Evolution of Fast Food Part 2: Re-imagining fast-food in 2019

The fast-food industry has experienced a lot of changes over the years. From being just a new, different way of serving food, to becoming a staple in many countries - it’s hard to imagine a world without fast food. While fast-food chains continue to grow in this country, it’s quite clear that there are various shifts in people’s eating and purchasing habits and, as a result, in how fast-food should be prepared, marketed and presented to customers.

We’re all about alternatives

With a spike in wheat and gluten allergies, it’s become very important for food outlets to provide wheat and/or gluten-free alternatives for their customers. What’s not hot, is the lack of fast-food alternatives catering to people with these conditions. People who don’t consume these products need to know that there are places that provide quick, convenient foods that won’t trigger their allergies or health issues.

We want the WHOLE thing

The current zeitgeist is all about conscious, sustainable eating that’s transparent, nutritious and not wasteful. Many people are looking into whole food diets as they embark on a healthier way of living. While this may be difficult for the fast-food market to tap into, since they need to produce filling meals in the shortest time, it’s not impossible to incorporate foods that have undergone less processing into menus. Fast-food chains that serve healthier meal options, have also reported higher turnovers over the last few years, proving that people are moving away from places that only have foods that offer little to no nutritional value.

Conscious carnivores

Having access to the internet and the information it provides, means people know a lot more, and as a result, have become more concerned about where their food is coming from and what this means for their personal health as well as that of the environment. Veganism and its adjacents are not just millennial fads, but conscious lifestyle choices that a growing number of people are making around the world. This means honing in on fast food establishments’ meat alternatives, as well as making it a point to state where their meat products are farmed and whether this is done ethically and humanely.

Online convenience

Is it really fast food if it’s not available online? Personally, I think mobile apps that allow you to order food quickly and efficiently online are lifesavers. According to Shopkick’s insights on this year’s top fast-food trends, people are living busier lifestyles and hardly have the time to cook or prepare their lunch meals for work, and so fast food apps and web-based ordering are making life a lot easier. A lot of people report downloading apps for reasons ranging from the ease of being able to access menus, make secure payments and check specials from their phones. Customers also reported favouring apps and/or outlets that gave them reward points and discounts for purchasing from them - a note to marketing teams who may be a bit dubious of giving freebies: it works.

Fast-food is slowly breaking away from just being junk food, to being more wholesome, quick meals. So, if you’re looking for ways to update your fast-food outlet’s marketing, you’re going to have to make changes from within. First, you’ll need to look at incorporating healthier, more transparent practices, and then by making your food accessible to anyone, anywhere, by creating an app or joining a third-party mobile app.

Note: If you enjoyed this post you may want to check out part 1 here

About the author

Sizakele Nene is an avid reader of mystery novels and African literature. When she hasn’t got her nose stuck in a book, she’s trying to save the world one paper straw at a time, or fulfilling her role as a Copywriter and Community Manager at Arc Interactive.

For more information, visit www.arcinteractive.co.

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Tags: Fast Food , Guest Post