Introduction
Doner Deli is a fast-food restaurant found in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. The restaurant was established in 2014 to serve the high demand for a kebab in the region. Inspired by the city of Berlin, the founders sought to create a kebab joint to allow customers to experience “the unique taste, extract flavor, exceptionally juicy fresh and healthy halal products that included veal, chicken or mixed sandwich” (Dona Deli 3). The restaurant enjoys a significant market in Dubai due to its famous brand. According to Dona Deli, the joint is not only renowned for preparing quality food but also offering excellent customer services (3). The management of Doner Deli appreciates that their success relies on the ability to sell unique products, manage the supply chain, and use an exceptional branding strategy. It would be difficult for an organization to succeed without establishing trust, generating and maintaining sufficient cash flow, and promoting customer loyalty (Ha and Jang 389). The restaurant’s primary objective is to create productive business relations with different partners and suppliers who share similar visions and goals.
Doner Deli supports the growth of individual departments and teams in the business through training and empowerment. Currently, the restaurant has created a strong business platform in the fast-food sector. It leverages concept design, brand identity, and product menu to overcome competition. According to Dona Deli, the company “creates and maintains a funky urban restaurant that is comprehensive and exceptional, giving attention to every detail of operation to help its growing family improve the quality of life” (4). The restaurant is committed to establishing a one-stop-shop where customers can get all their desired meals. Moreover, it is dedicated to providing regular services across all its franchises. Thus, the restaurant offers training to employees who work in various outlets to guarantee professionalism, efficiency, and integrity. The employees make sure that they provide quality food that follows German traditions.
Company Classification
Doner Deli falls under the fast-food eatery classification or what is also referred to as the quick-service restaurant. The restaurant exhibits various characteristics attributed to the fast-food business. They include limited table service and preparation of fast food cuisines. The food served at Doner Deli is usually a constituent of “meat-sweet diet” “offered from a limited menu, cooked in bulk in advance and kept hot, finished and packaged to order and usually available for takeaway, though seating may be provided at the restaurant” (Ha and Jang 391). According to Mirosa and Lawson, fast food joints are constituents of a franchise or an eatery chain that offers standard products across the globe (818). The joints use standard methods to prepare food and source their supplies via a controlled channel. Doner Deli started as a single restaurant in 2014. Currently, the business comprises seven joints that are spread across the United Arab Emirates. The outlets use standard ingredients and procedures to prepare their products. They are the only fast food joints that sell authentic German doner. Doner Deli sources its supplies from German factories, which are responsible for providing pita bread and doner meat. It enables the restaurant to prepare good doner sandwiches and offer standard products across the stores.
Mirosa and Lawson posit, “The menu items of a majority of the fast-food restaurants are made from processed ingredients prepared at central supply facilities and then shipped to individual outlets where they are cooked” (820). The same case applies to Doner Deli. A majority of the restaurant’s menu items are prepared in Germany and shipped to the United Arab Emirates. It helps to guarantee the quality of the food items that the restaurant serves. Moreover, the centralization of the supply facility contributes to enhancing the efficiency of the restaurants and minimizing equipment and labor costs. According to Smith et al., commercial emphasis on speed, uniformity, product safety, taste, and low cost compels fast-food restaurants to use unique ingredients to prepare their meals to ensure that they have a noticeable aroma, flavor, mouthfeel, and texture (2369). Doner Deli promises to offer tasty meals to its customers. The fast-food restaurant uses the best cuts of turkey, veal, and chicken, which are cautiously sourced from artisanal farms in Germany. The restaurant is keen to offer tender, fresh, and delicious meals to clients at all times. Mirosa and Lawson argue that Doner Deli uses modern techniques to prepare its products (823). It does not serve the regular sandwiches. Instead, the restaurant’s chefs give clients an opportunity to try other inventive products like doner platter and doner box.
Uniformity and consistency in brand image and internal operations are paramount to fast food restaurants. They enable the eatery to instill a sense of steadfastness in clients’ minds. The perception of consistency, in conjunction with quality customer experience, results in consumers trusting a company. Smith et al. hold that the sense of reliability enables an organization to grow its customer base, therefore enhancing its profit margin (2371). Many customers prefer to eat in restaurants that they understand. Because of the significance of uniformity and consistency, Doner Deli has established a set of regulations that govern operations in all its seven stores. The rules guarantee that the branches observe practices that are consistent with the restaurant’s standards. Dona Deli is conscious of the health of its target consumers. Consequently, it ensures that its sandwiches are prepared with little fat content to meet the needs of health-conscious consumers. The restaurant offers flexible options to clients. It provides takeaway, dines in, and delivery services to clients based on their needs. Additionally, the restaurant prepares food in front of the clients to enable them to confirm its quality. It also ensures that deliveries do not take more than one hour.
Tabassum and Rahman claim that one feature that is unique to fast food restaurants is the provision of value meals (17). They comprise a group of food items, which are served collectively at lower prices than they would cost if sold separately. Most value meals include a drink, side of fries, and a hamburger. Doner Deli serves value meals as one of its menu items. The restaurant’s value meals constitute halal veal served with Aryan drink, fries, and salad. The restaurant sells the best doner in the UAE, which is prepared in an easy, efficient, and affable method that surpasses clients’ expectations. Moreover, it allows customers to make doner sandwiches according to their preferences. It makes customers feel special and helps to promote customer loyalty.
Target Market
Tabassum and Rahman define the target market as “a group of customers that a business has decided to aim its marketing efforts and ultimately its merchandises towards” (21). A marketing strategy is incomplete without a distinct target market. Defining a target market enables a business to identify the needs of the consumers and address them effectively. Mostly, a target market comprises clients with similar features like income, age, lifestyle, and location. Understanding the target market enables a business to avoid excessive costs attributed to inventory management. A company that has explicit knowledge of its target market makes sure that it manufactures products according to customer orders. The organization does not incur inventory costs as it avoids producing excess products. The majority of people believe that fast food is not healthy, and therefore should be eaten in restraint. Nevertheless, in spite of this opinion, many people frequent fast-food joints. Indeed, the number of fast-food restaurants continues to increase across the globe. Doner Deli has divided its target market according to the needs and lifestyles of consumers. The company targets families, high-income earners, and employed individuals among others.
Families
The majority of families take their kids or relatives to fast food joints as a way to show their appreciation for a job well done or good behavior. Moreover, whenever individuals want to offer special treatment to their families, they take them to a fast-food joint. Consequently, one of the primary target markets for Doner Deli is families. According to Tabassum and Rahman, parents prefer fast food joints because they serve a variety of meals that cater to the needs of all ages (24). Moreover, the meals are easy to eat and delicious. Doner Deli serves different varieties of meals to families. They include doner platter, doner box, sandwiches, grilled and roasted chicken among others. Its stores are spacious, clean, and comfortable. Moreover, they offer a playground for kids. Therefore, many families prefer Doner Deli because it meets all their needs and interests.
Employed People
Today, the number of individuals in white color jobs is high. These people spend most of their time in the workplace and do not get a chance to prepare food. Thus, they prefer to eat from fast food joints. Smith et al. maintain that working people purchase food from the joints due to their expediency (2375). Employed people “are light users of fast food and not overly responsive to sales promotions or advertising” (Tabassum and Rahman 26). Moreover, they do not associate with a single brand because they consider expediency in making buying decisions. As a result, fast food businesses require opening multiple outlets and offering different varieties of meals to exploit this market segment. Initially, Doner Deli specialized in the production and sales of doner sandwiches only. Today, the company sells a range of doner selections. The goal is to meet the needs of different working individuals and to grow the market share.
Meeting Place
Some customers visit fast food joints not because they are interested in the meals but due to their friendly facilities and strategic locations. According to Melkis et al., fast food joints offer an excellent venue for individuals to meet and catch up with their friends (37). Many fast-food restaurants are situated in strategic locations, thus easy to find. Furthermore, they have in-store facilities that facilitate socialization or business meetings. Doner Deli restaurants offer modern informal dining experience with warm accents, soothing ambiance, and inviting colors. Therefore, many people prefer to visit Doner Deli joints if they wish to reconnect with their friends. Additionally, the restaurants offer a safe environment for couples who want to have quality time together away from disturbances. The restaurants have experienced workers that meet the needs of individual clients.
Nice and Easy
According to Melkis et al., some consumers prefer to eat from fast food joints because of their convenience (39). They do not like preparing their meals or purchasing food products from grocery stores. Moreover, they do not arrange for their weekly food, thus preferring the handiness of fast food retails. Numerous customers frequent Doner Deli joints because they are convenient. The joints offer multiple service options, which comprise dine-in, takeaway, and delivery services. Moreover, their ordering system is efficient. The clients are not sensitive to the prices of the foods and fancy Doner Deli joints because they are time-saving. Doner Deli has realized that this market segment seeks food joints with multiple outlets. Consequently, the restaurant is in the process of opening branches across the UAE to increase its market share.
Other Target Consumers
Doner Deli targets other groups of consumers, which include the health-conscious patrons and individuals who buy fast foods because of their taste. The restaurant appreciates that some clients purchase food due to their unique taste. Consequently, it has invested in the preparation of a variety of doner selections with German flavors to cater to this market segment. Clients who purchase food due to its taste value consistency. They expect to buy food with the same quality, flavor, and taste in all the branches of a particular business. It underlines the reason Doner Deli has a centralized supply channel to enable it to offer standardized services across its stores. The restaurant also targets health-conscious clients who chose fast foods depending on their nutritional value. Currently, it ensures that its sandwiches have low-fat content to cater to the needs of health-conscious customers.
Works Cited
Dona Deli. “Join the Taste Revolution.” World Franchise Center, 2014, Web.
Ha, Jooyeon, and SooCheong Jang. “Attributes, Consequences, and Consumer Values: A Means-End Chain Approach Across Restaurant Segments.” International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 25, no. 3, 2013, pp. 383-409.
Melkis, Madeline, et al. “The Influence of Marital Status and Age on the Perception of Fast Food Consumer in an Emerging Market.” International Journal of Business and Innovation, vol. 1, no. 3, 2014, pp. 33-42.
Mirosa, Miranda, and Rob Lawson. “Revealing the Lifestyles of Local Food Consumers.” British Food Journal, vol. 114, no. 6, 2012, pp. 816-825.
Smith, Claire, et al. “Characteristics of Fast-Food/Takeaway-Food Restaurant/Café-Food Consumers among New Zealand Adults.” Public Health Nutrition, vol. 17, no. 10, 2013, pp. 2368-2377.
Tabassum, Ayesha, and Tasnuva Rahman. “Differences in Consumer Attitude towards Selective Fast Food Restaurants in Bangladesh: An Implication of Multiattribute Attitude Model.” World Review of Business Research, vol. 2, no. 3, 2012, pp. 12-27.