Hunger Doesn't Wear a Watch

Sometimes there is nothing better than a cheeseburger or perhaps even a Big Buford burger with a side of loaded French fries at 3 a.m. on a Saturday night. But keeping the neon light on all night can be a difficult process for restaurant owners. We know the late-night need is out there, but is the investment worth it? [caption id="attachment_7687" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Adam Noyes"][/caption] Ideally, extended hours brings in more revenue without increasing other costs such as rent, but there are other factors to consider including hiring extra staff who are willing to work those hours. According to Adam Noyes, Chief Restaurant Operations Officer, EVP at Checkers* restaurants, franchisees can succeed in late-night operations, with the right support. Checkers conducted significant restaurant-by-restaurant studies to determine nightly guest traffic, sales and other metrics. If business was still going strong near closing, they gradually extended hours to test the opportunity. Thanks to their guests, whose 24/7 lifestyles demand options late at night, they found there were profitable opportunities in late-night for most of their restaurants. Checkers also has the advantage over the competition at night because the Checkers/Rally’s brand is uniquely suited to this business: their menu is built to satisfy late-night cravings with bold flavors from their famous seasoned fries to the Big Buford burger; the walk-up windows and patios stay open late when others close their dining rooms; and the neon and stainless designs on the buildings light up the night like a beacon, drawing guests in. Checkers may be on the right path, especially with young Millennial males. When it comes to late-night quests for food, eight in 10 Millennial males said they want good food—not just any food, according to a recent survey* conducted by Braun Research. Of the late night food options, these nighttime diners vote for hamburgers (over tacos) as their top choice and beef and cheese were some of the most "craveable" ingredients. It’s more than good food (84 percent) that’s important; convenience (79 percent), quick service (78 percent) and food options under $5 (73 percent) are also important attributes for late-night diners. “Late-night cannot succeed without proper staffing, training, and operational excellence,” Noyes adds. “Franchisees should consider not only the hard costs involved, but also the time and dedication required from their teams to stay open later.”  Checkers created a “Do Late Night Right” initiative, which focused on hiring and staffing the correct team members and focused on applying additional training to improve execution during that portion of the day. In an interview in the Wall Street Journal about late-night operations, Peter Riggs, vice president of brand promotion for Pita Pit USA Inc. says, “You can't take the lifestyle of a certain demographic and universally apply it to everyone." Pita Pit established their brand in college towns, where the need was high for late snacks. However, when the brand took off and expanded into other markets, late-night wasn’t the best fit. In the article, Mr. Riggs recommends, “Patrolling the neighborhood during the period you're thinking of opening to see how busy it is and what the competition is like. He also suggests asking existing customers about their interest in coming in during hours when your restaurant is normally closed.” * Wendy’s sponsored telephone survey in partnership with Braun Research Incorporated to 1,000 Millennial males.