My product chosen is the hamburger, specifically a Mustang Grill hamburger. The Mustang grill is a recent addition to the Huntingdon restaurant scene as a locally owned establishment. The location first opened in the early 1960’s as Tip’s Dairy Creme and was operated for over 30 plus years. Tip sold the business to another local family who continued the tradition of the hamburger until it was sold to an out of town individual. This tenure didn’t seem to work as well and the business was sold at the first of the year to the new owners. Which leads me to the selection of a product that has been produced for multiple decades locally and the impact of the external environment upon their marketing strategy. Time will tell as to whether this new ownership can be successful in maintaining a customer flow as the newness declines and other competition stimulates interest. Having been a short order cook while in high school at the Shack, a major competitor long ago before McDonalds moved in, there’s more to the hamburger than knowing when to flip it. Competition The local direct hamburger competitors in the area include McDonalds, Sonic, Wendys, Mallards, Casey’s Bar and Joe’s BBQ. The total budget competition lies in Prater’s Taters, Subway, the three Pizza locations, and Big Max’s BBQ as well as the home cooked or home grilled burger or chicken. The two mexican restaurants can’t be left off the list either. The remainder of the competition lies outside the local area traveling to another town for other chain or locally owned opportunities of varied food offerings. The first three listed are chain franchises which have the full marketing support of radio, tv and print advertisements selling a consistent burger across each franchise whether in Huntingdon or around the globe. The primary strength of these is the consistency, which can also be considered a weakness due to the required preparation of said food item. The others mentioned are local establishments which produce a similar product that have their own unique characteristics. Specific issues for these are the ramifications of their unique locations and types of restaurants. Casey’s is a local beer joint and not considered a family friendly location for a burger. Mallards is the more upscale restaurant, not a fast food business, that utilizes waitresses and a sit down style menu. Joe’s does BBQ. Each of these produce a very enjoyable hamburger; however, the hamburger is not their focal menu item as opposed to the Mustang Grill and its hamburger. The other options as a total budget competition all are impacted by the ever varying taste buds of potential customers and the desires of the individual who will make the actual selection of the food source for that particular meal. Competition is intense for any Block City Pizza versus a huge chicken bacon ranch potato from Prater’s Taters. Nationally, with the advent of a fast growing chain named “Five Guys,” the other national chains have significantly “beefed” up their
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A more health conscious political environment could ultimately impact upon the product; however, my expectation will be the influence will occur last in the South if ever.
Legal/Regulatory All the locations serving food have to deal with the various rules and regulations as they pertain to the storage, preparation and serving of food. Everyone has to keep Tim from the Health Department happy. The advantage of the franchise chains is the upper level support to make sure all equipment and methodologies are adhered to that represent their brand. I will say that I have seen Senator Stevens and his family dining at Mustang Grill so that could have positive influences.
Sociocultural The hamburger has been a part of our national society since the early 1900s. Movies depict the sock hop and the burger joint. As time has proceeded, we have become more discriminatory in our tastes. It is difficult to depict another dietary staple that has influenced our culture except maybe the french fry, but they do go hand in hand. The growth of our national highway system was littered with the roadside hamburger joint, the opportunity to enjoy a hot, fast and inexpensive hamburger. In the last 10 years, it seems our societies’ tastes have graduated from the cheap burger to a better burger (Dickey,
A more health conscious political environment could ultimately impact upon the product; however, my expectation will be the influence will occur last in the South if ever.
Legal/Regulatory All the locations serving food have to deal with the various rules and regulations as they pertain to the storage, preparation and serving of food. Everyone has to keep Tim from the Health Department happy. The advantage of the franchise chains is the upper level support to make sure all equipment and methodologies are adhered to that represent their brand. I will say that I have seen Senator Stevens and his family dining at Mustang Grill so that could have positive influences.
Sociocultural The hamburger has been a part of our national society since the early 1900s. Movies depict the sock hop and the burger joint. As time has proceeded, we have become more discriminatory in our tastes. It is difficult to depict another dietary staple that has influenced our culture except maybe the french fry, but they do go hand in hand. The growth of our national highway system was littered with the roadside hamburger joint, the opportunity to enjoy a hot, fast and inexpensive hamburger. In the last 10 years, it seems our societies’ tastes have graduated from the cheap burger to a better burger (Dickey,