The best way to reach an audience is to be relevant. First and foremost, this means exceptional food and quality customer service that makes your restaurant space appealing again and again. Beyond this, however, consumers love to see their culture interests reflected in their favorite spaces. It takes something familiar and makes it new and exciting.
Perhaps this is the thought behind IHOP’s new Wonka-inspired menu, based on the new Wonka, an imagined back story of Roald Dahl’s famous “candyman” played by Timothée Chalamet on the big screen this holiday season. As Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN) puts it, “The restaurant chain continues to leverage new categories from its ‘largest menu evolution ever,’ launched earlier this year.” The special menu will run through early January and feature extra-sweet offerings, such as Wonka’s Perfectly Purple Pancakes, Hoverchoc Pancake Tacos, and Willy’s Jr. French Toast Dippers.
“IHOP has established itself as a highly creative and collaborative theatrical partner in the family dining category, and the latest Wonka menu is the brand’s most creative partnership yet,” CMO Kieran Donahue said in a statement. “Every good thing in this world started with a dream, and we are excited to continue serving more joy to more people every day and bringing families together for breakfast, lunch or dinner with this innovative menu of original items, inspired by the story of Willy Wonka.”
IHOP, which has been an established pancake house for decades, is maximizing on cultural interest to preserve relevance. Not just the breakfast joint customers have grown accustomed to seeing on the side of the highway; rather they are the special-interest restaurant that compliments and enhances other exciting experiences that customers are looking forward to.
Special menus can work this way, whether or not they’re associated with a blockbuster film or a popular icon. Blending the familiar with the exciting is the best way to attract guests’ attention but hosting them in a comfortable space.
This type of marketing and menu strategy appeals to many different demographics, from children to baby boomers. It is a very optimistic approach, and the investment in these types of strategies can produce high returns,” notes Richard Weil, owner and principal of National Restaurant Consultants.
IHOP will continue this strategy even beyond Wonka’s popularity. “The menu is now current, broad, and appealing and I do believe that is part of what’s driving comp sales at the brand. We now have new categories that we’re able to leverage for unique, limited-time promotions and value offerings and then we’re able to use our data to understand which items then become part of our core menu. Our plan is to leverage this menu and make it as well-known as possible,” CMO Kieran Donahue said in a statement.
Utilize special and seasonal offerings to attract guests, enhance their experience, and build on your profitability. A restaurant consultant can expertly engineer your static menu and find new opportunities for special offerings.