As consumers continue to live busy lifestyles, they increasingly rely on foodservice operators to help keep them fueled and on pace.
With the possible exception of “Would you like fries with that?” there is one other question that is permanently prevalent in the quick-service restaurant industry: “Is that for here or to go?” While that question may once have been the exclusive domain of QSRs, the fact remains that just about every foodservice operator now offers food to go.
Whether it’s because of continuing practices from COVID, needing to get the kids to their hockey game or violin lessons on time, or just simply wanting to eat within the friendly confines of your own kitchen or cubicle, on-the-go dining has become very popular.
“Almost every client wants some form of grab-and-go,” says Alison O’Hearn, a project manager for foodservice design firm Cini-Little International. That popularity may require foodservice designers to create new dining venues. “A lot of people want these options, from high schools and colleges to c-stores to hospitals to business and industry to hotels. Foodservice operators in higher education, hotels and hospitals are pushing for more and more.”
In addition to convenience, consumers’ changing dining habits represent another reason operators require more food-on-the-go options. “Grab-and-go is taking over. We don’t eat three square meals a day anymore. We’re all into grazing,” O’Hearn says. “One trend I’ve noticed is having large tables and wanting to create a sense of community, but sometimes people just want to go back to their desk or go home or sit in the corner to read a book while they eat. That’s what makes grab-and-go more effective.”
Proper placement plays a critical role in any successful food-on-the-go application. What are some considerations when picking a space? “You definitely like to have a separate door for pickup customers than dine-in customers,” O’Hearn says. “You don’t want those who are quick and speedy to be jumbled up by long lines. You also want good storage for backup food and shelves that will keep food safe behind the counter. You typically see a lot of grab-and-go operations have employees hand you the bag that is sealed. Also having condiments available is helpful. Again, it’s location, location, location.”
After finalizing the location, what’s next? “You work with the space, ask the clients questions, and together find a solution that will be the most efficient use of that space based on their needs,” O’Hearn says. “You ask them what the menu is and what will be picked up there. You want to keep the line moving in both directions. I also like vertical space, so I use as much space as possible to keep it going. If we only have four square feet to work with, adding ceiling-mounted shelves or a taller fridge is beneficial. You want to do whatever you can with the space to make that useful. You can make that a very welcoming space, too.”
In order to provide these options to consumers in a timely, consistent manner, foodservice operators must have equipment that meets the unique demands of the space, service style and menu. “Make sure to ask as many questions as possible. How many employees will be there to man the operation? Will it be open 24/7? If your clients are younger people, will you have fresh salads and things like that?” O’Hearn says. “It just depends on the population of the people and asking so many questions.”
O’Hearn describes a handful of pieces of equipment as “musts” when establishing a successful food-on-the-go setup. “It depends on the type of operation, but you have to have heated merchandisers so they can restock during the day,” O’Hearn says. “Also, you need to have freezers for frozen-food options so that a third-shift employee can have food at 2 a.m. Microwaves are also a great addition to the area as well as forks and knives so people can feel like they’re having a real meal even if they’re going back to their desk. Coffee machines are important there as well, and you can have super-automatic espresso machines that customers can use with the touch of a button. It all depends on what the customer needs, but these are always good options.”
When designing these spaces and specifying equipment, designers and operators need to consider a variety of intangible factors. Take, for example, refrigerated merchandisers, which are very common for food-on-the-go applications. “You have to keep in mind that refrigerated merchandisers may throw extra heat into the space,” O’Hearn says. “You want to keep the diffusers from pointing in the wrong direction. You don’t want to have them in the wrong spot. You don’t want to push hot air into the intake of the next unit. You want them to be on the farthest sides from each other.”
While certain equipment items have specific needs, they also present new opportunities. Let’s go back to the refrigerated merchandiser example. Operators can choose between units with doors and open-air screens. “I think air screens sell more product. I don’t know what customers will have in their hands, but that’s one less barrier if they don’t have to open a door and grab that ice cream bar,” O’Hearn says.
Food temperature plays a key role in any successful food-on-the-go application. Yes, it’s important when considering food safety, but also food quality. Soggy fries in a bag or melted ice cream leaking through the container onto the customer’s hands is something that operators would rather not see. “You want to keep the food at the proper temperature, and you want to have less steps for the employees and less steps for the customer because you don’t want to have their food get colder or hotter, depending on what it is,” O’Hearn says.
Of course, keeping food at the correct temperature does not happen by accident. “If we’re trying to keep a hot meal but also have cold condiments, you want to keep both at the proper temperature,” O’Hearn says.
For example, if an operation offers a burrito, customers may want to add salsa or sour cream to it before eating. That may lead operators to offer these condiments in separate cups. This solution may introduce other challenges, however. “That also might be a problem because customers will throw those [cups] away, and that adds to the number of disposable items,” O’Hearn notes.
One final facet to consider is labor usage for the operators. Placement of the grab-and-go or delivery area within the dining space should take into account effective and efficient labor usage to ensure a good experience for both employees and guests. “I like to have an L-shaped counter and have the longer side of the L with the food line and POS in that corner,” O’Hearn says. “And with the short side, have the counter for the grab-and-go items. I want to have lockers or shelving for orders that are ready and also have utensils and bags there so it’s all ready to go.”
The bottom line is that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when designing a food-on-the-go application. Project teams need to be thoughtful and thorough and ask a lot of questions to ensure the best possible designs.
