Food & Beverage Close-Up: Buxton Touts Data Usage

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Buxton Touts Data Usage

Buxton's Real Estate Solutions stated that the restaurant industry is using its provided consumer buying and dining data to select sites for expansion.

According to Buxton, identifying and profiling customers so that sites with the highest concentration of their customers are selected is the key to success, but in consideration of an economic slowdown, the ability to measure performance enables restaurants to avoid opening mediocre locations and select only the very best. Buxton's newest restaurant clients using this customer analytics method are Pei Wei Asian Diners, Granite City Food and Brewery, Mimis Cafe and Burrachos Fresh Mexican Grill.

Buxton said that its Real Estate Solutions will provide these restaurants with detailed profiles of customers, identifying who they are, where they live, their purchasing behaviors and other lifestyle characteristics. This information is then used to create a "Sales Model" which identifies all prospective customers, and statistically calculates sales for each site under consideration. This analysis is used as a tool for opening only the restaurants with the highest possible potential for success.

Buxton said that it has an excellent track record with restaurant clients, helping more than 100 restaurants with strategic growth plans. Clients that have incorporated Buxton into their real estate strategy include California Pizza Kitchen, Peter Piper Pizza, Islands Restaurants, and Morton's, according to the company.

Buxton added that data provided by it is used not only for site selection, but benchmarking how well existing stores should be performing and analyzing entry into new markets. Additionally, clients will use this information to optimize the markets they are in by opening new locations without cannibalizing their existing restaurants, Buxton noted.

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