Back to Business 2024: Key Challenges and Winning Strategies for Restaurants

Back-to-school season isn’t just for kids and students…

As summer ends and our little (sometimes strong-willed) ones head back to the classroom, it feels like a new year — or at the very least, a new season — is beginning.

At Strateg’eat, we also take this time to reflect on the missions we’ve carried out throughout the year — especially important when you haven’t yet celebrated your first birthday as a company. The restaurant sector is no exception to this seasonal checkpoint, and every player in the value chain — operators, suppliers, manufacturers — should take the opportunity to assess what’s been achieved so far, celebrate the progress made, and measure the impact of a summer season that ended on a high note, thanks to the buzz around the Paralympic Games.

It’s also the perfect moment to take a step back, adjust where needed, and set fresh goals for 2025.

At Strateg’eat, we’re sharing a few key insights and upcoming challenges the restaurant world must embrace — the result of market observations and evolving dynamics.

Bring Customers In — Don’t Just Wait for Them

Despite a mixed summer (some operators benefited from the Games, others were more disrupted than anything), the almost indecent post-Covid enthusiasm for dining out is clearly behind us.

It’s back to basics: generating traffic must be a top priority. That means promotion — yes — but above all, digital visibility: ranking on Google, Instagram appeal, food vlogs… everything needs to align with your business goals for the year.

Quality, Price, Quantity — Striking the Perfect Balance

The sector has been hit hard by price hikes since late 2023. Consumers have been tightening their belts since early 2024, often turning away from eating out in favor of supermarket meals or lunchboxes brought to the office. The challenge now is to anticipate their return — increase portion sizes, clearly communicate the value behind your prices, and maintain affordable alternatives.

Today’s diners are seeking satisfaction, indulgence, quality, and local products, while still needing economic flexibility. They don’t want to feel locked into a single price model. Creating a different kind of environment — one that inspires and elevates — can help make people dream about dining out again.

Also, let’s be clear: there’s still room to grow the average spend. Customers may hesitate before coming in, but once they’re at the table, there’s opportunity to spark desire — and increase the basket size.

Great Food, Close to Home

Local sourcing remains a priority — and a key part of the eco-conscious approach now expected across the industry. Consumers might not always check the origin of your ingredients (especially if you don’t tell them), but local is now a “must-have.” That doesn’t mean everything needs to be 100% locally sourced — but this variable will become increasingly important across all segments of the industry.

Leave Your Signature

Have your own products, your own recipes, your own principles. Shake up your organization to strive for excellence — the kind that starts with something as simple as a smile.

Yes, that smile is showing up more and more in French establishments — but we’re still noticeably behind our neighbors to the north and south.

For this upcoming season, we’ll be sharing detailed insights on topics like pricing strategies, new regulatory changes impacting bakeries, the power of branding and commercial names, and plenty of other industry updates.

Wishing everyone a strong start to the new season