My first introduction to pizza was in my mother’s kitchen.

With the cost of dining out rising roughly 30% over the past five years or so according to a variety of sources, consumers are feeling the pinch. This has forced operators to dig deep into their toolboxes to generate customer traffic.

One aspect of the foodservice industry that makes it so interesting is the fact that the palate and preferences of its ultimate customer, the consumer, continue to evolve.

As some chain restaurants struggled to generate consistent traffic flows, they turned to an old friend to lure back customers. I am referring, of course, to the value meal. Quick-service restaurant chains like McDonald’s and Wendy’s were among the first chains to roll out value meals. And when Starbucks got into the value meal game, well, you knew things were getting serious. 

While prepping for a panel discussion we would participate in together earlier this year, Kory Samuels, associate vice president of auxiliary services for the Rochester Institute of Technology, said something that really stuck with me. RIT is a self-operated collegiate foodservice operation, one that supports more than 20 venues across its main campus, Samuels said.

Much has been made about the many new developments that have come about during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the restaurant-industry conversation has centered on customer-facing issues. The time has come, however, to turn the conversation toward back of the house, which serves as the very foundation on which any foodservice operation rests.

By Joseph Carbonara, Editor in Chief, and Amelia Levin, Sr. Associate Editor

The way the foodservice industry presents itself, both to prospective employees and customers, needs to evolve as it struggles to fill a growing number of jobs and meet patrons’ ever-changing demands.