As you like it: can "mass customisation" work for you?
As consumers we are provided with a wealth of information on products and services via the internet and media, so we know exactly what we want and how we want it.
Think of planning your holiday online or ordering a Dell computer.
"Made to order" has worked well for many industries, to the benefit of suppliers and consumers alike. But can "mass customisation", the new business concept that replaces mass production, work as well when it comes to eating out?
In the States, restaurant concepts that have adopted this approach have been successful because it touches on many of the major trends that will continue to affect foodservice in the long term. Take the quest for freshness. The fact that your food is "made to order" ensures it's as fresh as possible.
At the US fast-casual "fresh-Mex" Chipotle chain, each item is made fresh to order. Customers can select what they want in their burritos or tacos from a range of ingredients on display. With the growing awareness of health and wellness, it seems everyone in the States has some dietary need or things they can't or won't eat. Restaurants have had to be flexible and sensitive or lose out.
The other mega trend we see in new packaged goods is the "especially for me and my needs" approach. In almost any supermarket you'll find an aisle with a huge range of new food and beverages designed for a specific consumer demographic, such as "Just for Women". The more customised style of menu is a natural extension of that trend.
People cook less and less for themselves at home, but are still very interested in food. Having a say on how their dish is prepared, the sauce, flavouring or a side dish, gives them the chance still to interact with their food.
New US sandwich concept Which Wich? offers a simple menu of hot sandwiches where customers check off exactly what ingredients they want and puts their name on a brown paper bag. "The moment someone writes their name on the bag, they're part of the concept," says restaurant entrepreneur Jeff Sinelli, "they're engaged." Engaging customers seems to be the key ingredient for a loyal following and the competitive edge.
Mass customisation may be a way to offer a fresh, fun and alternative approach to standard menus, but how can it work in a sit-down restaurant? The trick is to focus on a few "signature" specialities, with easy-to-prepare variations.
London-based S&M Café seems to have the concept right with one, ever-popular main menu dish - sausages and mash. Customers can select from a range of around five types of sausages, a variety of mash and a choice of gravies. Different sausages are introduced daily or rotated as specials.
As consumers become more sophisticated about food and eating out, and as individualism becomes more commonplace in the packaged goods industry, will "mass customisation" find its way onto the more traditional pub menu?
It might just provide an interesting, engaging, family-friendly approach that would appeal to pub customers.
Sources: Restaurant Hospitality December 2004
Originally from New York, Lisa is MD of the Food Stuff Ltd, a foodservice-focused agency that she set up five years ago after working for more than 10 years in the Food Stuff Ltd's New York office