SEYMOUR, Tenn. – Owners of the Beef Jerky Outlet franchise are hoping its newest concept will encourage consumers to experience curbside snacking.
The company plans to unveil “The Experience” — a beef jerky store in a food truck — during the International Franchise Expo June 18-20 in New York. The Experience is a trailer fully equipped with custom stairs, removable sign panels, generator and Internet connectivity for the point-of-sale system. The trailer also features a rear door with a lift to accommodate customers with special needs.
Beef Jerky Outlet stores feature a large selection of jerky in various flavors made from beef, turkey and wild game.
“The Experience’ is an open trailer that will let everyone come in for a full sampling of all the great products Beef Jerky Outlet has to offer,” COO Paul Lyons said. “This will be a great opportunity to showcase our Beef Jerky Outlet store experience at public events without losing that store effect.”
A report from market research agency Acosta Sales & Marketing released in February found that 35 percent of consumers surveyed have tried food trucks. Also, 25 percent of total US shoppers surveyed said they eat a snack once a day, while 26 percent said they eat a snack two or three times a day and 4 percent do so four or more times a day.
Driving the snacking trend is consumer demand for convenient, portable foods and snacks as a meal replacement. Also better-for-you snacks loaded with protein have caught with consumers who want something to keep them full. Meat snacks long have been poised to fill this growing niche of the snack segment.
Scott Parker, president and CEO of the Beef Jerky Outlet, said the franchise can succeed nationally, and the company's growth validates that opinion. The franchise has grown to 37 operating stores over the past two years with an additional 63 scheduled for opening. The company sold its 100th franchise of the Beef Jerky Outlet last week.
So, as consumer demand for high-protein better-for-you snacks continues to grow, Parker and Lyons intend to use The Experience to bring beef jerky to new customers and build brand awareness.
“We are looking forward to hitting the road with our new experience to expand what we have to offer,” Parker said.
