Oklahoma City Restaurants Weathering the Storm

Just as the resilient people of OKC have learned to adapt to the variety of tempestuous weather patterns the Sooner state is famous for, the restaurant industry in Central Oklahoma has also had to learn to bend with the wind in the current stormy market climate. As I speak with local leaders in the industry, I ask them how they are “weathering the storm”; what are they doing to maintain and even thrive in this economic downturn? Surprisingly, I find 3 different and distinct strategies local restaurant groups are employing with notable success.

Founded and Grounded

Jev Vandegrift, co-owner of Van’s Pig Stand, a 5 location barbecue concept founded in 1930, told me they’ve only made minor adjustments to their business strategies in response to the market challenges of late. “We’ve always focused on the basics. People want good food, good service and a clean restaurant. That’s what we strive to provide,” Jev told me. He did admit that they have created value-focused specials to increase foot traffic and give their long-standing customer base a lower cost option. Sales, including catering, are level, according to Vandegrift, in spite of the economic challenges the city is facing. Founded in Oklahoma and grounded by its deep-rooted clientele, Van’s Pig Stand’s “stand” is “business as usual”.

Flour Power

Gary Duckworth, District Manager for the OKC metro Old Chicago pizza locations, said his group is taking a different approach. They are aggressively marketing on TV to increase guest counts in their stores. They’ve also added a “lighter” product, the Artesian Pizza, in response to consumers seeking that option. “The Artesian Pizza has a thin, hand-made crust made with less fat,” Duckworth said of the new product. They are also promoting discounted menu items on slower days to attract guests. Duckworth also mentioned: “Sales have been flat, but are ticking up.” It seems that “rolling out the dough” is keeping the dough, and the customers, rolling in.

Fun & Flexible

Taco Mayo is utilizing market research to help move their brand forward. With sales down, Randy Earhart, Chairman, CEO, and COO of the 31 year old Oklahoma based concept found his company in an unfamiliar position late in 2008. After “nearly 40+ quarters of year over year sales growth” Earhart realized change was necessary. “Our focus since the last quarter of ‘08 has been to implement a simpler, easier to read menu, where the customer could find what they wanted quickly but more importantly know the costs and understand the value in those products,” Earhart shared. He discovered, through consumer research group findings, their patrons were less likely to purchase a beverage during their visit, prompting the brand to focus on Combo Meals which “represent the best value to customers.” Taco Mayo has also introduced lighter menu items in response to all the attention to health issues. Their 10-item Salsalita menu, implemented earlier this year, includes menu items with less than 1/3 of their calories from fat and less than 450 total calories. “The Salsalita menu items have been very well received,” says Earhart. For a restaurant in its 30’s, the creators of the off-the-wall “Now that was unexpected!” commercials are proving they are still the life of the party.

The economic winds may billow and blow and financial experts’ sirens sound. But these Oklahoma City businesses choose not to echo Chicken Little’s cry that the sky is falling.

Read more Restaurant Industry Trends here.

Brian Bruce, author of multiple articles published on many websites and several industry trade publications, has been cited in multiple news stories as an authority in Executive Restaurant Recruiting. He's an Executive Restaurant Recruiter with Premier Solutions in Oklahoma City and Blogger. He can be reached at 877-948-4001, by email at HeadHunterBrian@gmail.com , or on his blog at HeadHunterBrian.com .

Comments

[RestaurantZoom]

Brian has a great article here. I do get concerned though when restaurateurs say they are going to focus on the basics, period. The problem we find with many is that focusing on the basics is just not enough to be competitive in many markets especially in this challenging economy. Our advice is to focus on the basics AND implement several intelligent local marketing plans to gain new guests and increase guest loyalty. Shameless plug coming:-) That is exactly what we do at RestaurantZoom.com.