Second To None

Customer Insight Expands Friendly’s Into Quick-Serve

By Kerry Colligan

Friendly's Express opened its doors in Massachusetts today. The quick-serve little sister of Friendly's Family Restaurants, "Express" serves a limited menu from a counter-style order process, reducing the average visit time by half.

The development of "Express" feels like a direct response to consumers trading down. Maybe. But it's also an example of brand co-creation. "Customers talked and we listened, delivering a new concept that we all believe in," says Jim Sullivan, VP Franchising & Development.

Creating space for customers at the brand building table gave Friendly's very clear direction: a sizable portion of the customer base just doesn't have time to sit down for a 45-minute meal. To the extent that "Express" can leverage that customer insight, good for them.

What customer insights and listening posts does your organization utilize?

Brand Strategy, Customer Centricity