http://www.epinions.com/review/rest-Chain_Restaurants-All-Waffle_House/content_161263292036
http://www.rateitall.com/i-8640-waffle-house.aspx
http://www.flakmag.com/misc/wafflehouse.html
http://www.twitter.com/WHRegulars
http://www.facebook.com/wafflehouse
http://www.wafflehouse.com/
woensdag 4 augustus 2010
Interview with Thomas: Relief Manager of Waffle House in Tempe since 1992
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| Left: Thomas (Relief Manager), Right: Sean (Employee) |
Does your restaurant has a location-, target group- or formula oriented concept?
The Waffle House has a formula oriented concept. Our formula is ‘serving good food fast & friendly’.
We saw on the Waffle House website that each restaurant is operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Why is the Waffle House 24/7 open?
Well, we want to serve every customer that’s passing by. As example: many ASU students come at night, because they are way too busy at daytime. Also many travelers are passing by. The most of the Waffle Houses haven’t got any locks.
The Waffle House is open 24/7, but you can’t work 24/7. What are the working times at Waffle House?
We work with three shifts in a day. There are two shifts of 7 hours at daytime and at night we have a shift of 10 hours.
Which time is the most crowded? Is it breakfast, lunch, dinner or another time?
The breakfast is the most crowded time here, following by lunch and dinner.
Do you have many regulars?
Yes, we have many customers who are coming back, because of the food and the friendly faces here at Waffle House.
We’ve seen that Waffle House is active on Twitter and Facebook. Which other kinds of marketing does Waffle House use?
Waffle House use word-of-mouth marketing and we spread flyers in local businesses in a two mile radius.
Do you know if Waffle House has tried to expand his restaurants to other countries? If yes, why was/wasn’t this a success?
No, Waffle House hasn’t tried to expand his restaurants to other countries yet. We even not expand to some other states because of their laws, which make it impossible to keep our low price.
What are the strengths of the Waffle House?
I think our consistency, the friendly faces and the fast served food.
Do you think the Waffle house could be successful in the Netherlands?
Yes, I think it could be successful in any country!
Conclusion
The main question of this research was: does Waffle House fit in the Dutch market?
Our answer on this question is: YES!
They serve waffles in a cosy atmosphere, which is popular in the Netherlands. Also the friendliness will be appreciated. So we think it is possible, but some changes are necessary.
The restaurants don't have to be open 24/7. The Dutch aren't used to eat their breakfast in a diner like the Americans do. That's why the lunch and dinner will be the busiest times of the day.
Our answer on this question is: YES!
They serve waffles in a cosy atmosphere, which is popular in the Netherlands. Also the friendliness will be appreciated. So we think it is possible, but some changes are necessary.
The restaurants don't have to be open 24/7. The Dutch aren't used to eat their breakfast in a diner like the Americans do. That's why the lunch and dinner will be the busiest times of the day.
The Branded Customer Experience
If you look at reviews about the Waffle House, the experiences are great as well as terrible.
Complaints are mostly about the poor cooking or the filthiness.
But also a lot of pros are mentioned: fast, inexpensive and friendly.
The big difference is where the establishments are placed, because every establishment attracts different kind of people. This requires a whole other way to serve.
We mentioned the Waffle House to local people. Some had never heard of the Waffle House before. Others knew this company, but didn’t know where to find it (we got a lot of wrong directions).
Positive reactions were:
A woman, who was working at the information desk at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, told us that her grandson loves to eat there. She doesn’t eat there herself, because she bakes her own waffles.
A taxi driver also mentioned he like the food of the Waffle House.
At the bus stop, a young man said he really likes eating breakfast at this company.
Some people, who want to visit the Waffle House, expect too much. That’s why we think there are bad reviews; they are disappointed. But if you don’t expect that much, you can’t be disappointed.
We also went to the Waffle House. If we had to place a review, it would be 5 stars!
You can read our experiences at ‘Mystery Guest Research’.
Complaints are mostly about the poor cooking or the filthiness.
But also a lot of pros are mentioned: fast, inexpensive and friendly.
The big difference is where the establishments are placed, because every establishment attracts different kind of people. This requires a whole other way to serve.
We mentioned the Waffle House to local people. Some had never heard of the Waffle House before. Others knew this company, but didn’t know where to find it (we got a lot of wrong directions).
Positive reactions were:
A woman, who was working at the information desk at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, told us that her grandson loves to eat there. She doesn’t eat there herself, because she bakes her own waffles.
A taxi driver also mentioned he like the food of the Waffle House.
At the bus stop, a young man said he really likes eating breakfast at this company.
Some people, who want to visit the Waffle House, expect too much. That’s why we think there are bad reviews; they are disappointed. But if you don’t expect that much, you can’t be disappointed.
We also went to the Waffle House. If we had to place a review, it would be 5 stars!
You can read our experiences at ‘Mystery Guest Research’.
The marketing mix: 5 P's
The 5P’s stands for Place, Promotion, Product, Price and Personnel. Beneath we’ll explain the marketing mix of Waffle House.
Place
The Waffle House is established in the east and south east of the United States. They are also settled in Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. We don’t know for sure why they aren’t established in the northern states. For California it was really expensive to open a restaurant in this state. Waffle House is very popular in the southern states.
Promotion
Waffle House doesn’t spend much about promotion. The best promotion for them is word-of-mouth. Customers are mostly very positive about Waffle House and they let others know. Social Media like Twitter and Facebook is a different kind of promotion they use. At the social media sites people can respond and give reviews about the company. Waffle House itself posts the latest news about the company and their merchandise. Now and then they advertise with flyers.
Product
The Waffle House serves waffles, why they have chosen waffles is a mystery. Next to waffles they also serve other food like hash browns, eggs, sandwiches, burgers, salads. For almost everything you can chose your own toppings. Waffle House has a famous iced tea drink named Alice’s Iced Tea. It is very different than regular iced tea that others serve. Waffle House is open 24/7 and all food and drinks are available at any time of the day.
Price
The prices are low. All meals are available below $10. The linking between the price and product is very good, because the quality and quantity you’ll get for such a low price. The prices can deviate between different waffle house restaurants but it always has a low price. In our experience there was a menu called ‘the $5 menu’, everything on that menu costs only $5.
Personnel
The personnel of Waffle House are one of the key points of the company. They are known as very friendly and helpful. For example they greet you and they are very patient and fast when needed. Employees are interested in you as a customer; they make a little conversation with you. The best thing they do is create an atmosphere like home, a place you’ll return to.
Place
The Waffle House is established in the east and south east of the United States. They are also settled in Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. We don’t know for sure why they aren’t established in the northern states. For California it was really expensive to open a restaurant in this state. Waffle House is very popular in the southern states.
Promotion
Waffle House doesn’t spend much about promotion. The best promotion for them is word-of-mouth. Customers are mostly very positive about Waffle House and they let others know. Social Media like Twitter and Facebook is a different kind of promotion they use. At the social media sites people can respond and give reviews about the company. Waffle House itself posts the latest news about the company and their merchandise. Now and then they advertise with flyers.
Product
The Waffle House serves waffles, why they have chosen waffles is a mystery. Next to waffles they also serve other food like hash browns, eggs, sandwiches, burgers, salads. For almost everything you can chose your own toppings. Waffle House has a famous iced tea drink named Alice’s Iced Tea. It is very different than regular iced tea that others serve. Waffle House is open 24/7 and all food and drinks are available at any time of the day.
Price
The prices are low. All meals are available below $10. The linking between the price and product is very good, because the quality and quantity you’ll get for such a low price. The prices can deviate between different waffle house restaurants but it always has a low price. In our experience there was a menu called ‘the $5 menu’, everything on that menu costs only $5.
Personnel
The personnel of Waffle House are one of the key points of the company. They are known as very friendly and helpful. For example they greet you and they are very patient and fast when needed. Employees are interested in you as a customer; they make a little conversation with you. The best thing they do is create an atmosphere like home, a place you’ll return to.
The concept
To describe the concept of Waffle House we use the ‘holy triangle’. The concept is divided in location, target group and formula.
Location
The Waffle House we visited (2189 East University Drive, Tempe, AZ) is located next to a freeway. Therefore it is easy to reach by car or bus. The parking spaces are limited.
Target group
There is not a specific target group. As far as we know most of the time the customers are travelers, students and families. This depends on the part of the day. For example students mostly come at night after going out.
Formula
‘Good food fast & friendly’; that’s the slogan of Waffle House. This slogan means that people, who want to eat something nice in a short time, still can eat in a restaurant atmosphere where the employees are customer friendly.
The Waffle House is a formula oriented concept.
Location
The Waffle House we visited (2189 East University Drive, Tempe, AZ) is located next to a freeway. Therefore it is easy to reach by car or bus. The parking spaces are limited.
Target group
There is not a specific target group. As far as we know most of the time the customers are travelers, students and families. This depends on the part of the day. For example students mostly come at night after going out.
Formula
‘Good food fast & friendly’; that’s the slogan of Waffle House. This slogan means that people, who want to eat something nice in a short time, still can eat in a restaurant atmosphere where the employees are customer friendly.
The Waffle House is a formula oriented concept.
History of the Waffle House
The idea of starting a business began when the neighbors Joe Rogers and Tom Forkner wanted to create a restaurant focused on customers while serving quality food at great value.
The first Waffle House restaurant opened his doors on Labor Day 1955 in Avondale Estates, Georgia.
They had no plans to expand, but when the first Waffle House became popular by providing the friendliest service in town, the company grew steadily. Six years later, there already were 4 small restaurants in the same state. In the following years the company grew in both existing and new markets. Now more than 50 years later, the Southern icon has become a unique American phenomenon by serving GOOD FOOD FAST.
A short Waffle House timeline:
1955: Joe Rogers Sr. and Tom Forkner opened the first Waffle House restaurant in Avondale, GA.
1960’s: Waffle House Inc. opened 44 new restaurants, which brings the total to 48.
1980’s: New food such as Bert’s Chili™, Lib's Patty Melt™ and hashbrowns "Scattered, Smothered and Covered®" were edited on the menu.
1990’s: Walt's Soup™ was added to the menu. In the 90’s was the biggest growth of the company, with 1228 restaurants by the end of the decade.
2005: 50th anniversary. They also held the first World Waffle- Eating Championships.
2006: There are already 1500 restaurants in 25 states. Introducing of credit card payment. Till 2006 it was primarily cash-based system.
2008: A Waffle House museum was opened in Avondale, were it all began.
Fun facts of the Waffle House:
Since 1955, WAFFLE HOUSE Inc. has served:
495,264,367 Waffles
957,041,599 Cups of Coffee
204,164,660 Omelettes
Waffle House Inc. serves PER MINUTE:
159 Waffles
136 Cups of Coffee
There are scenes shot at the Waffle House for the movie Crossroads and the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, which shows that the Waffle House has become a familiar icon in the South.
The first Waffle House restaurant opened his doors on Labor Day 1955 in Avondale Estates, Georgia.
They had no plans to expand, but when the first Waffle House became popular by providing the friendliest service in town, the company grew steadily. Six years later, there already were 4 small restaurants in the same state. In the following years the company grew in both existing and new markets. Now more than 50 years later, the Southern icon has become a unique American phenomenon by serving GOOD FOOD FAST.
A short Waffle House timeline:
1955: Joe Rogers Sr. and Tom Forkner opened the first Waffle House restaurant in Avondale, GA.
1960’s: Waffle House Inc. opened 44 new restaurants, which brings the total to 48.
1980’s: New food such as Bert’s Chili™, Lib's Patty Melt™ and hashbrowns "Scattered, Smothered and Covered®" were edited on the menu.
1990’s: Walt's Soup™ was added to the menu. In the 90’s was the biggest growth of the company, with 1228 restaurants by the end of the decade.
2005: 50th anniversary. They also held the first World Waffle- Eating Championships.
2006: There are already 1500 restaurants in 25 states. Introducing of credit card payment. Till 2006 it was primarily cash-based system.
2008: A Waffle House museum was opened in Avondale, were it all began.
Fun facts of the Waffle House:
Since 1955, WAFFLE HOUSE Inc. has served:
495,264,367 Waffles
957,041,599 Cups of Coffee
204,164,660 Omelettes
Waffle House Inc. serves PER MINUTE:
159 Waffles
136 Cups of Coffee
There are scenes shot at the Waffle House for the movie Crossroads and the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, which shows that the Waffle House has become a familiar icon in the South.
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