brands was part of Allied Doomed until its arches in 2006 by a group of private equity firms – Vain Capital, Thomas Lee, and The Carlyle Group.
In 1999, Basking-Robbins terminated approximately 200 domestic franchisee agreements in Southern markets it deemed “nonstarter’s. ” These shop owners were notified of the agreement cancellation via a conference call. Over 40 former franchisees united to form a new company, Kaleidoscopes, which operates as a cooperative, and is based in Austin, Texas. Other former Basking-Robbins franchisees converted their stores to franchises of McConnell (of Santa Barbara, California), and The Ice Cream Club. Basking- Robbins has maintained solid, controlled growth through development of stores that combine Dunking’ Donuts and Tog’s.
Recently the company announced plans to aggressively grow their standalone locations, actively seeking franchises. Irvin Robbins died at Eisenhower Medical Centre in Rancho Mirage, California on May 5, 2008, at age 90. LIST OF PRODUCTS Nutty Cream Cheese Brownie Ice Cream: It is the 2011 Favorite Flavor Contest Winner! Smooth chocolate fudge ice cream with moist brownies, crunchy walnuts and a cream cheese frosting ribbon and it contains Cream, Cream Cheese Frosting Ribbon Sugar, Non-fat Milk, Corn Syrup, Brownie Fudge Pieces [Powdered Sugar (Sugar, Corn Starch), Partially Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Sweetened Condensed Skim Milk.
Baseball Nut Ice Cream: Here’s the pitch: vanilla flavored ice cream and cashews with a black raspberry ribbon which contains Cream, Nonfat Milk, Black Raspberry Ribbon [Corn Syrup, Sugar, Black Raspberries, Water, Sodium Alginate, Citric Acid, Natural Berry Flavor (Blackberry, Raisin, Raspberry, Elderberry Concentrate and Other Fruit Juice Concentrates), Sodium Citrate, Ascorbic Acid], Sugar, Roasted Cashew Pieces Cashews, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil and Salt. Chocolate Chip Ice Cream: It’s the eternal debate: vanilla or chocolate.
But this vanilla flavored ice cream loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips lets you stay happily undecided. It contains Cream, Non-fat Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips [Sugar, Chocolate Liquor, Chocolate Liquor Processed with Alkali, Milk fat, Cocoa Butter, Soya Lecithin (added as an Emulsifier)], Whey Powder, Emulsifier/Stabilizer Blend (Cellulose Gum, Mono and Discoveries, Guar Gum, Carrageen, Polycarbonate 80), Natural and Artificial Vanilla Flavor, Annotator Color. Gold Medal Ribbon Ice Cream: Go for the Gold with this combo of vanilla flavored and chocolate ice creams swirled with a caramel ribbon.
It contains Cream, Non-fat Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Caramel Ribbon [Corn Syrup, Sweetened Condensed Whole Milk (Milk, Sugar), Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Butter (Cream, Salt), Propylene Glycol, Sodium Alginate, Salt, Natural and Artificial Vanilla Flavors, Potassium Sorbets (Preservative), Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier), Sodium Bicarbonate, Annotator Color, Propel Parable & Whey. Lunar Cheesecake Ice Cream: Green and white cheesecake flavored ice cream caked with cheesecake bits and wrapped up in a crunchy graham cracker ribbon.
It contains Cream, Non-fat Milk, Graham Cracker Ribbon {Graham Cracker [Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Monitored, Riboflavin, and Folic Acid), Whole Wheat Flour, Sugar, Hydrogenated Soybean and/or Cottonseed Oils, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Molasses, Honey, Salt, Sodium Bicarbonate], Soybean Oil, Powdered Sugar (Sugar, Cornstarch) and Coconut Oil. Peppermint Ice Cream: Mint fresh and irresistible, this pink peppermint flavored ice cream is loaded with pieces of peppermint candy which contain Cream, Nonfat Milk,
Peppermint Candy (Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Corn Syrup, Invert Sugar, Soy Lecithin, Propylene Glycol, Oil of Peppermint, Red 3, Red 40, Blue 1) Sugar, Corn Syrup, Whey, Red 3, Red 40, Blue 1 Natural Flavor, Cellulose Gum, Mono and Discoveries, Guar Gum, Carrageen, Polycarbonate 80. Raspberry Cheese Louise: This delicious cheesecake flavored frozen yogurt is sprinkled with raspberry cheesecake pieces and graham crackers with a sweet raspberry ribbon. It contains Yogurt Base (Cream, Non-fat Milk, Yogurt Culture), Non- fat Milk, Raspberry Ribbon [Sugar, Seedless Raspberry Puree, Water, Pectin, Citric
Acid, Red Berry Color (Derived from any combination of the following fruits: Black Currant Berries, Elderberries, Blackberries) and Natural Raspberry Flavor]. Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream: With vanilla flavored ice cream, shortcake pieces and a strawberry ribbon, this old-fashioned favorite is anything but short on flavor. It contains Cream, Non-fat Milk, Strawberry Ribbon (Corn Syrup, Strawberries, Strawberry Puree, Modified Food Starch, Sugar, Plum Puree, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Cellulose Gum, Red 40, Sodium Beneath And Potassium Sorbets As Preservatives,
Artificial Flavors), Coated Golden Flake (Wheat Flour, Sugar, Coconut Oil, Whole Eggs, Margarine (palm oil, water, soybean oil, salt, vegetable mono and digressively. MARKETING MIX The marketing mix of a company consists of the various elements as follows which form the core of a company’s marketing system and hence helps to achieve marketing objectives. The marketing mix of McDonald’s is as follows:- Product: – Basking Robbins places considerable emphasis on developing a menu which customers want. Market research establishes exactly what this is. However, customers’ requirements change over time.
In order to meet these changes, Basking Robbins has introduced new products and phased out old ones, and will continue to do so. Basking Robbins has unique range of flavors and they have variety of products like Ice cream, candy, sundaes shakes etc. They have more than thousand flavors in library & thirty one different flavors in every store. Price: – The customer’s perception of value is an important determinant of the price charged. Customers draw their own mental picture of what a product is worth. A product is more than a physical item; it also has psychological connotations for the customer.
The danger of using low price as a marketing tool is that the customer may feel that quality is being compromised. It is important when deciding on price to be fully aware of the brand and its integrity. Basking Robbins’ way of pricing is premium pricing which means taking high price when there is uniqueness of the product. The pricing starts at 45 too maximum of Promotion :- The promotions aspect of the marketing mix covers all types of marketing communications . NNE of the methods employed is advertising, Advertising is conducted on TV, radio, in cinema, online, using poster sites and in the press for example in newspapers and magazines.
Other promotional methods include sales promotions, point of sale display, merchandising, direct mail, loyalty schemes, door drops, etc. The skill in marketing communications is to develop a campaign which uses several of these methods in a way that provides the most effective results. For example, TV advertising makes people aware of a food item and press advertising provides more detail. Basking Robbins mainly do in store promotion campaign and all sort of promotional activities like grand opening activities & direct mailing campaigns.
Place: – Place, as an element of the marketing mix, is not Just about the physical location or distribution points for products. It encompasses the management of a range of processes involved in bringing products to the end consumer. Basking Robbins usually targets their place where there is heavy foot traffic, malls & in most important locations. Other than the main four elements mentioned above there are a few other elements too in the marketing mix, which are as follows:- People:-The employees in Basking Robbins have a standard uniform and Basking Robbins specially focuses on friendly and prompt service to its customers from their employees.
Process:-The manufacturing process at Basking Robbins is completely transparent I. E. The whole process is visible to the customers. In fact, the fast food Joint allows its customers to view and Judge the hygienic standards at Basking Robbins by allowing them to enter the area where the process takes place. The customers are invited to check the ingredients used in food. Physical evidence: – Basking Robbins focuses on clean and hygienic interiors of is outlets and at the same time the interiors are attractive and the fast food & dessert chain maintains a proper decorum at its Joints.
SOOT ANALYSIS Strengths Basking Robbins is a global chain of ice cream selling company. The company has a strong network and has presence in more than thirty countries with six thousand retail shops and franchises. Basking-Robbins USA Co is today, the largest chain of ice cream supplier in the world. The company has the famous offering of 31 flavors which is its slogan and great attraction for the customers. The ice cream is known for its great taste, quality and flavors all over the world. The company in combination have more than one thousand flavors and even have low calorie and no fat ice reams.