Late, lamented (or unlamented) fast-food chains

[CarlZog]

It might interest you guys to know how the restaurant industry itself classifies different types of restaurants.

KFC has actually been using the phrase "casual dining restaurant" in its ads lately, and I've really had NO idea what they meant by that until now.

Thanks.

Carl

 

[wingsandsword]

KFC has actually been using the phrase "casual dining restaurant" in its ads lately, and I've really had NO idea what they meant by that until now.

Yeah, apparently they are trying to make themselves out to be more than they are. I wouldn't put KFC in the same league as Outback Steakhouse, Olive Garden, or Applebees.

Of course, using industry jargon in your ads to promote yourself as a fancier restaurant than you really are seems like the work of a marketing guy who has lost sight of the customer (how many customers are going to know what they mean by "casual dining restaurant", especially ones who don't already see Kentucky Fried Chicken as "fast food" (er, "quick service", whatever), and even if they did think it's in the same class as "casual dining" when they decided to go there, one foot in the door and you know instantly that's not what it is.

 

[kenobi65]

Yeah, apparently they are trying to make themselves out to be more than they are. I wouldn't put KFC in the same league as Outback Steakhouse, Olive Garden, or Applebees.

Actually, those KFC ads are ours.

And, they're not saying "KFC is a casual dining restaurant." They're saying, "you can get a meal at KFC for a lot less than you'd pay for the same meal at a casual dining restaurant."

In the ads (we've done several different ones with the same general message over the past three years), a KFC diner has a laugh at the expense of the casual dining diner, who clearly overpaid for his chicken-strip dinner.

Now, whether people understand what "casual dining restaurant" means, that's a fair question...our research says that most people figure it out.

 

[Wombat]

Actually, there is still one Sambo's left, down in Santa Barbara, CA. I think it was the flagship of the whole chain, but I could be wrong.

(sidenote: Santa Barbara is also the origin point for the Egg McMuffin. Odd that way...)

And any Left Coasters (or ex-Left Coasters) old enough to remember Doggie Diner?

http://doggiediner.com/

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

The chain went bankrupt in the late 1970s. Many of the locations were snapped up by Denny's, which is probably where the roots of the "Sambo's-changed-its-name-to-Denny's" story came from.

Huh, interesting. I always assumed that they changed their name, as the two Sambo's that were near me both became Denny's at the same time.

 

[Scotley]

Interesting. There must have been a franchisee issue in Memphis, because Applebee's is growing great-guns (and has been for years), and most of their restaurants have been doing pretty well over the past few years.

(I know way too much about Applebee's; they were a client of mine for 4 years, and our office still has the account.)

Yeah, it was a local franchiser that ran into some kind of legal trouble if the rumors are to be believed. There are still two in the Memphis area, but at least 4 closed.

 

[Alenda]

Wow, Shakey's Pizza! About 10 years ago this chain was still going strong in Okinawa, Japan (where I lived for about 3 years).

The Shakey's Pizza Delivery guys drove these crazy little souped-up motorcycles which they used to swiftly and dangerously navigate busy intersections and zip through narrow back alleys.

We actually took to calling the motorcycles "Shakey Mobiles" because that was really the best way to describe them.

 

[CarlZog]

And, they're not saying "KFC is a casual dining restaurant." They're saying, "you can get a meal at KFC for a lot less than you'd pay for the same meal at a casual dining restaurant."

Right. I got that.

Now, whether people understand what "casual dining restaurant" means, that's a fair question...our research says that most people figure it out.

I guess I'm in the minority then. I had no idea what you were trying to compare it to, and I wonder if it makes sense from a competition standpoint. Is lunch at say, an Applebee's, really comparable to grabbing KFC? Would someone thinking about going to Friday's really stop and say, "I could get the same thing cheaper at KFC."?

Given the nature of the dining-out experience, they just don't seem to be in the same league. I guess that's the other part of what made it confusing. I couldn't imagine they'd be trying to make that comparion.


Carl

 

[CarlZog]

Actually, there is still one Sambo's left, down in Santa Barbara, CA. I think it was the flagship of the whole chain, but I could be wrong.

I think you're right. I remember reading that was the first one.

And any Left Coasters (or ex-Left Coasters) old enough to remember Doggie Diner?

http://doggiediner.com/

The dog keeps showing up in the Zippy comic strip. I was wondering where it came from. I'd never heard of Doggie Diner.

Carl

 

[kenobi65]

Given the nature of the dining-out experience, they just don't seem to be in the same league. I guess that's the other part of what made it confusing. I couldn't imagine they'd be trying to make that comparion.

If you're comparing the overall experience, no, you're right, they aren't in the same league.

If you're making the point, "why are you paying $8.99 for chicken strips, when you could pay $4 for chicken strips", then, for many consumers, it's a relevant point.

And, note that, in the most recent version of this ad, the characters aren't eating in the restaurant(s)...they've carried the food back to their workplace. Making that the frame of reference helps make the comparison more relevant.

Finally...that particular promotion did well for KFC.