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REAL-WORLD StratigoNow IMPACT STORY

Food & Beverage

Company / Organization

A multi-outlet casual dining restaurant brand

Location

Gujarat, India

Industry / Sector

Food & Beverage — offering Indian grills, continental staples, café beverages, and a small but growing delivery menu serving families, students, and young professionals.

The brand had begun well, with strong early footfalls and enthusiastic customer reviews, but within two years it was losing momentum. Newer outlets underperformed, the delivery business was slow, and dine-in conversions fell despite steady foot traffic. The menu had grown bloated and confusing; pricing lacked logic across dishes; portions were inconsistent; and the brand seemed unable to decide whether it wanted to be a family restaurant or a youthful café. Marketing was loud but directionless, chasing trends rather than telling a coherent story. The promoter felt frustrated — despite strong interiors, good food, and decent locations, the business simply refused to grow.

The promoter believed the problems were external — rising food costs, increasing competition, and “changing customer expectations.” He tried seasonal offers, live-music nights, combo deals, and influencer tie-ups, but nothing produced sustained impact. He underestimated how deeply the business had drifted from its identity, how undisciplined the menu architecture had become, and how much operational inconsistency had eroded customer trust. He saw symptoms, not causality.

120 days

StratigoNow entered with a mandate to stabilize the brand, define its identity, and install systems that would make growth predictable rather than accidental. The process began with a full diagnostic: guest-flow analysis, plate-cost mapping, delivery economics, category performance review, and household preference insights from the surrounding neighborhood clusters.

A clear pattern emerged: the brand had no anchor categories. Nothing owned the customer’s mind. The menu was broad but directionless, making the kitchen slow and expensive to run. We restructured the menu completely — reducing overlaps, building category heroes, redesigning plate architecture, and introducing signature items with strong recall power. At the same time, pricing was realigned to reflect psychology, margin realities, and perceived value rather than arbitrary cost-plus formulas.

The brand identity was clarified. Instead of trying to do everything, the restaurant repositioned itself as a warm, contemporary Indian grill café with global touches — family-friendly but youthful, accessible yet premium in tone. This identity informed photography style, menu design, store ambience cues, and digital communication.

Operational discipline became the next layer of change. Standardized recipes brought plate consistency back; simplified prep lists reduced kitchen chaos; and a redesigned service flow improved table turnover without making customers feel rushed. Delivery operations were overhauled with better packaging logic, micro-zoning, and a trimmed delivery-only menu optimized for travel.

Marketing shifted from scattershot promotions to an insight-led storytelling rhythm: celebrating signature dishes, showing behind-the-scenes craft, amplifying local festivals with tailored menus, and connecting with neighborhood influencers who genuinely fit the brand.

Within weeks, the flagship outlet recorded higher repeat visits, and the underperforming outlet stabilized its numbers. Delivery revenues increased due to a sharper, travel-friendly menu and better customer experience. Food costs reduced without hurting quality, and consistency returned across both outlets. The brand regained its confidence, and customers began recognizing it not as a generic multi-cuisine restaurant but as a warm, dependable grill café with a distinct identity. Growth became structured. The promoter finally understood the power of clarity — in menu, identity, operations, and communication.