News

Here is a summary of the most interesting QSR news stories of the week from around the world.

Find out what QSRs have been up to on social media. NEW ON THE MENU Abokado wants you to try their new veggie offering: the Dragon Roll. This is made with plant-based ingredients and topped with a sprinkling of crunchy seeds. LEON lays it thick by releasing their 'thickshakes' - now available at Oxford, Brent Cross and London Bridge, as well as Spitalfields, Hammersmith and Bankside. PROMOS 

The global coffee brand is also celebrating its 20th year in the UK.

A research firm lists down five reasons why. IGD claims that the UK capital continues to stand out as a destination for food-to-go. They share key observations explaining the innovations being bred in the city:

Three more restaurants are also expected to open throughout the year.

Research suggests that demand for healthier options will continue to grow. Latest research from IGD suggests that a wealth of new opportunities for categories and products is present due to the changing behaviour of consumers. According to the research firm, here are the three traits of what they call the “future food-to-go consumer”: 1. Changing the way we eat People are focusing more on fitting food around their lifestyles, rather than vice versa. And operators are responding. For example, food-to-go specialists have been providing more gym and protein boxes over the past year. We expect both niche and mainstream operators to concentrate more on this during 2018. 2. Health considerations will be more important We’re seeing growth in healthier food-to-go ranges. In the UK for instance, Pret’s opened many customers’ minds to vegetarian lunches and breakfasts. Free from options are becoming core features in ranges. Our shopper research shows demand for wider vegetarian and free-from ranges. Nearly a third (30%) of food-to-go consumers seek more vegetarian options, 22% want more dairy-free and 20% desire larger gluten-free ranges. It’ll be key for retailers to make healthy options easy to find, even with this interest. We’ve seen that when grabbing food on the go, people often revert to the easiest option. So, if finding something healthy requires special effort they’re less likely to do it. 3. Food-to-go on more occasions Shoppers aren’t always consuming food-to-go immediately, it’s also becoming food for later. Many are buying food-to-go products as part or all of an evening meal. They’re also looking for hot options; these feature in nearly half of food-to-go evening meal purchases. Plus, shoppers buying food-to-go in the evening spend significantly more than for other missions. This could present an opportunity for suppliers to develop more premium products.

The site in Belfast will be the first of a number of additional planned locations. Furthering their nationwide rollout, Tim Hortons set to debut its first site in Northern Ireland at noon time today. Upon opening, the first 100 people in the line will receive a free lunch combo while the first person in the queue will be granted with a year’s supply of their signature brewed coffee. The new Belfast site brings the total number of Tim Hortons stores to 17, almost a year after debuting its first-ever UK site in Glasgow, Scotland. “We are thrilled to be bringing our famous brewed coffee, baked goods and freshly-prepared food to the people of Belfast. Following the success of our recent Restaurant openings in Scotland, Wales and in England, we can’t wait to bring a taste of Canada to Northern Ireland at our new Restaurant and welcome new guests,” Tim Hortons UK Chief Finance and Commercial Officer Kevin Hydes said.

42% of the respondents, meanwhile, said that they will a go to a restaurant if it had a good app.

The franchising deals include a “bespoke, premium” offering in an established restaurant.

The online food delivery company is also set to expand its Editions delivery-only super kitchens. To further support the UK restaurant industry, Deliveroo has announced that it is setting up a new £5 million 'innovation fund' to invest in the sector, new chefs and new restaurant concepts.

The company will handle the global brand’s cashless transactions for the next five years. McDonald’s, together with its franchisees, in the UK and Ireland announced that it has selected Ingenico Group to handle the global brand’s growth in cashless transactions. This is in response to a growing number of sites in the UK where electronic payments have overtaken cash. Currently, customers of McDonald’s UK are able to pay for the brand’s signature offerings via their Click and Collect app, through in-restaurant self-service order screens or when using a Drive Thru.

According to the NPD Group, quick-service coffee sites are still on top in terms of servings for coffee with a 0.4% increase. Interesting, however, is the rise of servings for non-traditional sources such as quick-service burger sites (1.6%), pubs (0.7%), and bakeries (0.3%). “These outlets are expanding their coffee menus to include traditional and speciality coffees. To really stand out from the crowd, chains need to keep their coffee menus simple, with a focus on taste and quality; as these are the key factors that will drive a return visits,” Cyril Lavenant, head of foodservice UK in the NPD Group said. In contrast, we see a sharp 2.7% decline in servings for non-commercial establishments. Read the whole summary of the study here.  

The brand intends to restructure by facilitating the exit of lossmaking sites. After reviewing their business strategy, Carluccio’s announced its proposal to enter a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) in order to “to weather the headwinds affecting the industry and to return it to a stable footing.” The Italian restaurant chain’s proposal is a ‘landlord-only’ CVA, impacting 34 of the group’s lossmaking restaurants. Other landlords and creditors are not expected to be affected.

The multi-site looks forward to further expansion in the Middle East and Asia.

The sandwich brand’s will open its doors at Berlin Central Station later this year.

Analysts from Berenberg believe the fast casual brand will accelerate these features this year. Similar to 2017 growth, incremental sales contribution from takeaway and delivery is expected to continue for Vapiano this year according to a report from Berenberg, "The research identifies takeaway and delivery as the driving factors behind both growth and margin gains for the fast casual dining brand. “The expansion of this feature across Vapiano’s store estate will be crucial to the company’s growth over the medium term,” the report stated. Currently operating with over 200 restaurants globally, Vapiano has reaffirmed its target to open 33-38 restaurants in 2018, including three delayed openings from 2017. Berenberg analysts expect takeaway and delivery rollout progression to accelerate in 2018 as Vapiano believes hopes to integrate this feature in 75-85% of its restaurants by the end of the year. View the full report here.