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The growth of suburban restaurants brings challenges and possibilities
The pandemic ushered in significant (and seemingly permanent) changes to people’s working environments. According to Gallup research, 52 percent of employees in the U.S. work in hybrid offices or at home. This has caused a shift in not only where consumers are eating their meals, but to their eating habits themselves. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports that as consumers continue to spend more of their time in their suburban and rural neighborhoods, some restaurants have adjusted their growth plans and followed their guests there. At the same time, this shift to the suburbs has resulted in a broader spread of business throughout the day as opposed to rushes during mealtimes. It can be a disruptive transition. Less people are having take-away lunch at their desks and operators are having to think about keeping dining room space available to people eating at odd hours, as well as to guests coming in with baby strollers. For some, the imbalance of traffic across the day means having to have a mixed-use plan for their real estate that allows them to continue to make sales regardless of the ebb and flow of traffic in a suburban location. Staffing can present another challenge if restaurants are used to sharing workers across multiple urban locations and now have spread-out suburban stores to staff. That said, these locations are experiencing appealing growth – and by becoming a fixture in people’s neighborhoods, a business may be more able to become a valuable part of their family and social experiences. There is opportunity to build loyalty and benefit from partnerships with other local businesses that enrich the fabric of the community. If you’re investing more in suburban guests right now, what opportunities do you see to boost their experience with you, as well as build their loyalty?
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