NORTHFIELD, Ill. – Visitors to Neighborhood Cinema Group (NCG) Cinemas, a family run company operating 15 theaters in multiple cities throughout the U.S., can now enjoy their favorite coffee, latte, cappuccino, hot chocolate or iced coffee while watching the silver screen. The advanced brewing technology built into every TASSIMO PROFESSIONAL T-DISC makes it simple for concession staff to quickly prepare a gourmet beverage with the authentic flavor customers expect from the coffeehouse down the street. This exciting new offering is boosting concession sales and enhancing customers’ overall movie-going experience – a win-win for both NCG Cinemas and their growing loyal customer base.
“In addition to increasing our beverage sales, adding gourmet beverages to our concession menu with TASSIMO PROFESSIONAL is a real point of difference from our competitors,” says Carol Douglas, Director of Concessions. “We’re also not losing beverage sales to the coffeehouse down the street anymore. We’ve added incremental revenue by menuing coffeehouse beverages.” In fact, during 2013 NCG Cinemas sold more than 13,000 gourmet beverages across 10 locations!
With simple instructions on the LCD screen of the T-300 Brewer to guide staff on how to prepare each drink, there’s no costly training required. It’s as simple as inserting one T-DISC for a coffee, hot chocolate or tea, or building an espresso-based specialty beverage such as a latte, cappuccino or macchiato with two T-DISCs – one espresso and the other a real milk creamer. This two-step process delivers an authentically brewed gourmet beverage that is unmatched by other single-cup brewers.
The flexibility to offer hot or iced beverages, depending on the season, also impressed Douglas. “When a guest says ‘no’ to a popcorn and soda during the winter months, we let them know we sell hot beverages, and often that sways them to order a hot beverage. We’ve just captured that ‘lost’ sale, and then they’ll often order a snack, too,” she commented. “In the summer, we let our guests know we offer iced coffees. It’s been a hit, especially with women during the summer months or at warmer locations.” Initial promotion by staff has evolved into highlighting their gourmet beverage offerings on digital menu boards and mini menus posted on the front of terminals. This enhanced front-of-house promotion has supported steady growth across all 10 participating locations.
Given the sales success, simple drink preparation and exciting menuing options, an 11th NCG Cinema location will be rolling out a new beverage menu featuring TASSIMO PROFESSIONAL this year. “Our theatres have a choice when it comes to their concession menu. It hasn’t taken long for the good word about offering gourmet coffee beverages to spread,” explained Douglas. “We’re very happy with our decision to work with the TASSIMO PROFESSIONAL single-cup brewing system.”
For more information about the TASSIMO PROFESSIONAL system or to request a FREE DEMO for your business, visit www.TASSIMOPRO.com or call 1-888-MY-TDISC.
ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD CINEMA GROUP (NCG)
NCG Cinemas is a family-owned business with 15 theatres and 147 screens across Michigan, Tennessee, Georgia, Illinois and Indiana.
The Geiger family founded the company in 1987 and continues to own and operate this growing business with the Smith family. With its headquarters in Owosso, Michigan, their flagship 19-screen location, NCG Eastwood Cinemas, is in Lansing. Please visit www.ncgmovies.com for more information.
ABOUT KRAFT FOODS GROUP
Kraft Foods Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: KRFT) is one of North America’s largest consumer packaged food and beverage companies, with annual revenues of more than $18 billion. With the spirit of a startup and the soul of a powerhouse, Kraft has an unrivaled portfolio of products in the beverages, cheese, refrigerated meals and grocery categories. The company’s iconic brands include Kraft, Capri Sun, JELL-O, Kool-Aid, Lunchables, Maxwell House, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Planters and Velveeta. Kraft’s 22,500 employees in the U.S. and Canada have a passion for making the foods and beverages people love. Kraft is a member of the Standard & Poor’s 500 and the NASDAQ-100 indices. For more information, visit www.kraftfoodsgroup.com and www.facebook.com/kraft.
ABOUT KRAFT FOODSERVICE
Kraft Foodservice is a division of Kraft Foods Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: KRFT), one of North America’s largest consumer packaged food and beverage companies. Kraft Foodservice provides a diverse portfolio of brands, marketing and sales expertise, and resources to the U.S. foodservice industry. Visit www.kraftfoodservice.com for more information.
Source: Kraft Foodservice