Restaurant-owners are looking for new ways to cope with no dine-in rules. Part of the answer is packaged meal kits.
Currently, there are many places that deliver meal kits in Malaysia so customers can still enjoy their favorite meals at home.
So, for any food business, packaged food is a great idea to increase revenue even when in-house dining is allowed. Let’s take a look at meal kit start-up tips for restaurants.
What is a Meal Kit?
A packaged meal kit is a type of food service of pre-portioned and pre-prepared food ingredients and recipes for customers to prepare at home.
Usually, all of the ingredients are included in the meal kit, as well as step-by-step instructions. Converting your most popular menu items into a packaged meal is a great approach to engage with consumers who cannot dine in.
How do you make a meal-delivery kit?
1. What are your signature dishes?
The first thing you need to do is to examine your menu. Look for which meals are your best-selling items. Which of them are unique to your brand and represent your business the best?
Once you have that covered, decide which meals you can convert to packaged meals in an easy meal kit for home chefs.
Customers interested in packaged meal kits may have some cooking experience around the kitchen. But, if you choose a dish that is easy for everyone, you’ll reach more customers. So, avoid meals that have complicated steps and hard-to-get ingredients.
2. Give Step-by-Step Directions
Then, take a look at the components of your chosen meal. In general, some dishes are made with multiple mini-recipes. So list out the various instructions with your chef and start mapping the steps to improve the directions to cook. Then, ask them how they train their cooks to make the dish and use it to create your recipe and instructions.
Once you’ve done that, get a few beta testers to try out the do-it-yourself meal for feedback— friends, family, and staff. This way, they will let you know which areas that need improvement before you deliver to your customers.
3. How to Price your Meal Kits
Keep in mind that DIY meal kits from restaurants are not a replacement for dining in. Hence, the restaurant meal delivery kits must not cost as much as the menu item, especially if the customer has to add ingredients themselves.
But you also have to consider the price of food-safe packaging as well. So price your restaurant meal delivery kits accordingly. You can even have the chance to upsell your meals with clever marketing. Give options to add drinks, side dishes, or condiments for a better experience for your customers.
4. How do you Package Meal Kits?
As food business marketers, we know that packaging should be functional rather than just a package. So, you need to separate the different ingredients to prevent breaks or damage during meal kit delivery in Malaysia.
This is also a chance for you to present your brand with visual attraction. A packaged meal kit is not only to increase your revenue, but it is a great marketing tool for your whole brand.
5. Build Customer Connections
We mentioned that the packaging is a great marketing strategy, but not just because of the visual elements. Encourage your customers to share their experiences online by providing specific brand hashtags to track positive results. Be sure to thank them online too!
Moreover, you can bring them to your website to bring in more traffic to your content marketing. By using this method, you can use foodservice diy meal kits to get new subscribers for your email marketing if you have an e-newsletter.
Are Making Meal Kits Worth it?
If you don’t know by now, the answer is YES. From the customers’ point of view, DIY meal kits mean no shopping for raw ingredients and no extensive food prep. What’s more, it takes less than 15 minutes to cook a gourmet meal!
Hooked on the idea? Hire us, the packaging and labeling experts in Malaysia to package your best-selling menu items. On top of that, we also offer digital marketing to better reach your newfound customers too!
So get in touch with us today and experience next-level marketing for your food business.
Next read: Kantan Food’s Journey to Authentic Malaysian Ready To Cook Pastes
DISCLAIMER
This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Although we strive to provide accurate general information, the information presented here is not a substitute for any kind of professional advice, and you should not rely solely on this information. Please opt for a one-to-one consultation with us or a relevant professional for your specific concerns regarding food business solutions in Malaysia before making any decisions.
