2 . What’s the point of dining out when we can have whatever meal we want delivered to our homes as we watch movies on our giant flat screen TVs? According to statistics from Technomic, 86% of consumers are using off-premise (营业场所外的) channels at least once a month, and a third of consumers are using it more than they did a year ago.
Most restaurant companies are chasing these trends to keep up with quickly changing consumer demands. Fazoli’s has spent the past two years investing in its drive-through, takeaway, and delivery business, and has launched a new app aimed at making takeaway orders easier. These efforts have paid off so far — off-premise sales are up 18.5% over the last year, said Jennifer Crawford, director of off-premise sales at Fazoli’s.
But, she notes that sales are not the only benefit. “The off-premise channel is a great opportunity to connect with a new consumer group,” Crawford said. “Many of our off-premise guests have not dined in a Fazoli’s or experienced our menu. With options like third-party delivery and online ordering, we are able to tap into potential new guests.”
Sales growth and new customer potential are great rewards, to be sure. But that doesn’t mean carrying out off-premise channels comes without challenges. A big one is the lack of control and maintaining the guest relationship. “When a guest dines in, we can provide a level of service that improves the consumer dining experience. The lack of control can extend into the digital experience because sometimes orders are not processed properly in the third-party software due to the drop-down (下拉式的) menus and default (默认) orders.” she said. “Besides, it is difficult to manage during peak hours and maintaining food quality and integrity (完整) during delivery is also tricky with certain dishes.”
Nevertheless, Crawford believes the juice is well worth the squeeze. “Across the industry, dine-in traffic continues to decline or remain flat. If brands are not promoting sales through takeaway and delivery, they are missing out on income.” she said.
1. Why does Fazoli’s invest in off-premise channels?
| A．Because it wants to see the potential of its consumers. |
| B．Because it wants to keep up with the latest technical changes. |
| C．Because it wants to survive in the changing consumer landscape. |
| D．Because it wants to connect with its new consumers. |
2. We can know from Paragraph 4 that _______.
| A．third-party apps may not offer as good an experience of ordering as restaurants |
| B．third-party apps may get out of control when used incorrectly |
| C．It makes no difference to restaurants whether it is the peak time or not. |
| D．food quality and integrity can be guaranteed during delivery. |
3. What is Crawford’s attitude towards off-premise channels?
| A．Cautious | B．Doubtful | C．Favorable | D．Worried |
4. What is the text mainly about?
| A．Off-premise channels still need improving. |
| B．Restaurants are having difficulty in attracting their consumers. |
| C．Off-premise channels create more difficulties than opportunities. |
| D．Restaurants are adapting to the rise of takeaway using off-premise channels. |
