Following up on last week’s blog entry, there’s even more good news for restaurant operators. Market research firm Technomic Inc. has revised its 2011 foodservice industry, citing as its rationale improved macroeconomic data and increased fourth-quarter sales momentum among many establishments. The firm anticipates a 0.7 percentage point increase in expected sales of food and beverage, including alcohol, across the U.S. foodservice industry during the upcoming year; its expectations for sales at U.S. restaurants and bars also were increased by 0.7 percentage points.

Additionally, the restaurant industry is expected to post nominal sales growth of 2.3 percent. Technomic’s original forecast, issued last fall, projected restaurant sector growth of 1.6 percent on a nominal basis.
On the flip side, Technomic raised its projected menu price inflation for 2011 from 2 percent in the September forecast to 2.5 percent in the January forecast. Joe Pawlak, vice president, said the move reflected increasing commodity prices that will most likely lead restaurants to raise menu prices. Such large players as McDonald’s and Einstein Noah have already announced plans to jump on the price increase bandwagon as the cost of commodities trends upward.

What does this all mean? For starters, maximizing the potential for anticipated increased sales and growth necessitates maintaining a handle on what customers are ordering and altering the menu mix accordingly. It also necessitates as well as engaging in marketing endeavors, from email blasts and newsletters to loyalty programs and social media. That’s where a multi-functional point of sale solution, such as pcAmerica’s Restaurant Pro Express, comes in.  Meanwhile, monitoring ingredient usage and item sales with a solution like Restaurant Pro Express will go far toward minimizing the impact of commodity price increases.

For more information on how Restaurant Pro Express can benefit your business, visit www.pcamerica.com.