Peter Martin, chief executive of CGA Peach, told delegates at the Casual Dining Show in north London that coffee is the key in a crowded "flat, fierce and fickle’ market.
"All-day is one of the hottest areas of competition at the moment," said Martin. "This is the fiercest market I have seen and all-day is seen as the one area where people can get the advantage." Martin highlighted Alex Reilley’s Loungers as an operator that is ticking the all-day box, having captured all markets from breakfast to late-night cocktails. Another operator that consistently scored highly across all day parts is JD Wetherspoon.
A CGA survey of 170 board executives in the industry revealed that 59% believe the all-day concept is the format to thrive in the future, followed by town centre, retail outlet and transport hub venues.
Expert across the board
"Operators need to be experts in all day parts to make it work," said Martin.
Coffee is particularly key at breakfast time while lunch is focused on speed and convenience. The afternoon day part, again, focuses on coffee, relaxation and available WiFi while evening success relies upon innovation, service and technology.
Dedicated coffee shops and cafes such as Costa dominated the top four spots in CGA Peach’s survey of brands used at breakfast time but Wetherspoons claimed the fifth spot at 3.2% having focused on its coffee offer. McDonalds was number one at 6.1%.
Coffee is key
"Coffee is absolutely key and getting it right increases other sales," said Martin. "Coffee is their entry level but there is very little loyalty after that. Get in the market with coffee then it is about location.
Wetherspoons came fourth in a poll of brands used at lunch time with 14%, while Greggs came top with 25.6%. "It is all about speed and convenience and Wetherspoons has a 10-minute promise," said Martin.
Technology also helps in this market as customers can book ahead and speed up the process further. Mid-afternoon, again, focuses on coffee with Wetherspoons again the most used pub brand in seventh with 5.6%.