Fast, Casual and now High Touch

#581 floats into the Project courtesy of my beautiful wife Jennifer Phelps.  In Jenn’s words:

Boston Market

“Boston Market gives kids balloons (which is nice). They also handcarry your tray to your table which is helpful.”

Boston Market turned 25 this year.  It looks like they are revamping both their offerings and service model.  According to seriouseats.com, “Boston Market is giving its restaurants something of a makeover. 370 of their nearly 500 locations will be revamped by the end of 2010, with the stores in the Miami and New York markets leading the charge. Some of the changes are small, some are large. The side orders in the “Hot Case” will be cooked in smaller pots, so the food is prepared more frequently, and less is wasted. They are increasing staff, and will have employees escorting customers to their tables, as well as bussing the tables after they’re finished. Finally, and most interestingly, Boston Market is introducing real plates and silverware for dine-in guests—bringing the experience away from the traditional tray-to-table fast-food model.”

The renovations can be summed up by Tony Buford, Senior Vice President – Operations, “We are proud of our new offering but it’s more than just paint, pots and poultry – it’s the people. The people are the heart and soul of the company, and what makes Boston Market America’s kitchen table.”

Kudos to Boston Market for raising their game and focusing on customer experience.

Today’s Lagniappe (a little something extra for good measure) – a very funny spoof on the Mastercard Priceless campaign featuring the Boston Red Sox fans and comedian / actor Denis Leary:

Lagniappe defined: A marketing lagniappe,  i.e. purple goldfish,  is any time a business goes above and beyond to provide a ‘little something extra’.  It’s that unexpected surprise that’s thrown in for good measure.

How do you stand out in the sea of sameness? How do you win repeat customers and influence word of mouth? What’s Your Purple Goldfish?

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