Whether we’re talking toasty, hot table bread, Magellan® Cajun Bar Snack Mix or even a bowl of warm Magellan Mixed Nuts — operators can benefit from offering free snacks at the bar or table.
The data shows that offering salty carb-filled goodies can increase beverage sales by more than 25%, potentially increasing food sales by 15%. Let’s dig a little bit deeper into how adding Magellan nuts and snack mixes can create a better customer experience, while helping restaurants increase sales and profits.
Dwell On It
Offering free happy hour snacks increases a guest’s “dwell time.” Dwell time is the time spent hanging out at the bar and enjoying more beverages. Patrons tend to dwell for an additional hour and drink more when complimentary salty snacks are offered. The practice also adds a “gathering” factor that encourages larger parties and leads to additional drink purchases. Further, patrons tend to transition from bar to full table service, rather than simply leaving after drinks.
In addition to driving drink sales, Magellan snack mixes and nuts can also encourage higher ticket averages at the table. The insulin spike created by the salty carb-filled snacks makes us hangry! This “hanger” drives increased appetizer orders, even after the free snacks. It also explains why more guests transition to a table from the bar after happy hour.
Free and Easy
Let’s not forget about the “Psychology of Free!” Patrons, and frankly most of us, tend to want free offers. Free goodies subconsciously trigger “the principle of reciprocity” — a principle that makes us want to give back. The corresponding dopamine release of “the free” contributes to an overvaluation of those free items, a reduction of perceived risk in trying new things, and creates an urge to give back — something a tipped staff will appreciate!
How many of you remember those warm bread sticks, that basket of cheddar biscuits, or even the simple memory of spreading butter on a cracker as a kid at a restaurant? That complimentary service drove and enhanced the customer experience, and we subsequently associated it with that restaurant or brand. Creating a similar unique atmosphere by highlighting Magellan snack mixes and nuts can keep guests coming back for return visits and help retain existing customers.
*Content provided in collaboration with PFG Manufacturing