Imagine life without cafes and restaurants. Where would we go to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, meet for a chat, have that first date, clinch that deal or get engaged? It’s hard to envisage an existence without them.
Restaurants give our lives colour and excitement. They help break the social ice, make it easier to get to know each other and help us learn about other cultures. And there’s always the perfect place to suit the occasion – from the local eatery run by a friendly couple down the street to the award-winning restaurant for a special occasion.
When it comes to eating out we are truly the lucky country. Australia’s restaurants are among the best in the world. Our chefs, sommeliers and staff are in demand in London, New York and Paris and our produce is very much acclaimed by visiting international epicureans and food and wine writers.
Where dining out was once saved for special occasions, now many Australian’s eat at a restaurant, café or bar up to four or five times per week. There are more than 37,000 restaurants and cafes and restaurants in Australia and this is equivalent to 1.1 million seats – and just over 1/3 are licensed.
Based on 2004 figures, Australia recorded a staggering 866 million ‘dining out visits’ annually and in one year Australian’s spent a total of $36.7 billion in restaurants (this excludes take away and dining out by overseas tourists). In 2005, there were more than 1.26 billion coffees served. Put it down to changing lifestyles, rising disposable incomes, double income families and more people living alone but the trend is on the up.
In 2005, R&CA set an ambitious goal to stimulate industry growth by 15% from $12 billion to $13.8 billion in 2008 by encouraging consumers to eat out more often and spend more when they do. To achieve this and become more relevant when communicating with the dining public, R&CA developed, launched and now utilises ‘Savour Australia’.
Savour Australia™ was born out of significant research on dining trends and customer behaviours, attitudes and beliefs. This research showed that dining was an aspirational activity and people are motivated to dine out more by the concept of the entire experience than expectations about just the food, beverages or the quality of service. It also showed that five clearly defined segments exist and that key strategies can be developed to influence behaviour including frequency, spend and loyalty.
Since the launch of Savour Australia, R&CA has developed new strategies and strengthened existing programs to educate and motivate key dining consumer segments about the value of the restaurant experience. Specifically, R&CA is now promoting the Savour Australia Affiliated Restaurants program – a program that assists diners make objective and informed choices and provides the means for them to spend more in the industry.
For more information about Savour Australia, and any of the program affiliated with Savour Australia, please contact the Assocaition on 1300 722 878 or email joannes@restaurantcater.asn.au