How to: Build Brand Success Within a Food Hall
Food halls are about mutual success. If the food brand gains traction, everyone in the ecosystem benefits. After ten years and 150 concepts, we assembled these “rules of thumb”. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but in general, we find that the top sellers mostly share these traits.
A tight, understandable food vertical, with an explanatory tagline and a shorter menu is imperative to grab customers’ attention quickly. Don’t make the customer guess, as they’ll inevitably just keep walking on to the next concept. The goal is to be unique, but immediately understandable. Here’s some dos and don’ts.
DO: Put the product in the name, if you can (I.e. 26Thai, Kanpai Noodle Supply, Luca’s Pizzeria)
DO: Use a functional tag line, if you can’t put the product in the name (i.e. Latin Fresh: Bowls and Burritos)
DO: Isolate your menu to an understood vertical. Twists are ok, but “everything menus” rarely sell well in food halls.
DO: Keep the menu short, readable and thematic (10 items or less)
DO: Ensure your price point is around the average (or slightly lower) as the rest of the hall
DO: Pick a food vertical that is in demand — remember that you are likely starting a business to make the most money you can
AVOID: Names that need to be explained (dish names, too). They can work, and are romantic, but have limitations for the mass market.
AVOID: Excessive customization; there’s already a lot of decisions to make when shopping at a food hall
Use professional design and branding to make your brand attractive and fun. Subconsciously, people connect a professional look with good food quality, regardless of whether that is true or not. Professional branding can be very inexpensive, if you are thoughtful and intentional.
DO: Have professionally designed decor
DO: Have uniformed staff
DO: Have multiple options for the menu presentation: printed, posted, digital
DO: Have functional lighting
DO: Have a seamless food notification process
Of all the factors we’ll discuss, a good hospitality vibe has the biggest overall effect on sales volume. People will avoid buying from inhospitable team members, regardless of how good the food is. It’s so important, that we considered putting it on the list twice. If you take nothing else away, make sure your customer-facing staff is the best available. A sales volume can change overnight by simply changing the guest interaction.
DO: Hire critically and remember that it’s difficult to teach people to be nice. It either comes naturally or it doesn’t.
DO: Stay in touch with the counter-service feel as that is the main experience the customer has with the brand.
DO: Take reviews seriously as there is almost always a kernel of truth. Often times, there is a process issue that hasn’t been resolved yet.
Be present in the business. It’s tempting for food hall brands to think they can set up the shop and walk away (or scale unnaturally quickly), relying on the natural foot traffic. That’s true in small doses, but we find that quality control, staff management, and process optimization is best done actively. The highest selling brands are usually the most present/responsive because they have the most awareness of the needs of the business.
DO: have an organizational plan that is well articulated, even if it is as simple as a unit-level or regional manager
At the end of the day, following these simple rules and a persistent focus on guest feedback produces a successful concept almost every time. Good luck!
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Politan Group specializes in operating food halls, bars, and bars within food halls. We also provide remote accounting, HR, and administration for food halls. Finally, we provide fractional management services for existing food halls where a team needs a leadership group that understands the business of food halls. If you are thinking of building a food hall or need help with an aspect of a food hall you already own, reach out to us. Politan is the most-awarded food hall operator in the industry.
