Help, I Run a Food Business and I’m Struggling to Keep Up With My Competitors

If you run a food truck, or have a food business operating, then you know that in this hyper-competitive food and beverage industry, you have to put in the work. At The Timely Entrepreneur Resource and Research Centre, we work with foodpreneurs just like you and we’ve seen their struggles and helped take them from barely surviving to powerfully thriving.

So let’s get into it. If you’re struggling to keep up with your competitors, here’s your practical, no-fluff guide to standing out, building customer loyalty, increasing profit margins, and reclaiming your place at the table.

First, you must understand Why you’re losing ground

Before you fix anything, you need clarity on what’s going wrong. Ask yourself:

• Are your prices too high or too low?
• Are your food options outdated or too generic?
• Is your customer service inconsistent?
• Do you understand your target customer, or are you guessing?
• Are you depending on walk-ins and word-of-mouth while competitors are dominating social media and delivery apps?

Start by doing a local competitive audit: visit your competitors, see what they’re doing right, read their reviews, examine their social media and menus, and look at their offers. This is not to copy, but to identify the gap you’re not filling.

Next, define a Unique Selling Point (USP) or Shut Down the Noise

You don’t need to be everything to everyone. But you must be something specific to someone special.
Examples of niche USPs:

• “The only vegan Caribbean fusion in Chaguanas.”
• “Home of the 24-hour smoked jerk chicken.”
• “Handcrafted desserts with local fruit wines.”
• “Fastest meal-prep delivery for busy professionals.”

A defined USP does 3 things:
1. It attracts the right customer
2. It justifies your price point
3. It makes you memorable

If your menu reads like every other person selling food, why should anyone choose you?

Revamp Your Menu, But Don’t Overdo It

A bloated menu is costing you more than you know: higher food waste, slower service, confused customers.

Instead:

• Trim your menu to top-selling or signature items.
• Introduce limited-time offers to create urgency. Mario’s recently had a mini specialty pizza with a burger with a very competitive price point and our team was on a race of time to get to an outlet before 9pm. Talk about pace! And fun too! So, you can spice it up too.
• Use the “Golden Trio” pricing strategy: low-cost, medium-profit, and premium items.

Food businesses increase profits not by having more items, but by selling more of what’s working.

Master Visibility: If They Don’t See You, They Can’t Buy from You

You don’t need to go viral but you do need to be consistent.

• Use Instagram and TikTok Reels to show behind-the-scenes, food prep, and happy customers.
• Encourage user-generated content (UGC). Give discounts for customer selfies with your food.
• Partner with local influencers, even micro ones.
• List your business on Google Maps and local delivery platforms.
• Run a “Tag to Win a Meal” challenge every month to boost engagement and visibility.

If no one is talking about you, it’s not that you’re bad, it might be that you’re invisible.

Build Fierce Customer Loyalty (So You Don’t Have to Beg for Sales)

Returning customers = higher profits with less marketing.

Try this:

• Launch a loyalty card (Buy 6 meals, get 1 free).
• Send personalized WhatsApp deals to past customers. Sammy’z Fast Food in Chase Village is an excellent example of this.
• Create a VIP “taste test” list for new dishes and let your regulars feel part of your growth.
• Send an email or text on their birthday with a free drink or dessert. Yet another Marketing A for Mario’s on this one.

Make customers feel known, and not just sold to.

Fix the Numbers That Are Draining Your Business

Bad math can make your businesses go under.

Key metrics to track:

• Cost of Goods Sold (COGS): Know exactly how much it costs to make each item.
• Profit margin per item: Are you pricing for profit or pricing out of fear?
• Daily break-even point: Know exactly how much you need to sell per day/week to stay afloat.
• Waste levels: Monitor expiry dates, unused stock, and over-prepping.

Use a simple spreadsheet or POS system to track this. You cannot grow what you don’t measure.

Add Income Streams. 

If foot traffic dips, can your business survive?

At The Timely Entrepreneur, we preach diversification. Here’s how you can diversify:

• Meal kits or frozen packs (e.g., “Take-Home Doubles Kit”).
• Private catering or lunchbox plans for offices.
• Online cooking classes or recipe eBooks.
• Weekend pre-order-only specials for large family meals.

Upgrade Your Customer Experience

Food might bring customers in, but your service brings them back.

Ask:

• Are your staff friendly and professional?
• Is your space clean, appealing, and branded?
• Are your takeout bags and boxes branded with your logo and contact info?
• Do you offer fast, efficient service, especially during lunch hours?

Every point of contact, from the scent when they walk in, to how you package is an opportunity to stand out. Darren’s Doubles sells their delicious pholourie in a sturdy white bowl container, with the sauce in a separate mini clear container placed in the bowl. Impressed much!

Be Relentless in Your Improvement

• Survey your customers every 3–6 months.
• Ask for feedback and use it.
• Attend food expos, trends webinars, and taste what’s new.

Don’t just think you’re running a food business. You’re also building a brand. Stay hungry.

You didn’t get into this business to stay behind. You entered the food industry because you had a flavor, a vision, a why! So don’t let competition bully you into silence. With the right strategy, clarity, and bold adjustments, you can do it.

At The Timely Entrepreneur Resource and Research Centre, we are committed to supporting entrepreneurs like you with business coaching, resources, compliance assistance, and strategic planning. If you’re struggling, reach out. Help isn’t just a blog away. It’s right here with us.

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