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Competitive Analysis for a Fast Food Restaurant (Example)

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  • December 29, 2023
  • Business Plan , Competitive Analysis

Fast food restaurant

A competitive analysis is a crucial component of your fast food restaurant’s business plan. It provides insights into how your restaurant compares to its competitors in the market. This analysis is instrumental in identifying your restaurant’s unique selling points and understanding the competitive landscape.

A thorough competitive analysis helps in shaping a well-informed business plan, ensuring that your restaurant is positioned to meet market demands and customer expectations effectively.

competition analysis of restaurant

Fast Food Restaurant Business Plan

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Identifying Your Competitors in the Fast Food Industry

Identifying competitors is the first step in understanding your position in the fast food market. Start by mapping out local fast food restaurants. For instance, if your restaurant specializes in burgers, your direct competitors include nearby burger joints like McDonald’s or Burger King, as well as local favorites like “Bob’s Burgers.” Don’t overlook indirect competitors such as Subway or Chipotle, which offer alternative fast dining options.

Use online tools like Google Maps to get a geographical sense of competitor distribution. Platforms like Yelp and TripAdvisor offer customer reviews and ratings, providing insights into competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. For example, if several reviews mention the quick service at “Fast Eats,” this is a key strength of your competitor.

Fast food competitors’ strategies

Analyzing the strategies of these competitors involves several aspects. Start with their menu offerings. For example, if “Healthy Bites” down the street is gaining popularity with its vegan options, it indicates a market trend towards healthier fast food.

Pricing strategy is another crucial aspect. Compare your prices with those of “Dollar Saver Menu” at McDonald’s or the premium options at “Shake Shack.” This comparison will help you understand where your restaurant fits in the market.

Marketing tactics in fast food can range from social media campaigns, like Wendy’s witty Twitter presence, to local billboard advertising. Pay attention to how competitors engage with customers online and the types of promotions they run.

Customer experience is also key. For instance, Chick-fil-A is renowned for its customer service. Visit competitors and note the service speed, order accuracy, and overall customer satisfaction.

Operational efficiency, especially in fast food, is a game-changer. Observe if competitors like Domino’s are using technology, like their pizza tracking system, to enhance efficiency and customer experience.

What’s your fast food restaurant’s value proposition?

Now, reflect on your restaurant’s unique value proposition. Perhaps your restaurant offers a unique fusion cuisine that isn’t available elsewhere in your area, or maybe you use locally sourced ingredients, which appeals to health-conscious consumers.

Identify market gaps through customer feedback and market trends. For example, the growing popularity of plant-based diets has led to the success of chains like “Beyond Meat.” If there’s a rising demand for plant-based fast food in your area that competitors aren’t meeting, this could be a niche for your restaurant.

Consider your location: A fast food restaurant located near a university might cater to students with budget-friendly deals, unlike a restaurant in a business district that might focus on quick service for office workers.

How to summarize it all in your business plan?

Now, how can you summarize it all in a business plan you may ask?

Competitors strategies and market positioning can be superposed with your own fast food restaurant’s value proposition by laying out on a page (or a presentation slide) the main differentiating factors. These factors will show investors and banks:

  • How each competitor is positioned in the market
  • How your fast food restaurant compares vs. competitors (what’s your value proposition )

The location of a fast food restaurant is critical for its accessibility and customer traffic. For example, a restaurant in a busy shopping center may attract more walk-in customers compared to one in a residential area. Location also influences delivery and takeout services.

The type of cuisine offered is a defining characteristic of a fast food restaurant. Whether it’s traditional fast food, ethnic cuisine, or health-conscious options, this factor determines the target customer segment and market positioning.

Unique Selling Points

Identifying what makes your restaurant stand out, such as signature dishes, speedy service, or a unique dining experience, is crucial for differentiation in a competitive market.

Price Range

The price range of the menu items influences the target demographic. A restaurant with budget-friendly options might appeal to students and families, while one with higher-priced items could attract a different customer base.

The availability and quality of dine-in services can impact customer experience. A restaurant with a pleasant and comfortable dine-in space might attract customers looking for a quick yet enjoyable meal.

Takeout services are essential in the fast food industry. The efficiency and convenience of your takeout services can significantly affect customer satisfaction and repeat business.

Number of Seats

The seating capacity of a restaurant indicates its ability to accommodate dine-in customers. A higher number of seats might suggest a focus on the dine-in experience, while fewer seats could indicate a takeout or delivery-focused business model.

Whether your restaurant is part of a franchise can impact brand recognition and operational strategies. Franchises often have established marketing and operational support, while independent restaurants might focus on local branding and unique offerings.

Customer Ratings

Customer ratings on platforms like Yelp or Google provide insights into public perception and satisfaction. High ratings can enhance reputation and attract new customers, while lower ratings might indicate areas for improvement.

Other Comparison Factors

  • Marketing and Promotions : Understanding competitors’ marketing strategies can offer insights into effective advertising and promotional tactics.
  • Menu Diversity : Assessing the range of menu items, including special dietary options, can inform menu development.
  • Customer Service Quality : Evaluating the level of customer service can highlight areas for improvement in your own business.
  • Operational Efficiency : Observing how competitors manage peak hours and order fulfillment can provide operational insights.
  • Community Involvement : Engagement in local events and sponsorships can enhance brand visibility and community relations.

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Unlocking Success: Restaurant Competitive Analysis Guide

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on  restaurant competitive analysis . As a restaurant owner or manager, you know that the industry is highly competitive, and staying ahead of your rivals is crucial for success. To achieve that, you need to understand your competition, their strengths and weaknesses, and how to use that information to your advantage.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps of conducting a thorough  restaurant competitive analysis . We’ll cover everything from identifying your competitors to gathering and analyzing data, conducting SWOT analysis, evaluating your competitive advantage, and analyzing your competitors’ strategies.

By the end of this guide, you’ll have the tools and knowledge to outperform your competitors and satisfy your clientele, leading to long-term success in the restaurant industry .

restaurant Competitive Analysis

Key Takeaways: Restaurant competitive analysis  is essential for staying ahead of rivals and satisfying your customers. Understanding the restaurant industry landscape is crucial before diving into competitive analysis. A SWOT analysis can help assess your restaurant’s internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats. Analyzing your competitors’ strategies is crucial for adapting and improving your own strategies. Competitive analysis is an ongoing process, and staying competitive in the restaurant industry requires continuous monitoring and adaptation .

Understanding the Restaurant Industry Landscape

At  our  core, we believe that a successful restaurant starts with understanding the industry landscape. Conducting extensive  restaurant market research  and analysis helps restaurant owners gain valuable insights, identify potential opportunities for growth, and stay ahead of industry trends. In this section, we will provide an overview of the restaurant industry’s current state, trends, insights, and research findings.

First and foremost,  restaurant industry analysis  shows that the market is highly competitive, with thousands of establishments vying for customers’ attention. Despite this, the industry has seen steady annual growth over the past few years, with projected industry revenue of $899 billion in 2020, according to the National Restaurant Association. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the industry, causing massive losses in revenue and widespread closures.

To overcome these challenges,  restaurant industry research  has shown that establishments must be adaptable to changing consumer preferences and market trends. For example, due to the pandemic, the restaurant industry has experienced a significant shift toward delivery and takeout services, with many restaurants altering their offerings to cater to this new demand. Additionally, consumers are increasingly interested in healthy, sustainable, and locally sourced food, indicating a potential opportunity for restaurants to develop and market these types of offerings.

Furthermore,  restaurant industry trends  indicate that technology plays a vital role in the industry’s success. With the rise of online ordering systems, mobile apps, and social media, restaurants must have a strong digital presence to remain competitive. Moreover, data analytics and automation tools have become essential tools for streamlining operations and improving customer experience.

In conclusion, understanding the restaurant industry landscape is key to developing successful restaurant strategies. By conducting thorough  restaurant market research  and analysis, owners can gain valuable insights into the industry’s trends, challenges, and opportunities.  Our  next section will delve into the process of identifying your restaurant’s competitors, a crucial step in conducting effective competitive analysis.

Identifying Your Restaurant Competitors

Before diving into the competitive analysis of your restaurant, it’s vital to identify who your competitors are within the industry. A competitor is any restaurant that is vying for the same market share as you, regardless of the type of cuisine or location.

There are two types of competitors in the restaurant industry: direct and indirect. Direct competitors offer the same type of cuisine and service as your restaurant, while indirect competitors offer different types of cuisine but are still targeting the same customer base.

Direct competitors are often located in the same geographical area as your restaurant, making them more likely to steal your customers. Indirect competitors may be located further away, but may still draw in your target audience with their unique offerings.

When identifying your  restaurant competitors , you can start by researching restaurants in your area with similar cuisines and price points. Additionally, you can look at industry reports or search online to determine other restaurants that are targeting similar customer demographics as your restaurant.

By correctly analyzing your restaurant competition, you can focus your analysis on the most relevant players in the market and develop effective strategies that will give you an edge over your competitors.

Gathering and Analyzing Restaurant Industry Data

As we’ve established, data is a crucial element of competitive analysis. To understand your competition and develop an effective strategy, you need solid information about the restaurant industry’s current state, its performance and trends.

Let’s look at some of the essential aspects to consider when gathering and analyzing restaurant industry data.

Restaurant Market Analysis

Conducting a market analysis can provide valuable insights into the restaurant industry. You will identify various factors impacting market demand, customer behavior, competitors’ strategies and trends. For instance, you may want to analyze the size of the market, the annual growth rate and revenue generated by the industry.

Gathering data on the market can also help you determine whether your target audience is growing or shrinking. Such insights can reveal opportunities for expansion or diversification of your restaurant offerings.

Restaurant Industry Statistics

Collecting industry-specific statistics can also be useful in analyzing your competition. These statistics can give you information about the restaurant industry’s performance, trends, and overall health. For example, you may want to track data on the number of new restaurants that open and close annually or the percentage of revenue generated by particular segments of the industry such as fast food or fine dining .

Restaurant Industry Benchmarks

Knowing how your restaurant performs relative to the industry average can also be helpful in competitive analysis. Benchmarks can give you a perspective on your strengths and weaknesses compared to other restaurants in the same market. You may want to analyze data on industry-standard metrics, such as food cost percentage, labor cost percentage, or customer retention rate to evaluate your restaurant’s performance.

Restaurant Market Trends

Keeping up with trends in the restaurant industry is critical for staying competitive. Analyzing trends can help you identify developments like shifting customer preferences and eating habits or new technologies and innovations that are impacting the industry. You may want to collect data on restaurant trends such as delivery services, online ordering, or eco-friendly packaging.

By collecting and analyzing data on the market, industry statistics, benchmarks, and trends, you can gain valuable insights for your competitive analysis.

Conducting a SWOT Analysis for Your Restaurant

One of the most effective tools for evaluating your restaurant’s competitive position is conducting a SWOT analysis. This analysis involves assessing your restaurant’s internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats.

When conducting a SWOT analysis for your restaurant, it is important to be honest and objective. This analysis should be based on facts and data, rather than assumptions or personal opinions.

SWOT Analysis for Restaurant

First, identify your restaurant’s strengths. These can include unique menu offerings, exceptional customer service , a prime location, or a loyal customer base. By leveraging these strengths, you can differentiate your restaurant from competitors and attract more customers.

Next, identify your restaurant’s weaknesses. These can include a limited menu, high prices, poor online presence, or subpar customer service. Recognizing these weaknesses can help you develop strategies for improvement and minimize any negative impact on your business.

After assessing your internal factors, it’s time to identify external opportunities. These can include changes in consumer preferences, emerging food trends, or new technologies that can improve your restaurant’s operations and efficiency.

Finally, identify external threats. These can include new competitors entering the market, economic downturns, or changing regulations. By identifying potential threats, you can develop contingency plans to mitigate their impact on your restaurant.

Overall, a SWOT analysis can provide valuable insights into your restaurant’s competitive position and help identify areas for improvement. By using this analysis to develop effective strategies, you can position your restaurant for long-term success in a competitive industry.

Evaluating Your Restaurant’s Competitive Advantage

At this point in our restaurant competitive analysis guide, we have identified your direct and indirect competitors, analyzed the restaurant industry data, and conducted a comprehensive SWOT analysis for your restaurant. Now, it’s time to evaluate your competitive advantage in the market.

Competitive advantage refers to the unique strengths and attributes of your restaurant that set you apart from your competitors. By leveraging your competitive advantage, you can differentiate your offerings and attract more customers to your establishment.

When evaluating your competitive advantage, consider what makes your restaurant stand out in the market. Do you offer unique menu items or a particular cuisine that your competitors do not have? Perhaps you have a prime location that is easily accessible to your target audience or a reputation for excellent customer service.

Additionally, consider the strengths and weaknesses of your direct competitors and how your restaurant can stand out from them. By analyzing their marketing strategies, menu offerings, pricing strategies, and customer service, you can identify areas where your restaurant can excel and differentiate yourself from the competition.

Overall, evaluating your competitive advantage is critical to standing out in a crowded restaurant market. By leveraging your unique strengths and attributes, you can attract more customers and increase your market share.

Keywords: restaurant competitive advantage, competitive analysis in the restaurant industry, restaurant competition research, competitive intelligence for restaurants

Analyzing Your Restaurant Competitors’ Strategies

Now that we have identified who your main competitors are, it’s time to dive deeper into their strategies and tactics. By conducting thorough  restaurant competitive research  and benchmarking, we can gain valuable insights into what makes your competitors successful and how you can improve your own strategies.

One important aspect of competitive analysis is analyzing your competitors’ pricing strategies. Are they offering lower prices to attract customers, or are they charging a premium for certain items? By comparing your prices to your competitors’ prices, you can identify opportunities to adjust your own pricing strategy to better compete in the market.

Another key area to explore is your competitors’ menu offerings. What types of dishes and cuisines are they serving, and how are those dishes presented? Are they offering unique and creative menu items, or are they sticking to traditional dishes? By analyzing your competitors’ menus, you can identify opportunities to introduce new and innovative menu items to attract customers.

Customer service is also a crucial aspect of a successful restaurant. By analyzing your competitors’ customer service practices , you can identify areas where your restaurant can improve. Are your competitors offering faster service or more personalized attention to customers ? By identifying these areas, you can develop effective strategies to better serve your customers and improve their overall experience.

Overall, conducting  competitive analysis for food industry  is a critical step in developing effective strategies for your restaurant. By analyzing your competitors’ pricing strategies, menu offerings, and customer service practices, you can identify opportunities to improve your own offerings and outperform your rivals. With  competitor analysis for restaurants , you can stay ahead of the competition and maintain a strong position in the market.

Leveraging Competitive Analysis for Effective Restaurant Marketing

One of the most significant benefits of conducting a competitive analysis is the insight it provides for developing effective restaurant marketing strategies. By understanding your competition, you can position your restaurant effectively in the market and craft compelling marketing messages that resonate with your target audience.

Here are some tips for leveraging your competitive analysis for effective restaurant marketing:

  • Identify your competitive positioning:  Use your analysis to identify what sets your restaurant apart from your competitors. Highlight your unique strengths, such as menu offerings, ambiance, price points, or customer service, and use these as the basis for your competitive positioning.
  • Identify new marketing opportunities:  Look for gaps in your competitors’ marketing strategies, such as underrepresented demographics or untapped social media channels. By identifying these opportunities, you can establish your restaurant as a leader in the market and attract new customers.
  • Refine your target audience:  Use your analysis to gain a deeper understanding of your target audience. Identify their preferences, behaviors, and pain points, and use this information to craft marketing messages that resonate with them.
  • Craft compelling marketing messages:  Use the insights gained from your analysis to craft marketing messages that highlight your competitive advantages and resonate with your target audience. Emphasize what sets your restaurant apart and what makes your offerings unique.

By leveraging the findings from your competitive analysis, you can develop effective restaurant marketing strategies that help you stand out in a crowded and competitive market. Keep in mind that these strategies should be continuously refined and updated to stay ahead of the competition.

Utilizing Competitive Intelligence Tools for Restaurants

Conducting a thorough competitive analysis can be a daunting task, but there are numerous tools and technologies available to make the process easier and more effective.

Competitive Intelligence Tools for Restaurants

One such tool is “SEMrush,” a powerful platform that allows you to analyze your competitors’ online presence, including their search engine rankings, backlinks, and paid advertising strategies. By analyzing this data, you can gain valuable insights into your competitors’ online marketing tactics and develop strategies to outperform them.

“Moz Pro” is another valuable tool that provides in-depth insights into your competitors’ SEO strategies, including their keyword rankings and link profiles. With this information, you can optimize your own website and content to improve your search engine rankings and attract more organic traffic.

“SocialPilot” is a social media management tool that allows you to monitor your competitors’ social media activity and engagement levels, helping you identify opportunities for improvement and develop effective social media marketing strategies.

Furthermore, “Owler” is a competitive intelligence tool that provides real-time data on your competitors’ news, events, and financial performance, enabling you to stay up-to-date with industry trends and make informed business decisions.

By utilizing these and other competitive intelligence tools, you can streamline your analysis process, gain deeper insights into your competitors’ activities, and develop effective strategies for outperforming them in the restaurant industry.

Staying Competitive in the Restaurant Industry

Once you have conducted a thorough competitive analysis and developed effective strategies for your restaurant, it’s important to continue refining your approach in order to stay ahead of the competition. Here are some tips for maintaining a competitive edge:

  • Monitor industry trends:  Stay up to date on the latest trends and changes in the restaurant industry. This includes keeping an eye on new menu items, emerging technologies, and shifts in consumer preferences. By staying on top of these trends, you can adapt your offerings and strategies to meet the evolving needs of your customers and stay ahead of your competitors.
  • Adapt your offerings:  Based on your analysis, identify areas where your restaurant can improve and refine your menu offerings, pricing, and customer service to stay competitive. Additionally, consider offering promotions or specials to attract new customers and retain existing ones.
  • Refine your marketing strategies:  Use the insights from your competitive analysis to refine your marketing messages and tactics. This may include adjusting your branding, targeting specific customer segments, or leveraging social media and other digital channels.
  • Revisit your pricing strategy:  Re-evaluate your pricing strategy regularly and ensure it is competitive within the market. Use your analysis to identify areas where you can adjust your pricing and promotions to remain competitive without sacrificing profitability.
  • Invest in technology:  Consider investing in new technologies that can help streamline operations, improve customer experience, and provide valuable data and insights. This may include using mobile ordering and payment systems, implementing a loyalty program, or leveraging analytics tools for data-driven decision making.

By continually monitoring the industry, adapting your offerings and strategies, refining your marketing tactics, re-evaluating your pricing, and investing in technology, your restaurant can stay ahead of the competition and remain successful in the ever-evolving restaurant industry.

Conclusion on restaurant Competitive Analysis

As we wrap up this guide, we hope you now understand the importance of conducting a comprehensive competitive analysis for your restaurant. By researching and analyzing your competition, you can gain valuable insights into the current state of the industry and develop effective strategies to outperform your rivals.

Restaurant Market Competition

Competition in the restaurant industry is fierce, and staying ahead of the game requires constant effort and attention. By utilizing the techniques and tools we have discussed in this guide, you can stay on top of industry trends, monitor your competitors’ activities, and identify new opportunities for growth.

Restaurant Comparison

Comparing your restaurant to others in the market is an essential part of any competitive analysis. By evaluating your strengths and weaknesses alongside those of your competitors, you can adjust your strategies and offerings to better meet the needs of your customers and stand out in a crowded market.

Restaurant Industry Benchmarking

Benchmarking your restaurant’s performance against industry standards can provide valuable insights into areas where you can improve and excel. By gathering and analyzing industry data, you can set achievable goals, identify new opportunities, and stay competitive in an ever-evolving market.

In conclusion, conducting a thorough competitive analysis is essential for the success of any restaurant. By embracing the power of research and analysis, you can unlock the potential for long-term growth and success in the restaurant industry. Good luck, and happy analyzing!

FAQ’s on restaurant Competitive Analysis

Restaurant competitive analysis is crucial because it allows you to gain valuable insights about your competition, identify opportunities for growth, and develop effective strategies to outperform rivals in the industry.

Understanding the restaurant industry landscape helps you comprehend key trends, insights, and research findings, enabling you to identify opportunities for growth and stay informed about the current state of the industry.

To identify your  restaurant competitors , you need to conduct research and analysis to determine who your main competitors are within the industry. This involves identifying both direct and indirect competitors to focus your analysis on the most relevant players in the market.

For restaurant competitive analysis, it is essential to gather relevant data about the restaurant industry. This can include market analysis, industry statistics, market size, industry benchmarks, and market trends. Analyzing this data will help you understand the industry landscape and benchmark your restaurant’s performance.

A SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) is a powerful tool to assess your restaurant’s internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats. It provides a comprehensive understanding of your competitive position in the market, enabling you to make informed decisions and develop effective strategies.

Evaluating your restaurant’s competitive advantage involves identifying and assessing your unique strengths and attributes that set you apart from your competitors. By leveraging your competitive advantage, you can attract more customers and increase your market share.

To analyze your restaurant competitors’ strategies, you can employ various methods and techniques such as analyzing their marketing strategies, pricing strategies, menu offerings, customer service, and more. Understanding what makes your competitors successful will help you adapt and improve your own strategies.

Competitive analysis provides valuable insights for developing effective restaurant marketing strategies. By leveraging the findings from your analysis, you can position your restaurant effectively in the market, identify new marketing opportunities, improve customer targeting, and craft compelling marketing messages that resonate with your target audience.

Yes, there are numerous competitive intelligence tools specifically designed for restaurants. These tools can help streamline your analysis process and provide deeper insights into your competitors’ activities. Utilizing these tools can enhance the effectiveness of your competitive analysis.

Staying competitive in the restaurant industry requires continuous effort. This involves monitoring industry trends, adapting your offerings to meet customer demands, refining your marketing strategies, and constantly evaluating and improving your competitive position in the market.

Conducting a comprehensive competitive analysis is vital for the success of your restaurant. It helps you understand your competition, identify industry trends, leverage your competitive advantages, and develop effective strategies that will help your restaurant thrive in a competitive market.

The article was reviewed  By  Rebekah Plec , Hospitality professional with over 20 years of experience in the industry.

We value your feedback! If you found value in this article or have any questions, please subscribe or leave a comment below. Our team, including  Rebekah Plec , will be more than happy to engage and assist.

Note: This article was crafted with the primary intent of educating and assisting our readers. We ensure that our content is backed by research and expertise. For more culinary insights, stay tuned to the  Authentic Hospitality  blog.

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The Importance of a Competitive Analysis in the Restaurant Industry

Marisa upson.

Marisa began her career in hospitality as the owner of Breath of Life, a spa and retreat located on the Central Coast of California. From there she he... continue

August 2, 2023

There are a few areas that successful restaurant owners thrive in: forecasting, planning, and identifying effective strategies based on the numbers. I know, you thought I was going to say cooking, creativity, and social media. Good guesses. However, it’s the numbers that tell you what’s working and what isn’t and if it’s time to embrace expansion plans. And, while there are nearly limitless figures to calculate, including labor cost and food cost percentage, prime cost, break-even point, and cost of goods sold, one often overlooked strategy is the restaurant competitive analysis. 

What is a restaurant competitive analysis, you ask? My point exactly. Let’s explore the many benefits this analysis serves and how to use it to increase your restaurant’s success. 

What Is a Restaurant Competitive Analysis?

First, let’s start with why these analyses are so important. While the average restaurant’s annual revenue comes to about $1 million (one reason everyone from seasoned veterans to dog groomers jump on the industry’s bandwagon), the operating profits are often slim, falling in the 4-5% range . By comparison, the profit margin for small businesses usually ranges between 7-10% . 

In essence, for a restaurant, every penny counts. 

Competitive analysis helps you make intentional decisions based on the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors. It enables you to stand out, determine your place in the market, and grow your business.

How Do Restaurants Perform a Competitive Analysis?

You have two types of competitors: direct and indirect. Direct competitors operate under the same business model, such as fine dining or casual. They may also offer similar cuisines, like fusion or Greek. 

Indirect competitors offer a different menu and experience. However, you may still be competing for customers based on your proximity or target market. Make a list of both direct and indirect competitors in a five-to-seven-mile radius and then exceed their performance. Easy, right?

Don’t consider the radius a hard and fast rule. It varies based on urban or rural settings and how many restaurants are in your area, which translates to how far guests may be willing to travel. Once you have your list, analyze their operations, menu, marketing, and customer reviews. In each area, determine what’s working, their weaknesses, their strengths, and the opportunities you see that ensure you’re the crème de la crème.  

For example, how active are they on their social media platforms? Do customers leave reviews highlighting areas they’d like enhanced? Do they have a solid loyalty program?

How about their menu items and pricing , and how do yours compare? Can you tell by reviews and their website which is their signature dish? Comparing menus is one of the top strategic analyses to consider. An easy way to perform this is through F&B Insights . 

Their menu pricing database offers the competitor and pricing information you need to make solid decisions in your community and throughout the nation. You’ll also receive alerts when competitors change their menus, enabling you to stay atop market trends.

How Often Should Restaurants Perform a Competitive Analysis?

If restaurants perform a competitive analysis, it’s often in the early stages when they’re trying to determine the market that would be best for their new establishment. It helps them define market gaps that they can fill, refine their offerings, and attract investors. These analyses, however, are best performed at least yearly, enabling you to analyze changing trends, newer restaurants, or those that have significantly updated their establishments and offerings.

Protecting your place in the market is far easier when you have the latest insights into your competitors’ sales, menu items, and marketing strategies. We all know of a restaurant that was kicking it out of the ballpark only to find, eventually, another brand had established itself as the leader of the pack when they weren’t looking.

How Do Restaurants Create a Competitive Advantage?

A competitive advantage translates to an aspect of your restaurant that makes you a preferred choice in your market. This may be your cuisine, beverages, ambiance, service, or entertainment. And, while the price point can certainly play a part, offering the lowest prices in your market is rarely a sustainable advantage. 

One or all of these create a superior value proposition in the mind of your guests. It’s why they consider you before your competitor down the street. It’s what makes you unique.

Which brings us to your mentor or the restaurant you’d like to emulate. While no one wants to claim “copycat,” nearly every company seeks out a business model worth emulating. 

Whether you’re looking to expand your current business, attract investors, or determine neighborhoods with a market gap that you can fill, Emerging Concepts can help. Our team of data scientists, real estate professionals, and restaurant industry experts help entertainment and restaurant brands expand across the country, optimizing profits while reducing risks. To learn more about our process or to schedule a consultation , contact EMERGING today.

Marisa began her career in hospitality as the owner of Breath of Life, a spa and retreat located on the Central Coast of California. From there she headed east, managing several resorts and restaurants from venues as varied as guest ranches in Colorado to remote resorts surrounded by the mesas and beautiful canyons of the Southwest. Her varied care... continue

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Restaurant Competitive Analysis Breakdown: In-Depth Example and Insights

Restaurant Competitive Analysis is like figuring out who your restaurant buddies are and understanding how everyone is doing in the food business. It’s not just about knowing who else is cooking up dishes like yours but also looking at what people like to eat, how much they’re willing to pay, and how everyone runs their kitchen. This helps restaurant owners and managers make smart choices to stand out and keep customers happy. It’s like having a secret recipe to stay ahead in the food world by learning from others, adapting to what’s going on, and making sure your place is the go-to spot. Here are the Restaurant Competitive Analysis Breakdown: In-Depth Example and Insights [PDF Guide]

competition analysis of restaurant

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competition analysis of restaurant

Restaurant Competitive Analysis is like unraveling the delicious puzzle of the food business. It’s more than recognizing who your culinary companions are; it’s about understanding the flavors customers crave, the price tags they find reasonable, and the unique kitchen secrets that make each place tick. For restaurant owners and managers, it’s a strategic compass to make informed decisions that give your establishment a distinctive edge. Imagine having a personalized recipe for success, where you learn from others, adapt to the latest trends, and transform your place into the ultimate destination for a delightful dining experience.

This insightful process lets you fine-tune your menu, pricing, and overall strategy based on what resonates with customers elsewhere. Instead of imitating, it’s about crafting your own unique flavor that stands out in the diverse culinary landscape. Restaurant Competitive Analysis is your roadmap, guiding you through the ever-changing gastronomic journey and ensuring your spot becomes synonymous with outstanding food and satisfied patrons.

restaurant competitors analysis

When it comes to the restaurant industry, conducting a competitor analysis is a crucial step in staying ahead of the game.Understanding your restaurant's competitors can provide valuable insights into their strategies, strengths, and weaknesses, allowing you to make informed decisions and develop effective marketing strategies.

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When it comes to the restaurant industry, conducting a competitor analysis is a crucial step in staying ahead of the game. Understanding your restaurant's competitors can provide valuable insights into their strategies, strengths, and weaknesses, allowing you to make informed decisions and develop effective marketing strategies. In this article, we will delve into the importance of a restaurant competitor analysis and provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to conduct one.

Why is a Restaurant Competitor Analysis Important?

A restaurant competitor analysis is essential for several reasons:

  • Identify your competition: By conducting a competitor analysis, you can identify who your direct and indirect competitors are. This knowledge allows you to understand the landscape in which your restaurant operates.
  • Understand their positioning: Analyzing your competitors' positioning strategies helps you gain insights into how they differentiate themselves from others. This can assist you in identifying your own unique selling propositions.
  • Identify strengths and weaknesses: By closely examining your competitors, you can identify their strengths and weaknesses. This knowledge allows you to capitalize on their weaknesses and learn from their strengths to improve your own restaurant's performance.
  • Develop effective marketing strategies: Understanding your competitors' marketing strategies enables you to develop effective marketing campaigns that can attract customers and differentiate your restaurant from the competition.
  • Stay ahead of the competition: By continuously monitoring your competitors, you can stay updated on their latest offerings, promotions, and trends. This helps you adapt and stay ahead in the ever-evolving restaurant industry.

How to Conduct a Restaurant Competitor Analysis

Now that we understand the importance of a competitor analysis, let's explore how to conduct one effectively:

1. Identify Your Competitors

Start by identifying who your direct and indirect competitors are. Direct competitors are those who offer similar cuisine s and target the same customer base as your restaurant. Indirect competitors are those who may offer different cuisines but still compete for your target customers' dining options. Make a list of these competitors.

2. Analyze Their Online Presence

Examine your competitors' websites, social media profiles, and online reviews. Look for information such as their menu offerings, pricing, customer reviews, and overall brand image. This analysis will provide insights into their online reputation and customer perceptions.

3. Visit Their Physical Locations

Visit your competitors' physical locations to assess factors such as ambiance, service quality, menu variety, and pricing. This firsthand experience will give you a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.

4. Evaluate Their Menu and Pricing

Study your competitors' menus and pricing structures. Analyze the variety of dishes they offer, the ingredients used, and their pricing strategy. This will help you identify any gaps in the market and potential areas for improvement in your own menu.

5. Assess Their Marketing Strategies

Examine your competitors' marketing efforts, including their advertising campaigns, promotions, and partnerships. Look for unique selling propositions and messaging strategies they employ to attract customers. This analysis will help you identify successful marketing tactics that you can incorporate into your own strategy.

6. Monitor Customer Reviews

Keep an eye on customer reviews and feedback for your competitors. Look for recurring themes in both positive and negative reviews. This will give you insights into their strengths and weaknesses from the customer's perspective.

A thorough restaurant competitor analysis is a valuable tool for any restaurant professional. By understanding your competitors' strategies, strengths, and weaknesses, you can make informed decisions and develop effective marketing strategies that set your restaurant apart. Remember, staying competitive in the ever-changing restaurant industry requires continuous monitoring and adaptation. Conduct a competitor analysis regularly to stay ahead of the competition.

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How to Leverage Competitive Analysis To Beat Competition in the Food Industry

SavorEat | November 15, 2022

Finding the right location, creating the optimal menu, hiring the best staff, marketing — a lot of work goes into formulating a restaurant or food service operation’s business strategy.

Any enterprise’s long-term success largely depends on how well the strategies are developed and thought out, one of the most important elements of which , involves a thorough restaurant competitor analysis .

In this guide, we dig deep into the detailed steps to conduct a thorough competitor analysis in the food industry. We also outline the expectations you need to keep in mind when preparing to face tough competition in the food industry .

Let’s start with the basics.

Competition in the Food Service Industry

The food and beverage industry is incredibly competitive. With estimates of the market reaching $4.4 trillion by 2028, there is no question that the competition in the food industry will only intensify .

While these numbers look promising for upcoming restaurateurs—there is tremendous potential for growth, after all—there’s another side to it. An estimated 80% of restaurants close their shutters before their fifth year.

Fortunately, we’ve got a lead on what the successful 20% are doing right to gain a much-needed competitive advantage.

Competitive Advantages in the Food Service Industry

Knowing what can make a restaurant stand out against the competition in the food industry can make all the difference. Here are three crucial things you must consider closely long before we open your own enterprise:

1. Defining and Understanding the Target Audience

The target audience is the customer group that the business will serve . It can be defined by creating distinct personas for the ideal customer a restaurant is targeting through its aesthetics, ambiance, menu, and marketing endeavors.

A customer persona defines the target audience’s age, gender, occupation, income, and more such demographics. There can be multiple customer personas based on the restaurant’s offerings.

2. Mapping the Market Landscape

Gaining an advantage over the competition in the food industry requires thorough knowledge of the market and current trends. Aspiring restaurant owners must have a clear idea of the current restaurant landscape and identify opportunities and obstacles to their potential success.

Business trends, local restaurant performance, tourism statistics—these details are crucial to determine the accurate market potential of a restaurant concept .

competition analysis of restaurant

3. Defining the USP and Selling It

A USP or unique selling point , is what makes customers choose a restaurant over its competitors. It is also why they keep returning and recommending it to their family and friends.

The USP can be decided by the owner, or figured out by looking at positive reviews from the customers—it can be anything from the unique ambiance, affordable prices compared to competitors, or plant-based options.

Making a USP a competitive advantage means it has to be well-defined before the restaurant even opens. It will be the central thrust of the business plan and all marketing initiatives.

Restaurant competitor analysis is vital to gather and analyze crucial market data that will help owners accomplish these three important things. 

Let’s break down what it entails.

What i s a Competitive Analysis?

A competitive analysis is a study involving the identification and assessment of business competitors. The purpose is to assess and analyze the existing competition and develop a business and marketing plan for a brand-new enterprise.

A good restaurant competitor analysis is thorough and assesses all relevant aspects of the competing businesses, such as:

  • Features of the product and service offerings
  • Strengths and weaknesses
  • Differentiators
  • Marketing and promotional strategies
  • Market share percentage
  • Target audience
  • Cash and assets
  • Customer reviews
  • Growth potential

Such an analysis can be performed when a business needs to evaluate or reevaluate its strategy against its competition in the food industry . Whether a business needs to improve its marketing strategy, enhance product offerings, or work on its weaknesses, a competitive analysis can be of tremendous help.

Importance and Benefits of Performing a Competitive Analysis

Here are some ways in which a competitive analysis may prove useful:

Understanding the Market

The competitive analysis provides a thorough understanding of competitors, customers, and the overall market landscape to gain a competitive advantage.

You can learn what the market is expecting and refine your plan to suit their needs and exceed the competition in the food industry . This can improve your chances of succeeding.

Without learning what the market is, you’re taking a big risk and diving in blind, no matter how good your restaurant concept is.

Identifying Business Strengths and Weaknesses

While a competitive analysis involves studying many different elements of the competitor’s business, it boils down to using the information for yourself .

By studying the strengths and weaknesses of competing restaurants, you learn more about your establishment’s own strengths and weaknesses . This means you can determine where to invest time, money, and effort on improving these elements to succeed.

These details will also help you create a strong business plan, which will attract investors and start the enterprise off on the right foot.

Attracting Investors

Bringing in investors requires a bulletproof business plan based on hard data, which is what a competitive analysis provides.

With a strong understanding of how the market functions and where your restaurant stands in it, you could attract more investors.

Restaurant and Food Service Investors

Evaluating Industry Trends

The food service industry is changing rapidly, and keeping up is becoming more difficult. This is a problem a competitive analysis can resolve.

With data on local restaurants’ activities and developments in your hands, you’re better prepared to deal with changes in the future.

It is important to analyze this data. A direct competitor performing well in the market is not always a bad sign for your business. In fact, at the base level, this means your business has a chance of succeeding. With more study and strategy, you can even exceed the competition in the food industry .

Planning Future Growth and Development

It can be difficult to scale, plan development goals, or introduce new concepts without analyzing the market. You need proof that your plans and business concepts can succeed in the current market environment, and a restaurant competitor analysis can provide this.

When planning to introduce a new revolutionary concept into the market, seeing how competing businesses are doing will help. Better yet, if a competitor has already implemented said concept into its operations. Regardless of whether the competitor fails or succeeds, it can help you learn what to do and what to avoid.

Looking at the industry as a whole and analyzing emerging trends is a surefire way to develop a future winning strategy. It may also help you become an industry leader.

How to Perform a Competitive Analysis?

While there is no single method of performing a competitive analysis, not having a plan or process can send your study in fruitless directions. To ensure it will be helpful in the decision-making process, there must be a clear strategy.

These steps will make the study more concrete and help you gather data that benefits the restaurant.

Identify and List Industry Competitors

Identifying and preparing a list of competitors in the industry is the crucial first step. But not all competitors are the same, which also changes the way you need to study them.

In the food industry, there are two types of competitors: direct and indirect.

Direct Competitors

Direct competition refers to businesses that compete for the same target market and offer very similar products and services.

For example, two fast-casual restaurants with similar menu offerings that cater to the same target market are considered each other’s direct competition in the food industry .

Indirect Competitors

Indirect competitors are businesses catering to the same target market but with different offerings.

For example, consider a pizza parlor and burger shop. Their offerings greatly differ, but because they cater to the same target audience and compete for the same market gap, they are indirect competitors.

You can create two different lists for the two types of competitors and narrow them down by a radius of 10 kilometers. 

For restaurants in an urban setting, you can limit the radius to four blocks since people are much more likely to eat at restaurants within walking distance. For restaurants in rural settings, you can widen the radius.

For an efficient restaurant competitor analysis , limiting the number of competitors is best. This means focusing on 10 to 12 of the most relevant direct and indirect competitors.

With a list of competitors on your hands, you can start researching their operations separately. All research must be documented and vetted for later analysis of the competition in the food industry .

Let’s see what areas are worth studying.

Analyze the Competitors’ Operations

Here is all the information that should be studied under operational analysis:

  • Hours of operation
  • Accommodation capacity
  • Dining room space
  • Cuisine type
  • Market saturation (global franchise, umbrella restaurant group, or independent restaurant)
  • Services offered (full-service, pickup, delivery, phone-ins, delivery partners, etc.)
  • Concept type (fast casual, family style, quick service, cafe, fine dining, etc.)
  • Ordering platforms (apps, websites, phones, etc.)
  • Date founded
  • Ambiance and theme
  • Mission statement
  • Local partners (breweries, farms, etc.)
  • Operational strengths and weaknesses
  • Operational threats and opportunities

Study Competitors’ Menu

competition analysis of restaurant

Menu analysis can cover studying the presentational aspects, contents, or both.

  • Menu offerings (best sellers, sections, meal descriptions, differentiators, staple dishes, ingredient use, customization options, offers, etc.)
  • Seasonal or trending specialties
  • Dietary items (for vegans, vegetarians, or those with allergies)
  • Menu layout and design
  • Appetizers, desserts, beverages, etc.
  • Portion sizes
  • Crockery, glassware, cutlery, packaging, etc.
  • Menu strengths and weaknesses
  • Menu opportunities and threats

Finding menu-related information is easier in the digital age, especially with online ordering becoming a popular offer. You can easily check the restaurant’s website and look up customer reviews and social media posts for photos of competitors’ menus and dishes.

Study Marketing and Promotional Strategies

This includes learning strategies the competing restaurant uses to attract customers. How are their strategies appealing to their target market? What platforms are they using to promote?

Here are some relevant elements to study:

  • Marketing channels (social media, pay-per-click ads, newspaper, TV, radio, etc)
  • Marketing presence
  • Special events (game nights, live game events, festive-themed dinners on holidays) and other programs
  • Current, all-time, and seasonal promotions, marketing events, deals, and dailies
  • Marketing strengths and weaknesses 
  • Marketing opportunities and threats

You can collect marketing and promotional strategies from the competitors’ physical storefronts, restaurant websites, and social media accounts.

Analyze Customer Reviews

Many customers visit restaurants after reading positive reviews about them. You can start by reading positive and negative reviews and filtering them based on specific categories:

  • Positive customer reviews with 4- and 5-star ratings
  • Negative customer reviews with 1-, 2-, and 3-star ratings
  • Customer strengths and weaknesses
  • Customer opportunities and threats

Reviews can also be sorted based on the restaurant elements they discuss, such as ambiance, quality of dishes, service, prices, convenience, ordering methods, etc.

Sites like Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, OpenTable, and other similar aggregators are good places to get started when gathering customer reviews.

Analyze the Service

The service team plays a key role in the overall dining experience. What your competitors’ service team is and isn’t doing right can be another element for you to work on.

Here are the details to be evaluated:

  • Service style
  • Sales techniques
  • Service team knowledge and expertise
  • Service strengths and weaknesses
  • Service opportunities and threats

You can gather this information by visiting the restaurant and observing the frontline staff interact with customers.

Perform a SWOT Analysis

SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) is a method of analysis used in strategic planning and management. It is applied across many industries and is a core element of most business planning processes.

While we have studied some SWOT elements of the menu, marketing, operations, and reviews in the previous steps, this involves a different approach. A SWOT analysis involves comparing the features of competing restaurants against ours. You study how competing restaurants and yours are performing in the market.

Let’s take a look at the factors included in a SWOT analysis and what is studied under them.

This covers the well-performing aspects of competition in the food industry . It involves narrowing down successful restaurants and figuring out what they’re doing right. Then, strategize ways to improve your offerings and exceed what they offer.

This involves looking at competitors’ weaknesses and learning how to avoid those mistakes in our operations. It is important to turn others’ weaknesses into your strengths to maintain a competitive advantage.

You can study restaurants that aren’t performing well or are getting negative responses for some of their offerings.

Opportunities

This involves looking at the big picture of strengths and weaknesses, identifying opportunities available to your business, and finding ways to explore those opportunities.

Threats include all the strong aspects of competitors that give them a competitive advantage over your establishment. Analyzing threats is useful in formulating ways to put a restaurant on the same level as the competition and match or remove the competitive advantage.

A SWOT analysis will help you learn how your competition in the food industry works. It also informs you of areas you can improve in your business to make it a better proposition for the customer’s needs.

Here are some things you can focus on during your analysis to gain better insight:

  • Are competing restaurants performing well in the local market?
  • Are there competitors whose businesses are suffering for one reason or another?
  • Can you improve the quality of your offerings?
  • What are the biggest threats to your business?
  • Do you need to consider lowering your prices to maintain a competitive advantage?
  • What are the strengths of your business in comparison with others?
  • What are the opportunities in the market you can take better advantage of?
  • Are there marketing gaps that you can fulfill to gain better ROI?

With these details, you can identify areas that your business can improve on and prepare actionable steps to do so. Then integrate them into the business plan and execute them to their fullest potential.

If you find some restaurants doing exceptionally well, you can use their business model to inspire your own. Comparing all aspects of both of your restaurants will help you see if adapting them will work for you .

Pro tip: Modeling a business plan and strategy on competitors with the most similarities to your business structure works best.

Using Competitive Analysis to Choose the Right Location for a Restaurant

While a competitive analysis provides a broad overview of the competition in the food industry , it can be used for other purposes too. 

Here are some ways to use this data to find and choose the right location for a restaurant:

Map Out the Local Competitive Landscape

Local market landscapes come with their own unique features, especially in the food industry.

When considering locations, it is best not to depend too much on competition alone to narrow down options. Map out neighborhoods and consider relevant factors such as complementary businesses, demographic mix, foot traffic, zoning, rental prices, etc.

Don’t immediately brush off saturated spaces with too many competitors. While operating a restaurant in such spaces means sharing a significant portion of the market, it also guarantees good exposure if the competing restaurants pull in crowds. It allows you to attract some of the excess footfall without additional marketing.

If most neighborhood options are over-saturated, you can find ways to match the competitors’ offerings and gain an advantage over them.

Gauge Available Market Share

Analyzing available market share for a restaurant helps you learn how much share your restaurant has the potential to earn.

Here’s one way to calculate it:

Available Market Share = (Total Monthly Diners Target Market Population) 100

Estimated total monthly diners = Average number of customers served daily 30

Target market population = Estimated number of target customers the competing restaurant aims to serve.

These calculations, along with data on the market share of all neighboring competitors, should tell you what share is available for your restaurant .

Pro tip: Areas with high percentages of the target market are the best option because they provide plenty of opportunities for you to gain customers.

Analyze Gaps in the Market

Instead of experimenting with new concepts without any market study or proof that they will work, it would be better to launch them based on existing gaps in the market.

Gaps are market opportunities that competitors don’t fill. They are quite easy to spot when you’ve got a competitive analysis on our hands.

There are many gaps depending on the market, needs, technological developments, etc. Here are a few examples:

  • A demographic that isn’t being catered to
  • Customers looking for unique menu offerings 
  • Cafes in a busy industrial area that open before office hours

Analyzing gaps in the market requires the following data:

  • Our strengths
  • Successful niche markets
  • Market demand
  • Industry-wide problems
  • Industry trends

Once you’ve completed a restaurant competitor analysis and analyzed the data to find these gaps, you can find ways to fill those gaps using your strengths.

Main Challenges in the Food Service Industry

You can also take a look at the industry’s challenges and work to resolve them in your business model. 

Here are a few to get inspiration from:

  • Product shortage
  • Labor shortage
  • Plastic elimination
  • Cost of doing business
  • Shifts in consumer demand
  • Changes in supply chain
  • Upholding safety standards

Opening a business in a heavily saturated industry like food service is a tremendous challenge. Crunching the numbers and staying on top of the competition in the food industry can seem too daunting.

But a thorough restaurant competitor analysis can provide you with the data needed to gain a competitive advantage. This guide can help you make sense of the market and develop an impactful business plan.

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competition analysis of restaurant

How to Outsmart Restaurant Competition with Competitive Analysis

Picture of Jordan Nisbet

Jordan Nisbet

The restaurant industry is a thrilling battleground, with fierce restaurant competition and an estimated $4.4 trillion market by 2028 . How can your restaurant rise above the rest and outsmart the competition?

The answer lies in conducting a comprehensive competitive analysis and implementing the insights gained.

In this blog post, we'll show you how understanding the competitive landscape, identifying your core competencies, and making the right location choice can give your restaurant the edge it needs to succeed.

Understanding the Competitive Landscape in the Restaurant Industry

Staying ahead in the restaurant industry requires a thorough understanding of the competitive landscape, which includes factors such as:

Target market

Unique selling propositions (USPs)

By gaining a deep knowledge of these factors, you can create a business strategy that sets your restaurant apart and keeps you one step ahead of the competition.

Factors Contributing to Restaurant Competition

But what actually influences the competitive landscape in the restaurant industry? There are a variety of factors, including:

Quality of food

Level of service

Seasonality

It's crucial to recognize opportunities and discover new ways to make your business even better. This requires a proactive approach to conducting competitive analysis, which will be discussed in the following sections.

The Role of Innovation in Outsmarting Competitors

In the ever-evolving restaurant industry, innovation is the key to success.

By introducing exciting and inventive dishes, enhancing the customer experience, and optimizing operations, restaurants can gain a competitive advantage over their competitors.

Innovative strategies can range from creating unique dishes that introduce fresh takes on old recipes and surprising cultural fusions to implementing cutting-edge technology that streamlines operations.

For example, you can improve the overall customer experience with a reputation marketing platform that revolutionizes the way you request reviews and referrals to free up your time and become top-rated in the process.

Embracing innovation and being open to change allows your restaurant to adapt to the shifting market dynamics and maintain a strong position in your community.

2 Ways to Identify Your Restaurant's Core Competencies

To outsmart your competitors, it's essential to identify your restaurant's core competencies.

These are the unique aspects of your restaurant that set it apart from the competition and give you a competitive edge. By focusing on your core competencies, you can create an exceptional offering that appeals to your target market and keeps them coming back for more.

There are two things you need to do:

1. Assess Your Target Market

Assessing the target market in the restaurant industry is essential, as it helps you determine your ideal customers, understand their needs and preferences, and create effective marketing and communication strategies.

If you want to enhance customer satisfaction, loyalty and revenue, you must cater to your target market's specific tastes and desires.

To identify your target market, start by creating customer or buyer personas . These personas are fictional representations of your ideal customers, providing valuable insights into their demographics, such as age, gender, occupation, and income level.

In a NiceJob interview with David Meerman Scott, an American author and online marketing strategist, he said it best:

If you’re very clear in understanding those different personas, then you’ll be able to create content that will be interesting to them.

2. Evaluate Your Unique Selling Proposition(s)

Your unique selling proposition (USP) is what sets your restaurant apart from its competitors and motivates customers to choose your establishment over others. Evaluating your USP is vital, as it helps inform your business decisions and draws in and retains customers.

By understanding your USP, you can create an exceptional offering that appeals to your target market and keeps them coming back for more.

If you're an Italian restaurant who only sources ingredients from Italy, and other restaurants source theirs from North America, this could be a unique selling proposition.

If you're already a well-known restauranteur or employee a renowned chef who gained popularity from previous ventures, this could also be a unique selling proposition.

Only you intimately know what your restaurant USP can be.

Defining your USP before your restaurant opens is essential for crafting a successful business plan and driving all marketing efforts forward. Whether it's a specific dish, an innovative cooking technique, or an exceptional dining experience, your USP should be at the heart of your restaurant's brand identity.

Conducting a Comprehensive Competitive Analysis

A comprehensive restaurant competitive analysis involves:

Listing direct and indirect competitors

Evaluating their strengths and weaknesses

Identifying opportunities and threats

By understanding the competitive landscape, you can make informed decisions about your restaurant's business strategy and positioning.

In the following subsections, we'll discuss how to list direct and indirect competitors, analyze their strengths and weaknesses, and identify opportunities and threats.

While it may be time-consuming, conducting a thorough competitive analysis will better equip you to develop a winning business strategy that sets your restaurant apart from the competition.

Listing Direct and Indirect Competitors

Direct competitors are businesses that offer similar products and services as your restaurant, targeting the same customers. These competitors are vying for the same market share, making them a crucial consideration in your competitive analysis.

To uncover your direct competitors, do a Google search using keywords that accurately describe your restaurant concept, such as “street tacos near me” or “[type of] cuisine near me.”

Indirect competitors, on the other hand, are businesses that target the same customers but offer different products or services. Although they may not directly compete with your restaurant, they still compete for the same customers' attention.

For example, you might be an Italian restaurant who has a direct competitor that only specializes in gelato (a frozen Italian dessert).

Identifying indirect competitors can be challenging, as they often operate under different service models and offer different types of cuisine. However, recognizing their existence is vital to gain a holistic picture of the competitive landscape.

The number of direct and indirect competitors you should add to your competitive analysis will vary from region to region. You could be dealing with something like three competitors or, in a larger city, be dealing with tens of restaurants that fit the bill.

To ensure a comprehensive analysis, it's best to focus on the most relevant direct and indirect competitors. This will give you a solid understanding of the competitive landscape and help you identify areas where your restaurant can stand out.

Analyzing Competitors' Strengths and Weaknesses

When conducting a competitive analysis, it's important to consider factors such as menu items, marketing tactics, business practices, pricing, and brand positioning.

Menu analysis is particularly beneficial, as it allows you to examine the presentation, contents, or both of your competitors' menus.

Let's say a competitor's online menu is formatted terribly and hard to read on a mobile device. One easy, low-hanging fruit win is to simply ensure that your menu appears beautifully online.

On the other hand, identifying competitors' weaknesses can help you turn them into strengths for your restaurant, ensuring a lasting competitive advantage.

A great example of this is Google restaurant reviews in the context of reputation marketing. One competing restaurant might have hundreds or thousands of reviews and might not be worth going after (at least in the early stages).

However, if there's a restaurant that has a small number or online reviews or if their reviews aren't that great, you can definitely capitalize on reviews as a strategy to outcompete that restaurant and start showing up higher and more often in local searches .

How Birdhouse Wingerie & Bar got 300% more reviews in one month with NiceJob

Birdhouse Wingerie and Bar Menu and Food Display

Identifying Opportunities and Threats

Recognizing opportunities and threats in the restaurant industry is significant because it provides restaurants with the opportunity to uncover areas of possible expansion and areas of that could negatively impact business.

This helps restaurants make educated decisions about their positioning in the market and identify potential areas for growth.

Analyzing available market share is crucial in identifying opportunities for your restaurant. You can calculate your restaurant's available market share by using a simple formula.

Market share is calculated by taking the company's sales over the period and dividing it by the total sales of the industry over the same period.

Market share formula.

This calculation can help you identify how much share your restaurant can potentially earn and inform decisions about marketing strategies, menu offerings, and pricing.

Choosing a location for your restaurant based on areas with high concentrations of your target market is another essential factor in identifying opportunities. By selecting a location with a high potential customer base, you can draw in more customers and increase your market share, ultimately giving your restaurant a competitive edge over the competition.

Implementing Insights from Competitive Analysis

Once you've conducted a comprehensive competitive analysis, it's time to put those insights into action.

Keep scrolling to see how you can use the insights from your competitive analysis to enhance your business model, develop effective marketing strategies, and optimize your menu and pricing.

Enhancing Your Business Model

Enhancing your business model is essential for staying competitive and profitable in the restaurant industry.

To take your business model to the next level, consider offering discounts and loyalty programs, introducing new menu items, and leveraging some of the best restaurant marketing software to improve the customer experience.

There are many awesome productivity, customer data, and marketing tools you can use to save time and get the most bang for your buck. For example:

Paystone's Gift and Loyalty programs that turn casual customers into long-time diners

Beambox's WiFi marketing solution to capture customer contact info to use the internet

EZ Texting SMS marketing tool to easily reach customers where they are and increase open rates

Developing Effective Marketing Strategies

Devising effective marketing strategies is essential for drawing in and retaining customers, boosting sales, and standing out in a competitive market.

To ensure your restaurant's marketing strategies are successful, focus on identifying your core competencies, conducting a comprehensive competitive analysis, and choosing the right location for your restaurant.

Revisit those questions about your personas like:

What online platforms are they on?

Do they dine in more or order in more?

How much are they willing to spend on dining experiences?

Getting answers to these questions will help you determine what tools and channels you should consider investing in.

Additionally, leveraging customer feedback and data analytics can help you tailor your marketing efforts to better meet the needs and preferences of your customers, ultimately driving more business to your restaurant.

For more marketing resources for restaurants, check out how restaurants can get more online reviews and how to manage your restaurant's reputation online .

Optimizing Your Menu and Pricing

Optimizing your menu and pricing is essential for a restaurant's success and sustainability. You can significantly boost profit margins, draw in more customers, and provide a cushion during difficult times by carefully analyzing your menu offerings and pricing structure.

Menu engineering, the science of strategically analyzing menu offerings and pricing to maximize restaurant profitability, should be a exercise you don't overlook.

To optimize your menu and pricing, consider calculating the right price for maximum profitability, factoring in food costs, labor, and other expenses.

Strike the right balance between pricing and value, and you can ensure a fair monetary value for your offerings and reduce food waste, ultimately saving money and increasing profitability.

WISK, a restaurant management platform, has a great resource that goes into more detail about optimizing menu prices and even includes a template you can download.

Choosing the Right Location for Your Restaurant

Selecting the ideal location for your restaurant is a critical factor in its success. The right location can help you draw in more customers, boost revenue, and give your restaurant a leg up on the competition.

When selecting the ideal location, think about a number of different factors, including:

Complimentary businesses

Demographic mix

Foot traffic

Rental costs

All should be taken into account when making your decision.

Identifying Potential Locations with High Market Share

Identifying potential locations with high market share can be incredibly beneficial for your restaurant, as it can help you draw in more customers, boost revenue, and give your establishment a competitive edge.

There's a reason downtown strips and main streets are community hubs for restaurants. It's where the people who live there go and where people who are visiting want to be!

To estimate your competitor's market share and identify potential locations, you can revisit the available market share formula we mentioned earlier.

By choosing a location with a high potential customer base, such as areas with high concentrations of your target market, you can maximize your restaurant's market share and increase your chances of success in the competitive restaurant industry.

Overcoming Challenges in the Restaurant Industry

The restaurant industry is filled with challenges, but these obstacles also present exciting opportunities for growth and innovation.

From finding and retaining quality staff to managing rising food costs and adapting to government-imposed regulations, restaurant owners must continuously adapt and evolve to stay ahead of the competition.

The COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, has offered a unique chance to explore innovative solutions for the industry, allowing for rapid and massive changes in the way restaurants operate.

To overcome these challenges, it's essential to adapt to changing consumer preferences and manage operational efficiency.

If you want to know how you can keep your restaurant ahead of changing consumer preferences and increase operational efficiency, ensuring your long-term success in the restaurant industry, keep reading.

Adapting to Changing Consumer Preferences

Adapting to changing consumer preferences is crucial for restaurants to remain current and competitive in the industry. By staying informed about the latest trends, using customer feedback to inform decisions, and leveraging technology to provide an even better customer experience, restaurants can build their brand and ensure customer satisfaction.

To stay ahead of changing consumer preferences, consider conducting market research, analyzing customer feedback, and monitoring industry trends.

NiceJob's reputation marketing platform has features that provide a:

Sentiment analysis of your reviews so you can see which positive or negative topics people mention the most

Team leaderboard so you can see who on your team is generating the most reviews and receiving the most positive ones.

This is the kind of restaurant management gold that will help you keep up with changing consumer preferences as well as continue doing what you're doing to maintain that stellar restaurant reputation!

Managing Operational Efficiency

Managing operational efficiency is vital for your restaurant's success and profitability. Streamlining processes, utilizing automation, and investing in the right technology can optimize your restaurant's operations and ensure a smooth and efficient dining experience for your customers.

To identify areas of operational inefficiency, analyze your current processes and procedures, evaluate staff performance, and monitor costs. By addressing these inefficiencies and implementing strategies to enhance operational efficiency, you can reduce wastage, maximize productivity, and ensure the long-term success of your restaurant.

Time to get started

In conclusion, staying ahead of the competition in the restaurant industry requires a thorough understanding of the competitive landscape, identifying your core competencies, and choosing the right location for your establishment.

By conducting a comprehensive competitive analysis, implementing insights gained from the analysis, and adapting to the ever-evolving challenges of the industry, your restaurant can outsmart the competition and achieve long-term success.

It's time to embrace innovation, leverage your unique selling proposition, and create an exceptional dining experience that keeps your customers coming back for more.

The stage is set — are you ready to rise above the competition?

Jordan Nisbet is an SEO and content marketing leader who specializes in the SaaS and EdTech industries. He enjoys hiking, writing children’s books, and spending time with his wife and kid.

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Here’s how competitive the restaurant industry really is

The annual Restaurant Leadership Conference in Phoenix provided confirmation for some things we already knew, such as how competitive the restaurant industry really is, and perhaps a few things we didn’t—like the inevitability of alcohol delivery.

The annual gathering of industry executives and operators provided a wealth of information for attendees. Here are five things that we took away from the second day of the conference:

1. The restaurant industry is really tough.

There are more than 1 million restaurants in the U.S. right now, said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the National Restaurant Association's research and knowledge group. And more are added every day: The industry adds about 10,000 units a year, from a combination of 60,000 openings and 50,000 closures.

“People keep saying this industry is competitive,” Riehle said. “They’re absolutely right.”

How competitive? Let’s put it another way: There were 189.8 restaurants for every 100,000 Americans in 2016. In 2001, that number was 165.1.

2. A recession is coming. But when?

This is the second longest economic expansion in U.S. history, after the 10-year expansion between the savings and loan crisis of 1991 to the dot-com bubble of 2001. That means a recession is probably inevitable.

“We’re all waiting with bated breath [to find out] when the next cycle is,” said Nick Cole, head of the Restaurant Finance & Gaming Division for Wells Fargo Corporate Finance.

That probably won’t happen for a couple of years, said Riehle, because this has been a slow economic expansion. “Unless there’s some major externality which acts as a catalyst, it is still a couple of years off,” he said.

3. Casual dining is not yet dead

Full-service restaurant sales have been weak, and sales at casual-dining chain restaurants aren’t expected to improve much this year , either.

But that doesn’t make the sector dead. Aziz Hashim, whose NRD Capital bought Ruby Tuesday last year, believes there’s still growth to be found in the sector.

“The demise of casual dining is not imminent, it is greatly exaggerated,” Hashim said. “Has there been overbuilding? Absolutely. Has there been some genericism? Absolutely. But casual dining is part of Americana. It’s not going anywhere.”

4. Companies should take diversity seriously

Operators need to take diversity issues seriously, said Gerry Fernandez, president of the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance. A plan of action should include policy changes to minimize unconscious bias, engagement of communities of color to build the talent pipeline and metrics to track results. He called the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment “the civil rights moment for our industry.”

“The #MeToo movement is not going away,” Fernandez says. “Take this opportunity and embrace it. … Our industry is clearly in the crosshairs.”

Embracing diversity will also help operators develop and keep talent, he says.

5. Booze delivery is inevitable

On Tuesday, BJ’s Restaurants said it would start delivering $10 bottles of wine to consumers, and also offering them at takeout. It’s the latest in a slow but steady expansion of alcohol delivery.

Riehle believes it’s inevitable, and this is why: “Half of all 21- to 34-year-olds would use it,” he said. “What the consumer wants comes to fruition.”

Another reason, of course, is that casual-dining chains have plenty of incentives to deliver beverages, given that it can help recover some of their lost takeout and delivery profits. Many states and cities are now allowing alcohol to be delivered, meaning the trend is only going to grow.

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Restaurant Competitive Analysis Template

A tracker with everything you need to start gathering competitive insights..

competition analysis of restaurant

What You’ll Learn About with Our Restaurant Competitive Analysis Template:

  • How to do an operational analysis
  • How to perform a menu and promotional analysis
  • How to snoop on the competition’s online reviews

Know your competition before you settle on that dream location for your restaurant.

Keep track of competitor prices, menu items, and busy times with our competitor tracking tool.

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3.5: Criteria for a Competitor Analysis

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  • William R. Thibodeaux
  • Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University

The following themes, as well as those I mention in Figure 2.1, should be investigated, and thoroughly presented, as part of the criteria used for the 'direct' competitor portion of any feasibility study.

  • Similar attributes in products and services
  • Pricing within plus or minus 15 percent
  • The proximity of the operation (1 mile? 3 miles?)

Hours of operation

Style of service, menu pricing.

  • Beverages offered
  • Menu offerings
  • Other general attributes

Similar attributes

A direct competitor is normally in the same business segment as your operation. What products and services do these operations offer to the trading area? I s there an over-abundance of one type of product and very little of another? Is the marketplace entirely lacking entirely in a type of product that you are competent to produce? If you can fill a niche in the trading area that does not exist, you would initially have little to no direct competition - which is always a plus.

Similar pricing

Customers in your direct business segment will typically be within, plus or minus, fifteen percent of the current competitive price range in the marketplace, or within fifteen percent of the pricing structure, your concept intends to use. Understanding your competitions 'pricing’ is another important aspect that directly relates to value in the minds of consumers. In general, consumers typically have a price point in mind that they will not exceed - to pay more erodes the value of the meal. Of course, which price is acceptable, and which price tips the scale in the negative direction, is a psychographic issue. Be aware of how your potential competitors are handling the pricing function from the 'value' perspective. Are they discounting the price with specials on certain nights of the week? How do they treat pricing in their competitive advertising scheme?

Competitor proximity

Trading areas generally do not extend beyond a three- mile radius of a foodservice operation. Although, some factors may help a restaurant to extend its pull beyond the three mile demarcation - or actually cause that radius to shrink to one mile or even much less. In a small community, consumers may be willing to drive across town for lunch if the traffic patterns are such that the trip completion can occur in five or ten minutes. On the other hand, downtown areas, for example, may pose parking difficulties for consumers who do not want to leave and give up their parking spot for a meal. In such cases, having a location within walking distance can be a necessity to reach the intended consumers of an operation. In yet another situation, in a prime downtown entertainment area of a city, the consumer may be moving from one venue to another, meeting friends, or looking for a quick meal. A foodservice operation one block away from the activities could be off the beaten path and considered out of the way - even though the distance a consumer would have to travel is one block. Where your competitors are located and how close to each other, and your operation, could make a huge difference in terms of your operation's success. Always consider the proximity of other competitors. Why are they located there? Does a strategic advantage exist from their location?

Most foodservice operations do the majority of their business during lunch and dinner service. Quick service restaurants (QSR) are typically open the largest number of hours per day serving all day parts. Casual restaurants will also make themselves available to the consumer for most day parts including late evenings in some cases. The fine-dining restaurants are typically productive during the lunch and dinner portions of the day. What hours of operations and day parts are your competitors utilizing in their respective marketing mix scheme? In a downtown location surrounded by many businesses and possibly government offices, it might make sense to open for breakfast as workers arrive early and are looking for coffee and something quick to sustain them until lunch. Breakfast can also introduce customers to your concept and help them to become better acquainted with your menu offerings during lunch and dinner. At the other end of the day, an entertainment district in a trading area may practically limit the hours of operation to dinner service and late-night business.

Take a moment to not only know just who your competitors are in terms of 'name' and ‘menu’ but equally begin to dissect their target market. Where are they located in terms of that market, and how each competitor addresses the market from their own perspective of what it means to compete in that area? For instance, Outback Steakhouse opens for ‘dinner only’ in most markets and does not accept reservations. Is this necessarily what the trading areas truly desires? The answer lies in Outback's operation strategy. They do not feel they are at their competitive best trying to extend to the other day parts. Another issue for this company is the number of trained employees necessary to sustain multiple day parts based on the size of their operation and the volume they must do to be successful. From their perspective, they are at their best for dinner and thus attacking this service segment alone gives them the best opportunity to top the competition.

Service can be a moving target for many restaurant operations. From a broad perspective, as Figure 2.3 illustrates, the least amount of service required for food delivery would be the vending machine increasing along the scale to high customer attention in a fine dining establishment.

Service is essentially an interactive process. How much attention the customer receives is an operational decision that varies from one competitor to another. Service links equally to the restaurant concept and the need, or lack of a need, to turn tables. Thus service is a function of business segment in the sense that quick service restaurants generally provide what might be called 'transactional service,' just enough to complete the transaction at hand. Casual restaurants can provide service ranging from little to adequate service depending on the restaurant theme and method of operation. The highest level of skill and server awareness in typically required in the fine dining segment of the industry.

Figure: 2.3 Service Required by Foodservice Segment

clipboard_e8b45ed91991fa4f4f567995bdfa89cb1.png

Are your competitors ‘position’ allow them to serve and interact with their clientele? Interaction is an important element of service because this is generally the only point of contact an operation has with a customer. In fact, customers' interaction with the service staff is generally the only interaction a customer will experience with a company. How would you rate your competitors' performance in the area of service? Is service a core strength - or do opportunities exist to better service the trading area?

Two important concerns are at the forefront of any menu pricing. First is the issue of 'value.' Does the competition have a ‘cost’ or ‘value’ leadership position in the trading area? Consumers are always value conscious and how much they are willing to pay is typically a major consumer concern. Pricing also speaks to portion size as a value relationship. How do the competitors compare to each other in terms of pricing as it relates to portions and ultimately to the value of the meal? The second issue speaks to the range of pricing competitors use in the trading area. What is the price range for each of your competitors? Where do you see ‘your’ pricing in comparison to others - higher, lower, or within the same range of pricing? Pricing a menu and services too high can give the impression that that your operation is not value conscious. Price to low and many will think what you offer is of inferior quality? You must strike a balance with consumers. Image denotes pricing, pricing confirms image.

Beverage sales can be a lucrative profit center for a restaurant operation. Are your competitors taking advantage of beverage sales? Do they sell alcoholic beverages? If so, do they operate a full bar type of service or is alcohol sales limited to simply beer and wine? Is their approach to beverage sales effective in your opinion? Can you observe an increase in traffic during different day parts resulting from beverage sales to the operation?

The menu is a very important aspect of restaurant sales because it is the operation's primary tool to convey the restaurant's theme, 'position' in relation to other competitors, and offerings created to attract consumers. The menu is also the primary and often, the only source of revenue for the operation. Is the menu priced to breakeven, compete with other competitors, or priced to make a good profit for the establishment. Most competitors have reasons for their offerings and price points. What is the menu saying to you about each particular competitor? The 'size' of the menu in terms of offerings is of importance for several reasons. First, customers demand a good selection of food and beverage items. Realistically, too large a menu is also at the center of an operation's waste issue. Does the competition offer variety in terms of the different types of selections (meat, chicken, seafood, and so forth) offered, or is there an abundance of one or two types of entrees? If the restaurant is quick service, is the menu easily prepared, or does it appear to create difficulty for the employees?

Other questions would include the ethnicity of a menu and how focused toward one cuisine a menu may be. Does the menu change often or is it static? A static menu would remain the same year-round. While a consistent menu has advantages, it can also after time, become repetitive to the consumer. A variable menu, on the other hand, could vary by day, week, month, or seasonally, to take advantage of product availability and pricing.

Restaurant Competitive Analysis

Your competitor analysis serves many purposes. By understanding your competitors, you position yourself to truly understand your market and create value propositions, differentiators, and a marketing strategy that goes above and beyond the competition. What better way to create an appealing business plan built to attract investors?

competition analysis of restaurant

When you’re choosing your location, you need to map out the local competitive landscape to know exactly who you’re up against. Doing this will also help you determine whether a particular neighbourhood is ripe for the picking, or is over-saturated with competitors.

In this article, you’ll learn:

  • The difference between direct and indirect competitors
  • The function of a competitive analysis
  • How to perform a competitive analysis
  • How to apply your competitive analysis to your decision making

Restaurant Competitive Analysis

What is a competitor?

In business, the definition of a competitor is any company in the same industry that offers similar products and services and caters to the same market. For restaurants, a competitor is any business that sells food to the same target market. Competitors can be divided into direct and indirect competition.

Direct Competition: Direct competitors are restaurants that are very similar to yours. They sell the same restaurant cuisine, operate under the same service model and appeal to the same target market. A few examples of direct competition are:

  • Pita Pit and Extreme Pita: Both are quick service restaurants that offer pitas.
  • McDonald’s and Burger King: Both are fast food restaurants that offer hamburgers.
  • Lao Sze Chuan and MingHin Cuisine: Both are Chicago-based, family style, Chinese restaurants.

Indirect Competition: Indirect competitors are harder to spot. They can sell different types of cuisine or operate under a different service model. But these businesses are competition because they cater to the same target market. While indirect competitors might not offer the exact same meals, they are still vying for the same hungry guests.

For example:

  • Panera Bread and Chipotle: Both are considered fast casual restaurants, however Panera Bread offers sandwiches where Chipotle offers Mexican dishes.
  • Freshii and Earls Kitchen: Freshii is a fast casual healthy eats restaurant. Earls Kitchen is known for its upscale, trendy atmosphere and serves gourmet comfort food. They are two completely different restaurants but both cater to the same target market, which means they classify as indirect competition.

What is a competitive analysis?

A competitive analysis is the methodical practice of analysing your competition from a variety of different angles in order to understand the marketplace and define your place in it. To complete a competitive analysis, you’ll look to your direct and indirect competitors and analyse menu items, marketing tactics, business practices, pricing, and brand positioning.

Why create a competitive analysis before you choose a location?

It may seem counterintuitive to look at competitors before you’ve determined your location, but creating a competitive analysis early on will help you:

  • Determine neighbourhoods that have a market gap which your restaurant can fill
  • Refine your restaurant’s offering to match and exceed local competition
  • Add evidence to your business plan
  • Attract investors

Evaluating competitors can also help determine the market’s appetite for your concept. If competition is doing well, your odds for success are higher. If not, you might be taking an unnecessary risk and be forced to reevaluate your concept.

How to Create a Competitive Analysis:

Open your favourite spreadsheet tool, whether that’s Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets or Apple Numbers, and begin with the following steps.

List out competitors by neighbourhood and type of competition.

To get a lay of the land:

  • Compile a list of competitors by neighbourhood
  • Indicate whether they are a direct or indirect competitor

Capture all direct and indirect competitors within a 10km radius of those five to eight potential neighbourhoods you narrowed down when choosing a location for your restaurant . At this point, you may have further refined the neighbourhoods you’re evaluating, which is great.

Pro tip: if you’re gathering competitive information to round out your business plan, include an analysis of competitors whose business model you admire. these competitors won’t add much to your location analysis. however, a successful competitor who has a business model worth emulating will add to your analysis. you can use their business operations and activities to dictate your own.

Once you’ve mapped out the competitive landscape, for each individual competitor, perform the following analysis:

  • Operational Analysis
  • Menu Analysis
  • Promotional Analysis
  • Customer Review Analysis
  • Overall SWOT Analysis

You’ll notice in each analysis, we recommend that you perform a SWOT analysis.

What is a SWOT analysis?

SWOT stands for:

  • S trengths: What is the competitor doing right? By understanding what your competitors are doing right, you can do it better.
  • W eaknesses: What could the competitor do better? Learn through your competitor’s mistakes by identifying holes in their operations.
  • O pportunities: How can you exploit those weaknesses and do better?
  • T hreats: Do they offer something unique that you can’t? Perhaps the competitor offers delivery, whereas your service model is table-service only. Alternatively, perhaps they are famous for a secret sauce they only make in-house. Identifying threats early will help you develop a defence before you move into the location.

OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS: How and why does their restaurant operate?

You can find most of this information on the competitor’s website.

In our competitor analysis template , fill in the following information.

  • Cuisine type.
  • Concept type. For direct competitors, this answer should emulate your concept type. For indirect competitors, indicate if they fit the fast casual, family style, fine dining, cafe, pub, or quick service concept models. For a detailed explanation of each restaurant concept, read The Different Types of Restaurant Concepts .
  • Mission statement. Find this on their homepage, “About” page, Investor Relations page, or Franchise Relations page. Some restaurants explicitly define their mission statement. For others, you may have to decode this information from their about statement or restaurant history.
  • Market saturation. Unless the restaurant is part of a publicly traded company, you won’t find an exact metric to fill this field. It is enough to indicate if they are part of a global franchise, an umbrella restaurant group or are an independent restaurant.
  • Date founded.
  • Hours of operation.
  • Number of seats. How many guests can they accommodate?
  • Restaurant services. Indicate if they offer pick-up, delivery or exclusively full-service. Indicate whether they use apps for pickup and delivery or strictly through phone-ins. (E.g. UberEats, Seamless, GrubHub, Doordash)
  • Operations Strengths.
  • Operations Weaknesses.
  • Operations Opportunities.
  • Operations Threats.

MENU ANALYSIS: What do they offer that’s different and how is it priced? What are they known for?

Find this information on the competitor’s website. Some restaurants won’t have their menus on their website. If this is the case, you might be able to find pictures of their menu on Yelp or other review sites.

On the template we provided, fill in the following information.

  • Best sellers. Is there a dish the competitor boasts as a bestseller or fan favourite? This might be indicated through a symbol or verbiage on their menu or on their website. Differentiators. For this section, indicate if the competitor adds custom twists on staple dishes, uses all organic ingredients, or any other menu-related offering that would set them apart.
  • Specials. Are they piggybacking on a current food trend or offering a seasonal dish?
  • Pricing. As we outlined in Restaurant Menu Ideas and Testing , perform a categorical analysis of appetisers, mains, desserts and staple dishes. For every food category, write down the highest and lowest price of items to determine the range (i.e. lowest cost for an appetiser vs. highest cost for an appetiser). Then repeat for each food category. Feel free to add columns for granular price ranges for categories like pasta dishes, salads and seafood.
  • Menu Strengths.
  • Menu Weaknesses.
  • Menu Opportunities.
  • Menu Threats.

PROMOTIONAL ANALYSIS: What are they doing to attract customers?

Find this information on the competitor’s website homepage or events page. You might be able to find additional promotional information on the competitor’s social media pages.

On the competitor analysis template we provided, fill in the following information.

  • Current promotions, deals, and dailies. Promotions include coupons or freebies. Deals include concepts like burger and a beer or half priced appetisers. Dailies would refer to daily recurring specials like Taco Tuesday or Wing Wednesday or happy hour.
  • Special events. For example: Live music, games night, Holiday dinner.
  • Promotional Strengths.
  • Promotional Weaknesses.
  • Promotional Opportunities.
  • Promotional Threats.

CUSTOMER REVIEW SITE ANALYSIS: What are their customers saying?

Find this information on customer reviews websites like Yelp , OpenTable, TripAdvisor , Zomato .

For efficiency, choose one site and complete the fields below using the template we provided:

  • Positive reviews: Analyse 4 and 5 star reviews to determine what the competitor is doing to please guests. This could range from a particularly noteworthy dish, to enjoyable service or ambience.
  • Negative reviews: Analyse 1, 2, 3 star reviews to determine where the competitor missed the mark. Was it cold food, a wrong dish, poor customer service? Also note if the restaurant responded to the complaint with an offering like a personal note, a coupon, or a free meal.
  • Customer Strengths.
  • Customer Weaknesses.
  • Customer Opportunities.
  • Customer Threats.

Learn how to conduct an extensive customer review analysis in the article Restaurant Menu Ideas & Testing .

Overall SWOT ANALYSIS: How do they compare to your prospective restaurant?

In this section, based on everything you’ve learned about your competitor, form your final impression about them. This section seeks to evaluate how they perform in the market and compare next to your restaurant.

  • Do you perceive the competitor as successful? In a word: answer yes or no. This column in your competitive analysis will help you later as you filter your spreadsheet by competitors you believe are doing a good job and want to emulate or those whose mistakes you want to avoid.
  • Overall Strengths.
  • Overall Weaknesses.
  • Overall Opportunities.
  • Overall Threats.

Tips on How To Use Your Competitive Analysis to Choose the Right Location for Your Restaurant

Competition isn’t always a bad thing.

There’s no hard, fast rule on what constitutes a “saturated market”, whereby there is so much competition, your restaurant won’t capture an audience. In fact, some business experts advise that you open near your biggest potential competitor. This logic may seem counterintuitive, but your business could benefit from overflow traffic.

Say, if that restaurant has a long wait or can’t accommodate a guest. Experts also suggest locating yourself near competition because consumers already associate that location with the your offering.

We see this all the time.

  • Busy streets with cafes and pizza restaurants on every corner.
  • Business areas that host an array of fast casual restaurants.
  • Food courts.

If you can confidently determine that you have a superior business model (a concept more targeted to your audience, higher quality food, better recipes, superior service, nicer ambiance etc.) or an offering that separates you from the competition in the mind of diners, then some competition should not dissuade you.

Of course, it’s important to note that competition isn’t the end-all-be-all when you’re choosing your location. It is a metric to be taken into consideration with other factors, including demographics, traffic, complementary businesses, the building, the space itself, zoning, and availability.

Consider the market share of local competition.

While this isn’t an exact science, with the right information, you can estimate the market share of your competitors to determine what’s remaining.

To determine the market share of your competitor, you’ll need to know:

  • The population of that area
  • The population of the target market.
  • An educated guess of the number of diners your competitor serves in a month. You can roughly determine this figure by their capacity and the seatings they turnover in a night.

For example, there is a population of 80,000 within a 15 minute drive of your competitor’s restaurant. 17,000 of those people make up your competitor’s target market. Estimate that they fill 80 bellies a day based on their seating capacity and general busyness.

Estimated Market Share = (Estimated Total Monthly Diners / Target Market Population) x 100

= ( (80 x 30) / 17,000) x 100

Project this against your own prospective market share and the market share of other neighbouring competitors in order to gauge the available market. Locations that have high populations of your target market are preferable. There’s more diner pie to go around to every competitor.

Use local competition to re-evaluate your strategic position.

Going up against the competition can mean re-imagining your restaurant in a new way. Refer back to your SWOT analysis to identify market gaps and refine your restaurant offering.

While it’s common to think that restaurant concepts are born into success from the sheer genius of the restaurateur, often success comes from that restaurateur tweaking their restaurant’s business plan to fill a market gap.

Some successful restaurants begin by analysing the market and creating a concept based on gaps they find.

Market gaps by concept: If you analysed a market and found a lot of quick service, take-out Chinese restaurants, you might consider turning your concept into a fine dining Chinese restaurant or a casual restaurant that caters to the hip, young professional elite.

Market gaps by need: A hot Vietnamese soup restaurant might perform better in a cold, wet, Pacific Northwest surf town than an ice cream shop.

Market gaps by creativity: Develop a unique menu by adding a special twist on common dishes that stand out from the rest of the competition.

You’re almost ready to start looking at restaurant spaces in viable locations, but your competitive analysis doesn’t end here. As you move forward, your restaurant concept and plans will continue to be dictated and inspired by your competitors.

For the purposes of choosing a location, your competitive analysis should add yet another layer of consideration as you analyse each location. Once you’ve determined a location is a fit based on competition, population, traffic and complementary businesses, it’s time to explore bylaws, zoning, permits and planning.

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Restaurant sales rose for the 11th consecutive month in January

Consumers were much more cautious with their spending in January – except when it came to restaurants. That was a continuation of the pattern of the last several months, when consumers often prioritized restaurants in their spending habits.   Eating and drinking places* registered total sales of $95.1 billion on a seasonally adjusted basis in January, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That was up 0.7% from December and represented the 11th consecutive month of sales growth.  In contrast, consumer spending in non-restaurant retail sectors plunged 1.1% in January, the 3rd decline in the last 4 months. Restaurants were one of the few bright spots in an otherwise cloudy sales report in January, with most retail categories seeing a pullback in consumer spending. In total during the last 11 months, eating and drinking place sales increased 9.0% on a seasonally adjusted basis. That was well above the modest 0.8% gain in non-restaurant retail sectors during the same period. A healthy labor market is the linchpin of consumer activity, particularly when it comes to discretionary categories like restaurants. Given the positive economic outlook and healthy household balance sheets , the upward trajectory in restaurant sales likely has more room to run.

competition analysis of restaurant

Restaurant sales also trended higher in inflation-adjusted terms during the last several months, as sales growth outpaced increases in menu prices. After adjusting for menu price inflation, eating and drinking place sales were up 4.3% during the last 11 months.

competition analysis of restaurant

*Eating and drinking places are the primary component of the U.S. restaurant and foodservice industry and represent approximately 75% of total restaurant and foodservice sales. Monthly sales figures presented above represent total revenues at all eating and drinking place establishments. This differs from the National Restaurant Association’s sales projections, which represent food and beverage sales at establishments with payroll employees.   Read more analysis and commentary from the Association's chief economist Bruce Grindy, including the latest outlook for consumers and the economy .

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  • Keyword Research

Keyword Analysis for SEO: What It Is & How to Do It

Rachel Handley

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What Is Keyword Analysis?

Keyword analysis is the process of evaluating queries people type into search engines to identify and prioritize search terms you want to rank for—and use them more effectively.

When used in SEO, analyses typically focus on keyword popularity, the level of competition in organic (unpaid) search results, and the intention behind the average user’s search.

Let’s say a sneaker retailer finds these keywords during keyword research :

  • “shop sneakers”
  • “chunky sneakers”
  • “how to clean sneakers”

After conducting a keyword analysis, they might decide to focus on “chunky sneakers.” Because it’s relatively popular, easy to rank for, and likely to generate sales. As this data from Keyword Overview suggests:

“shop sneakers,” “chunky sneakers,” and “how to clean sneakers” keyword metrics shown in Keyword Overview tool

We’ll go over how to gather and understand all these keywords metrics later.

Why Is Keyword Analysis Important?

Doing a keyword analysis helps you understand the potential costs and benefits of targeting a given topic. So you can make better search engine marketing decisions.

SEO keyword analysis is largely about identifying keywords that:

  • Have a decent amount of monthly searches
  • Are relatively easy to rank for organically
  • Will bring in targeted traffic (i.e., visitors who are likely to drive revenue)

Gaining a better understanding of keywords also helps you optimize content more effectively. Because it tells you what users are looking for.

Types of Keywords

Before you do keyword analysis for SEO , it’s helpful to know the most common types of keywords.

Let’s explore them:

Informational, Navigational, Commercial, and Transactional Keywords

If we focus on search intent (the purpose behind the user’s search), there are four types of keywords :

You’ll see the intent category (or categories) when you analyze keywords in Semrush.

"Intent" column highlighted in Semrush's Keyword Overview tool

This can help you understand where the user is in the marketing funnel —i.e., how likely they are to convert. And what type of content you need to create.

Long-Tail and Short-Tail Keywords

Short-tail keywords are broad search terms that get relatively high search volumes . Whereas long-tail keywords are more specific search terms that often have relatively low search volumes.

For example, Semrush data shows that “sneakers” (a short-tail keyword) gets 201K searches per month in the U.S. And “nike black and pink sneakers” (a long-tail keyword) gets 590.

“sneakers” get 201K searches per month and “nike black and pink sneakers” gets 590 searches in the US

Generally, long-tail keywords are easier to rank for because they tend to attract less competition.

Branded and Non-Branded Keywords

Branded keywords are search terms that are specific to a particular brand (e.g., “nike” and “air jordan sneakers”).

Non-branded keywords are search queries that don’t specify a brand name (e.g., “sneakers”).

Generally, your own branded keywords are easier to rank highly for. And they can drive a lot of clicks and conversions.

Here are the main types of branded search terms:

Types of branded search queries include your brand name, products, services and trademarks

How to Do Keyword Analysis in SEO

Below, we’ll explain how to do a thorough keyword analysis.

Many steps require access to a keyword research tool. If you want to follow along, we recommend that you create a free Semrush account .

Analyze Search Intent

Analyzing search intent (why people use a particular keyword) helps you understand:

  • What resources are required to create quality content (i.e., content that has good ranking potential)
  • How valuable any resulting traffic is likely to be

Let’s imagine you’re a sneaker retailer analyzing three keywords:

  • “ buy sneakers ” has the potential to drive lots of revenue. You already have a sneakers product category page that’s suited to this keyword. It just needs a few minor improvements.
  • “ how to clean sneakers ” is unlikely to drive immediate sales. But it could help you reach and engage people who have a good chance of buying in the future. To rank, you’ll probably need to create an in-depth guide.
  • “ sneakers movie ” is unlikely to generate any value because it’s not relevant to your business. So, it’s not worth investing the time to create content targeting that term.

In Semrush’s keyword tools , you can see the search intent category for any keyword.

"Intent" widget highlighted in Semrush's Keyword Overview dashboard

For further insight, scroll down to the “SERP Analysis” section in Keyword Overview . This shows you what kinds of results are already ranking for the keyword in your selected location.

And you can easily click through to view the search engine results page (SERP) or any top-ranking result.

“SERP Analysis” section in Keyword Overview tool

For example, our sneaker retailer might consider targeting “best sneakers” on their product category page.

But if we analyze the SERP , we can see that it’s dominated by roundup articles.

A section of Google's SERP for “best sneakers” query

This suggests that the search intent is to get sneaker recommendations from trusted publications.

So, the keyword isn’t a good fit for the retailer’s product category page.

Consider Search Volume

Search volume refers to the average number of monthly searches a keyword receives.

Keywords with higher search volumes have the potential to drive more traffic to your website.

For example, our data shows that “sneakers” gets 201K searches per month in the U.S. And that “nike black and pink sneakers” gets 590. 

As part of your keyword analysis, you might also want to check whether volumes are on an upward or downward trend. 

For example, this graph indicates that “sustainable sneakers” is growing in popularity: 

"Trend" graph in Keyword Overview tool shows that “sustainable sneakers” is growing in popularity

Just make sure to account for any seasonality (e.g., Christmas-related keywords peaking in December).

When you’re doing keyword research in Semrush, you can filter results based on volume.

Filtering results based on volume in Keyword Magic Tool

However, it’s important to remember that volumes aren’t everything.

High-volume keywords won’t necessarily drive conversions. And they tend to be harder to rank for because they usually attract more competition.

This is what we’ll discuss in the next section.

Determine Keyword Difficulty

Keyword difficulty is a metric that indicates how hard it is to earn a high organic ranking in the SERP. In other words: how competitive the keyword is.

Semrush has the most accurate keyword difficulty metric on the market. It’s represented by “KD%” and works on a 0-100 scale.

The higher the score, the harder it’ll be to rank organically on the first page of Google . 

For example, “red sneakers” has a keyword difficulty score of 28%: 

Keyword Difficulty metric in Keyword Overview tool shows 28% for “red sneakers”

That suggests the term should be relatively easy to rank for.

On the other hand, “nike sneakers” has a difficulty score of 100%. Meaning the keyword is far too competitive for most websites to realistically rank for.

Keyword Difficulty metric in Keyword Overview tool shows 100% for “nike sneakers”

One of the best ways to gauge your competitiveness is with our Authority Score metric. Which is largely based on the quality and quantity of links you have from other websites (known as backlinks ).

You can check your domain’s Authority Score in the Backlink Analytics tool. The higher your score out of 100, the easier you should find it to rank.

For example, nike.com has an Authority Score of 97. 

Whereas supershoes.com has an Authority Score of 32.

Authority Score shown for nike.com and supershoes.com in Backlink Analytics tool

This means that Super Shoes will find it hard to outrank Nike. And the retailer may be better off focusing on low-difficulty keywords.

Look at the SERP Landscape

The SERP landscape refers to the composition of a search results page. It indicates what ranking opportunities are available and how many clicks each result is likely to get.

(Although, it’s liable to change.)

For example, many SERPs have a featured snippet that looks something like this:

A featured snippet on Google SERP for "how to clean white sneakers" query

Featured snippets tend to affect user behavior in one of two ways:

  • The snippet detracts clicks from other results because it’s so much more prominent. This is good if you own the snippet but bad if you don’t.
  • The snippet provides all the information the searcher needs. This leads to a zero-click search , meaning that no results are clicked.

So, the presence of a featured snippet might affect your decision on whether to target a keyword.

There are many other types of SERP features (non-standard search results) as well. And their presence can affect your results in various ways.

So, they’re definitely worth taking into account when doing a keyword analysis for your website.

When you analyze keywords in Semrush, you can easily see how many SERP features each keyword triggers. And exactly which ones they are.

Of course, you can also click through to see the SERP for yourself.

SERP features in Semrush

Reviewing the presence of SERP features and how they impact the search experience makes it clearer which terms are worth targeting. And which ones you may want to avoid. 

Refer to the CPC Metric

Cost per click (CPC) is an advertising metric, but it can come in handy when doing an SEO keyword analysis. 

Here’s why:

CPC is the amount an advertiser pays when someone clicks on their sponsored result. And it’s determined by an auction.

Generally, advertisers will only bid on a keyword if they think they’ll achieve a positive return on investment.

This means CPC is a strong indicator of a keyword’s profit potential .

For example, Semrush data shows the CPC for “burberry mens sneakers” is $6.82. 

CPC for “burberry mens sneakers” is $6.82, shown in Keyword Overview tool

This indicates that the keyword drives high-ticket sales.

(For comparison, the CPC for “cheap mens sneakers” is just $1.56.)

Of course, there are many other factors that affect a keyword’s revenue potential. But CPC is certainly worth a look.

Choose the Right Keywords for Your Business

Keyword analyses help you make more informed decisions. But there’s no scientific way to choose the best keywords for your website.

Ultimately, you have to make a judgment call:

How do the potential costs and benefits of targeting this keyword compare?

As your SEO journey progresses, you should find it easier to make these kinds of decisions. Because you can see how your predictions play out. And adjust your approach accordingly.

With Semrush’s Position Tracking tool, you can easily track your rankings for target keywords.

"Rankings Overview" report in Position Tracking tool

And it’s available to try alongside all our keyword analysis tools.

Start your free trial to get the full experience.

Find Keyword Ideas in Seconds

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Magic Restroom restaurant, Los Angeles

Ten of the world's weirdest restaurants

Magic restroom cafe, los angeles.

The idea of sitting on a toilet in public is the stuff of nightmares but that hasn't stopped the Magic Restroom making loos the focus of its new themed restaurant in LA. In fact toilet-themed restaurants are nothing new – Taiwans' Modern Toilet where chocolate ice-cream is served in toilet-shaped dishes is well-documented. Inspired by its success Magic Restroom owner YoYo Li has introduced toilets as seats and a mix of Asian and western food – like zha jiang mian, named "constipation" on the menu, braised pork over rice, ("smells-like-poop"), and sundaes (choose from chocolate "black poop" or the vanilla-strawberry sundae "bloody number two") served, of course, in miniature toilet bowls. Revolting and distrubing in equal measure. Freud would have a field day. Isabel Choat

Twin Stars Diner, Moscow

Twin Stars restaurant, Moscow

It's hard to stand out in a city that loves extreme dining, whether it involves vines and amphorae, ( Tiflis , the Russian word for the Georgian capital, Tbilisi), moving trams ( Annushka ), live goats ( Shinok ), or waterfalls ( Blue Elephant ) – but Alexei Khodorkovsky has managed to find a new niche, with the opening of his twin-themed restaurant. At the Twin Stars diner in Moscow , all the staff – from waiters to bartenders and even the chefs – are identically-dressed twins. The creepy concept is inspired by a 1964 Soviet film in which a girl winds up in an alternate reality and confronts her twin. Khodorkovsky says it's been hard to find suitably qualifed twins but the concept is paying off - the 24-hour restaurant is a hit with locals who don't seem bothered about the issue of whether or not to tip twice.

If Twin Stars represents the new Russia with its modern, funky design, the Expedicia is more traditional Russia - appealing, one imagines, to chest-beating Putin types with a love of the outdoors. In the pricey, survival-themed Expeditsia ("expedition") restaurant you eat between an orange helicopter parked in the pine trees and a stuffed polar bear scratching itself by a stream.

Guests can sprawl on the roof garden lawn or be beaten with birch twigs in the Siberian banya. Ingredients such as wild duck, fresh berries and mountain honey are flown in from the far north and east of Russia, and delicacies include elk in aspic, smoked venison, sea urchin and sturgeon, served with vodka, sea buckthorn juice or Baikal mineral water. Expect to pay around 1,500 roubles (£30) for a main course; a shot of vodka will set you back around £5 and a fresh juice £9. expedicia.ru Phoebe Taplin and Isabel Choat

Carton King, Taichung City, Taiwan

Taiwan has a penchant for themed absurdity when it comes to eating out. Whether for Japanese assassins lurking in the rafters at Ninja or the drinks served in specimen bottles to wash down one's turd-shaped bread at the aforementioned Modern Toilet, the food is rarely the primary draw. And so it is with Carton King, a restaurant whose owner was so depressed by the preponderance of plastic in modern life he built an eatery which, instead, promotes the virtues of corrugated cardboard. From the chairs to the plates and even the walls – the whole place is bedecked in the brown stuff. The food, although not fine dining, was more than edible and all that remained of our stewed pork ribs and herb-roasted chicken was the odd greasy smear on our cardboard table. Definitely worth a visit … just remember to leave your lighter at home. Mark Pygott

Barbie restaurant, Taipei, Taiwan

Barbie restaurant, Taipei

The Far East's love of all things cute and fluffy is well known; whether it's actual, real-life cuteness in the shape of Tokyo's cat cafes , where pet-less Tokyoites go to stroke and play with cats and kittens, or the Hello Kitty phenomenon in Seoul. So the only surprise about Taipei's Barbie restaurant is that it took so long for someone to come up with the idea. It is staffed by waitresses in bright pink tops, tutus and tiaras, while the chairs are dressed in tutus and there's enough pink food to sink a Barbie cruise ship. IC

Le Refuge des Fondues, Paris

Why, when in Paris, a city full of great restaurants , you would choose to go for a fondue is anyone's guess but tucking into the Swiss dish is not the oddest thing about Le Refuge des Fondues in Monmatre. The real weirdness begins when you order your wine – and it's brought to you in a baby's bottle, apparently a ruse to avoid French tax on wine served in proper glasses. Gooey cheese and drinking out of a teat – it's not somewhere you'd want to go on a first date, but it's been pulling in the tourist crowds for decades. 17 Rue des 3 Frères IC

The Royal Dragon, Bangkok, Thailand

The Royal Dragon, Bangkok, Thailand

If you think Britain's biggest restaurant , serving 2,000 diners a day, is massive, think again. Bangkok's Royal Dragon is monumental. The colossal seafood place sprawls across 8.35 acres, has 1,000 staff, and requires 540 costumed waiters on roller skates to serve some 5,000 customers. And while it boasts the largest collection of live seafood tanks and 1,000 pan-Asian dishes, diners don't come for the food. It's all about the spectacle: traditional Thai and Chinese music, dance and martial arts shows, and waiters walking on water and "flying" through the air on zip-wires. Watch what you order if you choose live seafood (it is priced by weight and can be expensive), so there are no surprises – other than the waiters falling from the sky, that is. The dim sum buffet and set menus are the best value. Service can be slow despite the wheels and wires, making the experience best done with a group of (well-lubricated) friends. royal-dragon.com Lara Dunston

The Heart Attack Grill, Las Vegas, US

Heart Attack Grill, Las Vegas

We all know Americans love big portions. The Heart Attack Grill in Vegas (where else?) celebrates the fact with gusto by serving obscenely huge burgers with sides of fries deep-fried in lard. Diners are given hospital style gowns before tucking into the likes of a quadruple bypass burger, a towering heart attack on a plate made with four beef patties and 20 slices of bacon, served by waitresses dressed as nurses who will help you out of the restaurant in a wheel chair if necessary. If you are prepared to gamble with your health, the Heart Attack Grill is certainly a meal to remember. heartattackgrill.com IC

Draculas and Witches in Britches, Melbourne, Australia

Witches In Britches Theatre Restaurant, Melbourne

Two longstanding Melbourne schlock horror-themed theatre restaurants owe their recent resurgence in popularity to the Twilight phenomenon, the current obsession with vampires, witches and werewolves, and the burlesque craze. Claiming to have served three million people in 30 years, Draculas offers a camp, vaudevillian-style cabaret during a three-course dinner that begins with drinks in the Graveyard cocktail lounge and a ghost-train ride. 

Located in the Wicked Castle, the 40-year old Witches in Britches offers a kitschy interactive show rooted in contemporary pop culture (it helps to have some knowledge of Aussie television) and a five-course meal that starts with pumpkin soup with "herbs picked from the old hag's garden", ladled from a cauldron. draculas.com.au , witchesinbritches.com.au LD

Onkel Taa, Italian Tyrol

Onkel Taa, Italian Tyrol

Hidden away in a tiny village of the Italian Tyrol, Onkel Taa is a gourmet restaurant serving traditional Mitteleuropa cuisine, but it is also the fantasy world of the owner-chef, Karl Platino. He is known in Italy as "Il Re delle Lumache", the Snail King, because not only does he serve a dozen dishes featuring snails, he also breeds these molluscs in the jungle-like gardens surrounding the restaurant. And this is only one of Onkel Taa's passions: the decor of the cosy wood-panelled osteria is filled with his weird and wonderful collections – everything from corkscrews to snail shaped fossils; and a whole museum is dedicated to the Habsurg Empire and Emperor Franz Josef in particular, whom, coincidentally, the chef closely resembles. And if you want to see something really special, ask to go upstairs from the dining room, where Signor Platino has over a thousand incredible antique wooden doors stashed away. bad-egart.com John Brunton

Soldatenkaffee, Bandung, Indoneisa

Soldaten Kaffee, Indonesia

And the award for most tastless restaurant goes to ... the Soldatenkaffee in Bandung, Indonesia. Celebrating "Hitler as pop culture" it is staffed by waiters in Nazi uniform. On the menu are "German" nachos, curry wurst and "Bird Ness", whatever that is; and on the walls are photos of Hitler, stormtroopers and swastikas. Owner Henry Mulyana seemed genuinely surprised at the outrage the restaurant caused, insisting that he doesn't idolise Hitler, he "simply adores the soldier's paraphernalia", a message he emphasises on his website: "This WEB is not pro NAZI. It is matter of fact, with the intention of exploring Hitler & the NAZIS as pop culture. The authors of the WEB are not NAZIS or neo-NAZIS, we are Indonesian with no political affiliations". The furore caused by Soldatenkaffee didn't put off another owner opening the equally offensive Hitler Fried Chicken in Bangkok, a bizarre take on KFC, with an image of Hitler replacing that of Colonel Sanders.

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Can the chicago bulls ever achieve more than mediocrity without a front office commitment to winning, share this article.

Can the Chicago Bulls ever achieve more than mediocrity without a front office commitment to winning? After the third trade deadline in a row without a move to make the ball club better, the front office has told fans of the team that improvement will come from within, and perhaps the buyout market. Is being competitive enough for Bulls fans?

The goalposts have been shifted from making the playoffs to staying competitive, as nebulous of a term as that may be. And this a downshift from pursuing titles in Chicago again! Will there ever be accountability for a front office that has since produced a single playoff win?

To some, this is not an instance of the team’s ownership refusing to pay for the sort of talent needed to compete for titles, but rather mismanagement by the front office instead.

The host of the “Chicago Bulls Central” podcast, Haize, took a closer look at the situation on a recent episode. Check it out in the clip embedded above!

What has been the biggest mistake of the Chicago Bulls front office in this era of the team?

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Hold your knives and forks for Custer’s restaurant week

One item on the menu for restaurant week at HJEM is their BLT Benedict.

CUSTER, S.D. (KOTA) - Calling all foodies, the 7th annual Restaurant Week in Custer kicks off Feb. 26.

The delicious week brings Custer’s food scene to life as participating restaurants create a feature menu for people to dine on.

The owners of HJEM have participated in Restaurant Week since they opened two years ago.

They specialized in breakfast and this year they’re taking a chance to bring back a customer favorite.

“We’re going to have rice pudding, which is a guest favorite. We took it off the menu and some people were a little upset about that. We’re going to give them a week of rice pudding and this BLT Benedict in front of us,” said owners Camillia and Erik Hjortnaes.

For a full list of participating restaurants and their menus, click here .

Copyright 2024 KOTA. All rights reserved.

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Moscow City Agglomeration Competition

Moscow City Agglomeration Development Concept Competition, Architecture Contest, Building, Design

Moscow City Agglomeration Development Concept Competition

Russian Design Contest – design by various architects

17 Oct 2012

Moscow City Agglomeration Competition Results

Moscow City Agglomeration Development Contest

PLANS FOR A NEW MOSCOW PRESENTED

At the end of August nine international teams presented their final projects for the draft concept for the development of the Moscow agglomeration to a group of experts and the client, the Moscow Committee for Architecture. At the beginning of September, they were judged by an international jury, headed by Deputy Mayor Marat Khusnullin. They judged proposals for the Moscow agglomeration as a whole, for the new extension of the city and for a new federal government centre to be located in the new extension. In the last category the project of the Urban Design Associates team was the winner, in the two other categories the team of Antoine Grumbach.

The competition for the design of a draft concept for the development of the Moscow agglomeration was announced after president Medvedev agreed with the governor of the Moscow region to transfer a part of the region’s territory south west of the city to the municipality.

The aim of enhancing Moscow’s territory 2,5 times was to relief the pressure on the city that is dealing with enormous traffic problems. At the same time, it was announced that the federal government would move its offices from the centre of Moscow to the new territory. The competition that was commissioned by the Moscow Committee for Architecture and organized by the Moscow Masterplan Institute, was based on the model of the Grand Pari(s) competition that was initiated by French president Sarkozy in 2008. Nine teams were selected on the basis of their portfolio’s.

For the first time in history, planners from all over the world were looking at the development of Moscow not just as a city, but as a metropolitan agglomeration. This is very important, since Moscow’s traffic problems are mainly caused by the daily migration to the central city by people from the agglomeration. The creation of new centers of working and living could be a way to solve this problem. The big question is where to create these centers: in the agglomeration or inside Moscow? Though most of the competitors stress that it is as important to densify the city within its borders, as it is to create new centers outside, the extension of the city is something to be dealt with – it is a development that has been taking place ad hoc for the last 20 years.

Moscow City Agglomeration Development Contest Projects

Moscow City Agglomeration Competition

The Ostozhenka team seems to take the most radical position of all competitors by proposing to freeze urban development in the new territories, using them exclusively for the creation of recreation areas, agricultural land and forestry. All new construction should be concentrated in former industrial sites within the existing borders of the city.

Moscow City Agglomeration Competition

Actually all teams propose to desify the existing city. In general, many teams have produced converging projects where technical aspects or just common sense appear to prevail over conceptual and artistic considerations. In this perspective, three projects can be considered more of less generic – the projects of the Urban Design Associates, TSNIIP and Chernikhov teams don’t really make clear choices but develop their project by juxtaposing obvious development potentials.

On top of this Urban Design Associates team proposes a detailed project for the government centre with an artificial lake as the binding element between the different quarters. With attractive imagery this project was especially liked by the jury, which it to considered this project the best for the federal government center.

Moscow City Agglomeration Competition

The Bofill and Grumbach teams choose to concentrate new construction in a long linear development reaching out of the city, motivating this by the idea that this is represents the natural growth pattern of the city. Bofill’s project consists of a wave-like development that mixes urban settlements with a park landscape. The Grumbach project uses the RER model that we know from Paris, and includes an compehensive public transport plan and detailed projects for the development of the areas around the stations. These appealing proposals made the jury declare it the winning project for both the Agglomeration and the New extension categories.

Moscow City Agglomeration Competition

Almost all projects propose a rail connection between the Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports parallel to the Moscow Ring Road, but only the l’AUC team develops this as the central axis of the new development: a parallel city that connects both existing and new settlements in the extension and links up with the existing express rail connections that currently serve the airports. More detailed projects are presented for 10 sites evenly distributed within the existing city and in the South-West extension. They include a Luxury River Area, A Slow City Area, a University Research and Development Area and the Federal Government center.

Moscow City Agglomeration Competition

The OMA team also works with development clusters, but they are not just located in the city and the Southwest. The displacement of the government agencies and ministries as a trigger for the establishment of urban settlements outside the city is taken to its extreme: they are not concentrated in one new federal government centre but distributed around the city near existing developments that are related to the specific character of a ministry or agency: The ministry of border control near an airport, the ministry of transport near a railroad test site, the ministry of energy near a centre for nuclear science etc. On the whole the OMA project concentrates on the invention of new instruments like taxation, land use regulation and land swap rather then the creation of new urban configurations.

Moscow City Agglomeration Competition

In contrast with the OMA plan the project by the Secchi teams is the most architecturally articulated. Not transport lines define the urban development but urban form. It proposes to shift the centre of gravity of the city towards the south west. For this it creates a large square that reaches over the Moscow ring Road and unites city and countryside. It attempts to erase the Moscow Ring Road, that in all other projects features as a rigid border of the city.

Though the jury has chosen some project as being the best, there is little chance that one or another project will be realized. However, all teams have produced large reports that will be thoroughly studied by the city and the Masterplan Institute. This will give the city a large catalogue of possible solutions and development strategies that it can use to solve the problems of the Moscow agglomeration.

28 Jun 2012

Moscow City Agglomeration Development Competition News

International Consortium including British firm McAdam Architects takes first place in second round of Moscow City Agglomeration competition

New Moscow Map

Presentations took place in Moscow on 22 June 2012 for the second stage of the competition, in which 9 teams presented the first editions of concepts for the city agglomeration development, including the existing city and the new south western sector of the agglomeration.

The international consortium, lead by well-known Russian urbanist – Andrey Chernikhov, and including McAdam Architects, Tower 151, Georgi Stanishev and Ginsburg Architects were awarded the highest score by a panel of international experts with OMA taking second place.

Andrey Chernikhov

The consortium suggested that, instead of looking at new development in the south western sector, in the first instance an abundance of brown field and other available sites within the existing city boundaries should be attended to. They highlighted vast areas occupied by goods railways and disused industrial sites from Soviet times, as prime areas for regeneration and expansion, as well as a re-thinking of transport networks to alleviate pressure on existing systems.

Their radical proposals have sparked a debate as to the validity of the brief which emphasises the need to expand development into the south western sector.

James McAdam and Tanya Kalinina

James McAdam who attended the presentations said: the process is evolving into a fascinating discourse on how a major capital can tackle the problems of expansion and regeneration on a vast scale. As a consultation procedure the range of ideas being suggested are incredibly diverse and could be pooled as a powerful medium for Moscow’s future.

New Moscow Map

Final concept presentations are scheduled to take place at the end of August.

Moscow City Agglomeration Development Concept Competition images / information received 280612

McAdam Architects

27 Apr 2012

Moscow City Agglomeration Development Concept Competition 2012

OMA wins first round of the Moscow City Agglomeration Development Concept Competition

Moscow, 27 April, 2012 | A consortium of experts led by OMA scored the highest of the 10 teams that completed the first stage of the competition to develop the concept of the Moscow Agglomeration.

Moscow City Agglomeration

In 2011, the Russian Federation Council confirmed that the city of Moscow will annex 150,000 hectares to the southwest, making Moscow 2.4 times its current size. The expansion is designed to relieve pressure on the historic city center by redistributing the working places to the annexed part of the Moscow Oblast, thereby addressing transport, ecological and social issues that result from high levels of commuting. Before Moscow’s new administrative borders come into force in July this year, the Council called for a concept for the development of the Moscow Agglomeration, and in February this year the Council invited 10 teams to participate in the development of this concept.

For the first round of the competition, focused on a plan for the Moscow Agglomeration as a whole, OMA proposed a joint framework for the development of Moscow and the Moscow Oblast, under which the administrative border and political mandate could address the entirety of the Agglomeration. OMA proposed logistical hubs outside Moscow’s current boundaries which would be linked to the City and the Oblast through high-speed rail, integrating all forms of infrastructure: transport, broadband, industry, and energy provisions. The proposal also suggested that the development would not rely solely on government funding, but could introduce a public/private mix.

On the proposed development strategy, OMA Partner-in-charge Reinier de Graaf says, “We are very honored to participate in such an ambitious project. In launching this plan, the authorities have taken an important step in addressing the problems of the city at the appropriate scale: Moscow’s proposed expansion becomes a reason to develop a single integrated future for Moscow and the Oblast.”

The OMA team working with AMO, its internal research studio, is led by Reinier de Graaf and Associate Laura Baird. The concept is being developed together with a core team consisting of the Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design, Project Meganom and Siemens. This core team will be supported by an advisory board which includes McKinsey, Ricky Burdett, Saskia Sassen, member of the Committee for Global Thought (Columbia University), the Levada Center, West 8, and RWDI.

Moscow City Agglomeration Development Concept Competition images / information from OMA

Rem Koolhaas

Location: Moscow , Russia

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5 restaurants with incredible views of Moscow

competition analysis of restaurant

The restaurant Sixty is located on the 62nd floor of the Federation Tower, one of Moscow's tallest skyscrapers. At 225 meters above the ground, its height is no joke. You can almost touch the clouds during the day or count the stars and lights of the Moscow City skyscrapers at night.

When entering the restaurant, you immediately notice its huge panoramic windows and birch trees (which, unfortunately, are not real). And if you’re not ready to visit this restaurant for the sake of these windows alone then its talented French chef, Regis Trigel, should be more than enough to persuade you.

competition analysis of restaurant

One guest named Alexander shared his impressions: "The point of the restaurant is the moment when the windows open, people get up from their seats to stand by the open windows and admire Moscow in the open air. In fact, from the usual procedure of airing the rooms, a whole show is made—that's great! It is said that this is the only place in all Moscow City where the upper parts of the windows are fully opened."

Keep in mind it is best to make a reservation in advance in order to get a table by the window.

International Business Center, Federation Tower, 60th floor,   Presnenskaya emb., 12

White Rabbit

White Rabbit took 23d place in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. That’s already impressive enough, but its view also stands out. White Rabbit is located beneath a glass dome on the 16th floor of Smolenskiy Passage. In the evening, a stunning view of the city is guaranteed, but make sure to reserve well in advance to get a table near the window.

competition analysis of restaurant

Vladimir Mukhin, White Rabbit’s chef, makes Russian cuisine in line with the latest trends and using local products. Guests are usually delighted with the Chef's Table—evenings when Mukhin and other chefs from the restaurant present special menus. If you want to taste unusual combinations like borsch with carp or ice cream made from traditional black bread, this place is for you.

3 Smolenskaya square, 16th floor

Karlsson astonishes visitors with unbelievable views of the Kremlin and Moscow's historical center. The restaurant is especially pleasant in the summer when the veranda is open. The restaurant’s brand chef, Carlo Grecu from Italy, prepares Mediterranean cuisine. Try the risotto with king crab and avocado mousse.

Ovchinnikovskaya Embankment, 20/1, BC "Central City Tower"

Buono restaurant is located on the 29th and 30th floors of the renovated Ukraina Hotel, the new Radisson Royal, which is located in one of Moscow’s seven famous skyscrapers. Most of the seats are lined along panoramic windows on a covered terrace, providing a breathtaking view of the city. Another thing that attracts guests' attention is the wooden pizza oven. As you might have already guessed, Buono’s chef, Christian Lorenzini, specializes in classic Italian cuisine. Try the scallops with fresh spinach, green asparagus, morels and truffle sauce.

competition analysis of restaurant

You might also want to visit one more restaurant in the same building—the rather more brutal Mercedes Bar, situated on the 31st floor. In Mercedes Bar, Christian Lorenzini prepares dishes based on the top hits of modern European cuisine.

2/1 Kutuzovsky Ave., Bld. 1, Hotel Radisson Royal

Seventh Heaven Restaurant

This restaurant is located around 330 meters above ground in the Ostankino TV Tower. It was opened in 1967 but closed for reconstruction following a fire in 2000. It finally reopened in 2016.

The restaurant complex covers three floors. In order to get there, you need to buy a ticket to the observation point. Then choose where to eat: in a bistro, cafe or restaurant. The tables stand on a platform that rotates in 40-minute intervals, showing you Moscow from a bird’s-eye view. The different dining options vary in terms of menu, price and interior decoration. Chef Andrey Gurko is guaranteed to complement the views with equally impressive gastronomic adventures.

Ul. Academician Korolev, 15, building 2.

If you want to know more about restaurants in the Russian capital, read our guide "20 restaurants where American expats are happy to dine in Moscow".

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Reviewing the February 2024 Baseline for USDA Farm and Nutrition Programs

Key Takeaways

  • The Congressional Budget Office’s February 2024 baseline for USDA Mandatory Farm Programs and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program revealed projected outlays for farm bill-related programs at $1.46 trillion over the 10-year window from fiscal years 2025 to 2034 – down 3.5% from the previous 10-year baseline of $1.5 trillion.
  • The May 2023 baseline remains the farm bill scoring baseline until directed otherwise by the budget committees. In addition to this February baseline, CBO will release a new spring baseline following the release of the President’s fiscal year 2025 budget request. It is possible, at the direction of the budget committees and in consultation with the agriculture committees that proposed farm bill modifications could be scored against a baseline other than the May 2023 baseline.

While the May 2023 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) baselines for USDA Mandatory Farm Programs and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) currently remains the farm bill scoring baseline, CBO recently released February 2024 baselines for farm programs and SNAP to provide updated spending projections through fiscal year 2034. Combined, mandatory farm programs and SNAP are projected to total $1.46 trillion over the 10-year window from fiscal years 2025 to 2034, down 3.9% or $59 billion from CBO’s May 2023 10-year baseline of $1.51 trillion during fiscal years 2024 to 2033.

Feb 2024 Baseline Fig 1

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

At nearly 80% of total farm bill program spending, CBO now projects 10-year SNAP outlays at $1.15 trillion, a $77 billion decrease from the May projection of $1.2 trillion ( when including changes made to SNAP in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 ). The decline in projected SNAP outlays is due to lower participation estimates -- a decline of approximately 1 million participants per year – and a decrease in the estimated benefits per person of approximately $12 per month. Importantly, reflecting trends in overall food price inflation and other factors, projected SNAP benefits per person continue to increase in the baseline, rising from $206 per person in 2025 to nearly $260 per participant in 2035 – an increase of 26%.

While SNAP spending is projected to decline from the May 2023 baseline, SNAP spending has increased by $484 billion, or 73%, since the 2018 Farm Bill’s enactment, driven in large part by a 21% increase in SNAP benefits as part of the 2021 Thrifty Food Plan reevaluation , food price inflation, and increased program participation.

Feb 2024 Baseline Fig 2

Crop Insurance, Commodity Programs, and the Commodity Credit Corporation

The remaining 20% of spending falls into farmer-related programs such as crop insurance, commodity support programs such as Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC), and voluntary incentive-based conservation programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program or the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

Total outlays for crop insurance are now projected at $124 billion, a $23 billion, or 22%, increase from the May 2023 projection of $101 billion. The increase in projected crop insurance outlays is driven by higher expected crop prices and an additional 30 million acres projected to be insured each year – driven by an increase in pasture, rangeland, and forest utilization. The impact of livestock-based crop insurance policies such as Dairy Revenue Protection or Livestock Risk Protection for cattle and swine are also captured in the CBO baseline for federal crop insurance.

Commodity income support and related programs such as ARC, PLC, Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), and livestock disaster programs, among others, are now projected to cost $57 billion over the 2025 to 2034 fiscal years (not including export outlays, other miscellaneous programs, and administration). The $7.5 billion decrease in commodity support payments is driven mainly by reduced outlays for ARC, down $2.9 billion to $15.3 billion, and PLC, down $4.8 billion to $28 billion over fiscal years 2025 to 2034.  The decline in commodity program payments was driven by marginally higher crop prices in the distant years of the baseline. For example, the 10-year average soybean price increased to $10.34 per bushel compared to a May average of $9.95 per bushel, and the 10-year average all rice price increased to $14.71 per hundredweight, up from a 10-year average of $13.75 per hundredweight in the May baseline. Outlays for DMC and livestock disaster payments were mostly in line with the May projections at $2.5 billion and $11.1 billion, respectively.

In recent years USDA has used the discretionary authority of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to provide new financial resources for efforts such as the Trade Mitigation Programs, Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities, and the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program, among others. Historically, CBO accounted for this discretionary use of the CCC at $1 billion per year, or $10 billion over 10 years. This score had remained unchanged since the May 2022 baseline. Now, to reflect the increased use of the CCC for discretionary purposes, CBO increased their projections for CCC spending from fiscal year 2025 to 2034 to $15 billion, an increase of $5 billion from the May 2023 baseline (Note: CBO also increased fiscal year 2024 CCC spending by $2 billion).

Conservation and Inflation Reduction Act Spending

Spending for voluntary incentive-based conservation programs such as CRP, EQIP, or the Conservation Stewardship Program, among others, are now projected at $58 billion, $2 billion lower than the May 2023 projection of $60 billion due to lower CRP-related outlays. The reduction in CRP outlays is attributable to increased enrollment in CRP grasslands and the lower per acre rental payments associated with these acres.

While not currently a part of the farm bill baseline, a line item many conservation stakeholders likely followed was Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) climate-smart program outlays. In the February baseline, CBO increased and shifted the pace of projected outlays for climate-smart spending authorized as part of the IRA by approximately $110 million. For the most part, CBO projected a slower pace of outlays in nearby years, with higher outlays in fiscal years 2029 to 2031. At the same time, CBO reduced projected outlays for conservation technical assistance by $101 million – leaving total IRA-related outlays $9 million higher than the score for the IRA upon enactment.

When including the IRA-related outlays for conservation programs, conservation- and climate-related outlays total $74 billion during fiscal years 2025 to 2034 – making conservation- and climate-related financial and technical assistance larger than that of commodity support programs and approximately 27% of all spending on farm-related programs in the farm bill.

Should IRA resources for conservation programs move into the farm bill, and should they be refocused to meet the local resource needs of farmers and ranchers , there remains nearly $16.5 billion in projected outlays available for reinvestment.

Feb 2024 Baseline Fig 3

Impact On the Farm Bill Scoring Baseline

The question likely on the minds of many farm and nutrition policy stakeholders is: “Is this the new farm bill baseline?” The answer is not definitive.

Currently, the May 2023 CBO baseline is the scoring baseline for the next farm bill – meaning any proposed policy modifications to farm and nutrition programs in the farm bill and their impact on the U.S. deficit are being measured against the May 2023 baseline. That can change. In addition to this February 2024 baseline, CBO will issue another baseline in 2024 after the release of the President’s fiscal year 2025 budget request to Congress – now expected to be released in March .

The potential for either of the 2024 baselines to replace the May 2023 baseline as the farm bill scoring baseline will be determined by the budget committees in consultation with the agriculture committees. So, while the February 2024 baseline is not currently the farm bill baseline, it does provide an important perspective on projected farm and nutrition program spending for the next baseline – one that could supplant the May 2023 baseline as the scoring baseline for the farm bill.

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