An ultra-focused product offering or a highly diversified offering...which is better?


In the fast-food world, we see a spectrum. Cane's is a ten billion company that sells one thing. You can have 3 battered chicken fingers or 6. They will put chicken fingers on bread and call it a sandwich. But if you want it grilled or in nuggets or with ranch, they don't have it. They win with a super focused, simple model.

Chick Fil A widens the menu with fried, grilled, spicy or pimento cheese chicken and they offer all the sauces.

Taco Bell sells mostly Mexican but also offers chicken nuggets and chicken fries sometimes.

And if you go to CookOut, you can choose from chicken to burgers to quesadillas to corn dogs. Their menu is overwhelming to me but my kids love it for their 38 flavors shake menu. 

 

So which is the best model? I like to a focused product offering that offers more than specific product or service to better serve customers and balance revenue cash flow. But while I personally prefer the Chick Fil A level of diversification, ANY of these will work as long as you understand what makes your business unique and never let it slip.

KFC has a great product; but yesterday they were out of chicken and tea. (fatal mistakes IMO)

Chick Fil A is known for the quality of people it hires. ("my pleasure") If they get lazy and hire irritable, tired teenagers all of a sudden, it stops working fast.

In your next leadership team meeting, debate what the special sauce is in your business. What are the things your customer considers essential no matter what? Figure that out and fulfill it 50 ways. Never let it slip. 

Call me. ~ Jack