Summary

Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh is a locally owned quick‑serve restaurant in West Lafayette, Indiana that offers build‑your‑own Mediterranean meals using fresh, diverse ingredients. Despite its authentic flavors and customizable menu, the franchise has experienced declining revenue, minimal social‑media engagement, a non‑functional ordering app and a hidden location without dedicated parking. Our project combined a marketing‑mix and competitive analysis with a customer survey (60+ responses) to diagnose the brand’s challenges and develop a data‑driven strategic plan. We also created the Octagram Online Presence Score - a composite metric that normalizes social‑media followers, review volume, app downloads and ratings, and digital presence to benchmark online visibility. The plan delivers short‑ and long‑term recommendations to improve brand awareness, customer experience and digital engagement.

About Garbanzo & Current Position

Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh is a Mediterranean restaurant delivering authentic flavors. Its quick‑serve format lets customers build their own meals and choose from shawarmas, stuffed pitas, bowls, gyros and vegan/vegetarian options. Ingredients are prepared daily to ensure quality and health appeal. The West Lafayette franchise sits in a college‑town at 316 West State Street.
The business faces several challenges: revenue has declined, and a new general manager hired to revitalize operations resigned shortly after appointment. Marketing hurdles include minimal social‑media engagement, a non‑functional mobile app that limits digital ordering, and general lack of awareness about Mediterranean cuisine. Location constraints also affect performance - the restaurant is slightly hidden (“sunk in”) and relies on foot traffic, while the lack of dedicated parking discourages drive‑by customers.

Research Approach

Our research combined marketing‑mix analysis (the 4 P’s) with primary customer research:

  • Marketing Mix Analysis:
    • Product: Build‑your‑own Mediterranean meals with fresh ingredients, vegan/vegetarian and health‑conscious offerings, plus catering services.
    • Price: Affordable pricing tailored to a college‑town audience.
    • Place: Centrally located near Purdue University but somewhat hidden, with no parking and limited online ordering platforms.
    • Promotion: Minimal social‑media presence, low app usage and limited advertising.
  • Customer Survey: We deployed a survey to understand perceptions, motivations and awareness. More than 60 participants responded. The objective was to gauge what attracts customers and what factors matter most when choosing where to eat. Sample questions explored health and wellness attitudes, decision drivers and awareness channels.
  • Octagram Online Presence Score: Inspired by research on online presence metrics, we devised a composite score that combines the restaurant’s social‑media followers, number of reviews across platforms (Google, DoorDash, Grubhub), app downloads and ratings, and website/app availability. Each component is normalized and scaled to a –1 to 1 range (ratings remain on a 0‑5 scale) to create a single index. This score allows comparison with competitors and tracks changes over time.

Customer Demographics & Target Profile

Survey demographics showed a strong student influence: 75.8 % of respondents were students, while 8.1 % were faculty or university staff and 14.5 % were non‑university professionals. Gender was evenly split (50 % female, 48.4 % male). The majority (56.5 %) were aged 18–24, with 32.3 % aged 25–34.
Leveraging secondary data, we identified two primary target segments:

  • Purdue University Students: With over 58,000 students and 12,000 international students, this segment values healthy, customizable meals. According to demographic data, 40 % prefer vegan/vegetarian options and 76 % are health conscious.
  • City Population: West Lafayette and Lafayette have about 115,000 residents; roughly 6 % prefer vegan/vegetarian meals.
    The health‑conscious and vegetarian preferences align well with Garbanzo’s fresh ingredients and vegan offerings.

Competitive Analysis & Online Presence Score

Our competitive analysis plotted average food ratings against composite online presence scores. Garbanzo enjoys a high average rating (~4.0) but a negative online presence score, indicating lower visibility compared with competitors like Panera Bread and Chipotle. Only 1.75 of 25 surveyed restaurants (≈7.2 %) offer a build‑your‑own style menu, highlighting Garbanzo’s unique selling proposition.
The Octagram Online Presence Score confirmed the low online presence highlighted in the slide: minimal followers, few reviews and limited app engagement. This gap suggests that strengthening digital channels could yield significant competitive advantage.

Survey Findings & Insights

  • Health & Food Preferences: Eight out of ten respondents described themselves as health conscious. The top factors for choosing Garbanzo were flavour and taste (83 %), freshness of food (65 %) and availability of a health‑conscious menu (47 %); 40 % specifically mentioned the falafels.
  • Visits & Vegan Options: Weekly visitors placed moderate importance on vegan/vegetarian options, while those who rarely visited rated it higher.
  • Net Promoter & Satisfaction: The Net Promoter Score was 64.5, and the menu satisfaction rate was 74 %. Most first‑time visits (80 %) were due to walking past the store or recommendations from friends and family.
  • Awareness & Engagement: Awareness was low - 90 % of respondents do not follow Garbanzo on social media. Among those who follow, only 40 % engage with posts. When asked about the app, 46.8 % said they did not know it existed, 41.9 % said “no,” and only 11.3 % said “yes”. These insights underscore the need for education and digital outreach.

Recommendations

Short‑Term (Immediate Actions)

  • Enhance Curb Appeal & Service: Make the storefront more inviting and ensure employees create a welcoming environment to overcome the hidden location barrier.
  • Run “Free Falafel” Promotions: Offer a signature item (falafel) free with purchase to encourage trial and capitalize on the popularity of falafels.
  • Educational Social‑Media Content: Use social channels to educate customers about Mediterranean cuisine, health benefits and vegan options.
  • Launch a Basic Loyalty Program: Implement simple promotions (e.g., buy‑one‑get‑one) to reward repeat visits and encourage app signups.

Long‑Term (Strategic Focus)

  • Improve the Digital Marketplace: Develop a reliable, user‑friendly mobile app and online ordering platform; integrate with delivery partners. Form partnerships with the local community and student organizations.
  • Personalized Loyalty & Data‑Driven Marketing: Evolve the loyalty program to collect customer preferences, personalize offers and segment communications. Invest in digital marketing campaigns targeting health‑conscious students and families.
  • Highlight Customizability & Educate: Emphasize the build‑your‑own nature of the menu as the brand’s standout feature. Develop educational materials (blog posts, videos) explaining how to customize meals and the health benefits of Mediterranean eating.
  • Partnerships & Community Engagement: Collaborate with local gyms, health clubs and university events to raise awareness and encourage trial.

Conclusion

Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh has an exceptional product and competitive pricing but suffers from low brand awareness and limited digital presence. To grow, the brand should focus on building awareness through inviting store design, engaging employees and targeted promotions. A functional mobile app is essential for competitiveness. Advertising should emphasize unique service propositions, such as build‑your‑own meals and health benefits. Finally, partnering with local institutions and community groups will organically generate word‑of‑mouth growth. Implementing these strategies will align the brand’s authentic Mediterranean promise with customer expectations and foster a stronger online and offline presence.

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