76 Business View - January 2015
the Mongolian grill space as competition, and more
at the plethora of restaurant choices available to con-
sumers across the entire casual dining landscape. Dif-
ferentiation in that environment, she said, is a com-
bination of unique menu options and more hands-on
control for guests.
“People want customization. They wanted control over
their meal. They want to create their own meal,” she
said. “Those are two of the things, and from there it’s
an easy transition to other factors. We serve healthy
food. There’s nothing behind the scenes in our restau-
rants, and with so many more people concerned about
allergies and where the food is actually coming from,
that’s significant.”
Another positive trend is the growth of adventure-
based food programming on television.
“When people watch the TV shows they might think
they’re more adventurous, whether they really are or
not,” O’Shea said. “The way we prepare our meals
takes the fear factor out of it.”
Prospective franchisees are required less to have res-
taurant experience in their past, and more to have
simply proven the ability to operate a business and
manage employees, regardless of the setting. The ra-
tionale, she said, is that good owners will hire good
managers, who will then hire good cooks and employ-
ees to create the right type of in-house atmosphere.
AT A GLANCE
WHO:
HuHot Mongolian Grills
WHAT:
Mongolian grill-style restaurant that was
created in 1999 and began franchising in 2002
WHERE:
Corporate headquarters in Missoula,
Mont.
WEBSITE
:
FRANCHISE
