Fast Food Analysis and Evaluation - Case Study Example

Fast Food Analysis and Evaluation

Fast food refers to any food that can be prepared in haste and without the use of sophisticated procedures. The food is always prepared with the primary aim of serving customers on a quick move who do not have adequate time to cook or wait for proper meals. Most clients are town dwellers, tourists, people on a picnic, and students (Schlosser, 2012). Even though some of these fast food products are a little bit expensive, people still prefer them to proper meals for their availability and mechanisms with which they are served. Irrespective of where one is, or the direction of the journey, they are always convenient to use as they can be carried and eaten even in buses. They are mostly offered in snack bars and restaurants in places that are accessible to everyone at all times. Some snack bars operate twenty-four hours seven times a week. Although some organizations discourage people from taking these fast food products, they seem to be the best alternative for the majority who consider themselves too busy to prepare nutritious meals.

The most common menu items of fast food products are chips, French fries, hot dogs, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, Ice cream, pizza, sandwiches, fish, and tacos (Schlosser, 2012) among others. Moreover, some of the restaurants are located by the roadside or along busy highways where the majority of customers are found. One of the fascinating characteristics of these fast food products is that they have no particular time of service, and this aspect makes them the busiest food outlets of all the years. The paper evaluates and analyses fast food products of two restaurants; Capital A and Branda B Restaurants. The analysis is based on their nutritional contents and marketing mix; mostly known as the 4p's of marketing, physical aspects, most and least influential aspects of the products before drawing the recommendations for the improvement of marketing strategies for these commodities.

Two products were analyzed between two restaurants and the following results were obtained.

Analysis Table

Capital A Restaurant

Menu Items

Calories (Kcalories)

(recommended)

Calories

(content)

Sodium

(recommended)

Sodium

(content)

Fried chicken

Breakfast

lunch

Supper

500

700

700

580

640

880

Breakfast

Lunch

Supper

480 mg

720 mg

720 mg

400 mg

730 mg

730 mg

Chips

Breakfast

Lunch

supper

500

700

700

500

640

704

Breakfast

Lunch

supper

480 mg

720 mg

720 mg

470 mg

720 mg

720 mg

The Branda B Restaurant

Fried Chicken

Breakfast

Lunch

Supper

500

700

700

500

700

700

Breakfast

Lunch

Supper

480 mg

720 mg

720 mg

480 mg

720 mg

720 mg

Chips

Breakfast

Lunch

500

700

700

700

Breakfast

Lunch

480 mg

720 mg

480 mg

740 mg

Supper

700

709

Supper

720 mg

720 mg

The above two restaurants offer fast food products with different contents of calories and sodium in various types of goods. The restaurant Branda B offers the best fast food products regarding calories and sodium contents, which are evident from the two food products analyzed in the table above. The results can explain why the Branda restaurants were full of customers and every day was engulfed with activities of a different kind. Most people who visited the Capital A might have been visitors or those who could not notice the difference. From the table, the breakfast at the Capital was low in sodium but high in calories and this aspect is the reason why I would prefer going to the restaurant for my breakfast while lunch and supper, the Branda B would be the best option.

The food offered at the Capital during lunch hours are low in calories. Nevertheless, their high content of sodium during lunch and suppertime and calories at supper affects their meals, and therefore not many customers attend the restaurants at such a time. On the other hand, fast food products at the Branda B have well-balanced calorie and sodium contents. Exceptionally, their chips have a high content of sodium specifically during lunchtime and calorie at dinner. Generally, the Branda B restaurant has about 92% compliance with the requirements of food preparation as far as nutrition content is concerned. On the contrary, the Capital A has a lower rate of compliance at 75%. Even though such a difference exists between these two restaurants, there have never been remnants of any fast food at the end of the day. All the food is consumed, and sometimes the number of customers exceeds the number of fast food products prepared by both restaurants. In any two or three combinations of fast food product at the Capital A, one would consume high calorie from the expected 2500 calories per day while at the Branda B, the content might still be within the range of calories needed by the body.

The fast food products are delightful and once a customer takes the first bit, the probability of such client consistently coming is very high (Schlosser, 2012). For such reason, this type of food has been addictive to many people hence; even some families do not have time to prepare family meals but instead depend on fast food restaurants.

The Marketing Mix (The 4ps of Marketing)

The 4 Ps are variables that any organization planning to enter into any market must do a thorough research to ensure they are in balance. They enhance the firm in making strategic choices for the smooth and proper production of services and goods in a particular market. These variables are product, price, place, and promotions. The variables must be on the check because any change in any of these products marketing mix can result in a change in one or all of the variables. Therefore, research is required at every level of developing these 4 Ps of marketing to reap a high profit.

Product

When restaurants want to sell their products, they can decide the best product marketing strategy from several choices. However, the decisions may have long-term or short effects on the profit or the existence of such restaurant in the market. The restaurants must decide on the best product development method before it is released to the target market for consumption (Schlosser, 2012). Both the restaurants offer the same products, and their menu is up to date with new brands. The Capital restaurant sells fried chicken that is dipped in tomato sauce and other appetizing spices such as pepper while that from the Branda is served with tomato sauce beside the chicken making their products unique. Chips as a product from the Bramnda B is chisel-shaped, and their tips dipped in chilies. Consequently, chips at the Capital A are thin but longer than those of Branda and have specially designed consumable spoons for service as a way of environmental sensitivity. The quality of chicken and chips products on both sides is the same. The reason is that one consultancy firm provided the procedure for preparation and one quality assurance company monitors their processes.

A recognized company that enjoys a monopoly in the same market supplies the materials they use for both products. Nevertheless, branding of products differs, one can easily tell a fried chicken from each restaurant, and the same applies to chips. Consumable packaging is a familiar brand with the Branda B products with soft chicken and chips of its kind. The target market for these products is both students and the working class customers who work in different places. The chicken and chips products are strategically positioned as the restaurants are close to each other and compete for the same clients. These products undergo the same life cycle from development, introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. Before they reach the reduction stage, the restaurants through market research starts another product or brand development that will suit the clients.

Price

The prices charged are dependent on the consumer's perception of value for their money. Before customers purchase the products, the image of product worth is first drawn in their mind, and if the price is higher than the perceived value, clients will raise complaint or decline to buy the product. The price of chips and fried chicken are affected by competition between the two restaurants, client’s taste and preferences, which is dependent on the brand of the products. Largely, chicken and chips are costly as the difference in price is $ 100. On the contrary, this difference is covered in packaging especially for the Branda B products. The prices are high, and this aspect makes the clients attach high quality of chips and fried chicken. More importantly, the prices have been rising steadily as new brands are developed.

Place

The place encompasses location and distribution methods and channels. The combination of fried chicken and chips sells well through distribution to offices and places of work of customers who place an order a day earlier. The location of the central business premises is accessible as they are along the highways by the roadsides where people pass by.

Promotions

The promotional method used is the advertisement. The restaurants have devised attractive product packages used for advertising. Televisions, radio, restaurant websites, press release, and social media are some of the platforms used for advertisement. Groups of three customers who are enjoying fried chicken at the sunny beach are used for TV advertisement. Other methods include door drops where restaurant agents who are using motorcycles deliver food on demand. This mechanism ensures that food penetrates and reaches every market segment. No matter the method of product promotion used, the prices remain the same. Except for the delivery on demand which attracts additional but well-checked price, which is subject to change considering changes in other items like fuel.

Aspect of Positive Influence

My perceptions were positively influenced by the consumable packaging of the Branda B products. Buying fried chicken, chips or any other fast food product would mean buying an additional product, the consumable product that is not a fast food. It is imperative to note that this product is very sweet besides being attractive. On the contrary, the fact that chilies are added into chips affected my perception negatively toward buying fast food from the restaurant. Since I do not enjoy chilies, all the food from this restaurant seemed to me as having chilly content. The ‘chilly factor’ is what influenced my overall experience. Some of the physical evidence are edible membership card-like attached to every consumable packaging of the Branda B products. The consumable spoons were evident with the Capital A products in addition to a nice-looking bag that is also reusable. Purchasing fast food is one of the best hobbies one can enjoy because of the differences and prestige attached to the restaurants.

Recommendations

• When preparing fast food products, considerations must be taken to increase the comparative number of low calorie while putting more nutrients on the menu items. The menu items should have an appropriate amount of calorie and be highly nutritious when considering the health and well-being of the clients.
• The youth must reconsider consumption of the calorie-dense, and nutrient-poor foodstuffs served as fast foods. It is unhealthy to consume high-calorie foods because of the diseases attached to them like obesity and overweight.
• Fast food advertisements to children should be significantly reduced. Most of the fast foods offered are not healthy, and children must be discouraged from consuming them. Besides, when advertising, healthy fast food options must be provided in ads.
• The agents who deliver fast foods on demand should be given very attractive uniforms that are very motivating and inspiring. For example, they should dress like professionals.

Reference

Schlosser, E. (2012). Fast food nation: The dark side of the all-American meal. Back Bay: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.