The surprise closure of the latest PFK in the Quebec City region just before the start of 2020 has been much talked about. Some have criticized the cavalier manner that everything was done, to the detriment of the employees, and others have raised the difficulties of the chain. PFK now falls into the same category as Pizza Hut and Dunkin Donuts ... for its inability to adapt!
The lack of innovation is still catching up with these big chains, which once delighted several generations.
For approximately 15 years, PFK has opened and closed approximately the same number of branches each year. The chain therefore flutters for a long time and does not seem to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
In addition to the lack of staff, PFK is competing directly with more and more restaurants and even grocery stores. Indeed, chicken is an inexpensive animal protein and it can be found on several menus.
The chain can therefore hardly develop new niches since it has only one weapon: chicken. Add the customer experience that hasn't changed much and the ecological and health turn that is slow to come.
For its part, Pizza Hut has lost a lot of ground in recent years to the benefit of Domino’s. During the 1990s, Pizza Hut had a team of approximately 60 employees dedicated solely to innovation. They are the ones who developed the cheeseburger pizza, meat fan, bigfoot and of course the stuffed crust.
Then the recession hit in 2009. At the same time, people were no longer charmed by innovations on their plates but by technology. Domino’s, which has offered online orders since the 1990s, has continued to develop its site and mobile application. The fans immediately adopted this way of doing things.
And what about Dunkin Donuts in Quebec? There’s not one left when the Tim Hortons took over.
Obviously, a restaurateur has no choice. To keep his head above water, he must know his enemy well and always seek to innovate and adapt.
