Dining by Numbers: the consumer perspective

Here at FoodCALC we largely do business with restaurants.  While eventually what we do trickles down to the consumer level, we do not sell or promote to them directly (though we do get a lot of interest from them!).  A year ago, I couldn’t help but think that we must have something to offer this demographic while still being true to what we do and who we are as a company.  I started something that, in my opinion, has proved that B2B companies can still successfully engage with the consumer: the Dining by Numbers blog.

I author Dining by Numbers as the health conscious diner that I am, addressing and interacting with other health conscious diners.  Originally titled The Dining Detective, I quickly changed the name because it is not my intention to uncover anything hidden; rather, to highlight my dining experiences from the perspective of a calorie counter.  I sometimes blog about my tips for healthier dining, and often share my victories with finding restaurant food that fits within my nutritional budget.

The response has been wonderful.  It’s amazing to interact with so many followers that use and benefit from the information that FoodCALC provides to restaurants. It has helped us as a company to better understand our customer’s customer, and how to work with them to help meet their end goal of rave reviews and customer loyalty.

As a foodservice servicer (say that five times fast!), historically I have struggled to find my company’s place among consumers.  It is my job to effectively communicate the FoodCALC brand to the world, which is sometimes a challenge when that world is broken up into two decidedly different audiences: the foodservice industry and the foodservice industry consumer.

For FoodCALC, Dining by Numbers bridges this gap and gives us access to a demographic that we would otherwise not have the opportunity to communicate with.  In the restaurant world, the consumer is the common denominator that keeps us all in business.  This creative, engaging platform provides an open environment for an exchange of ideas that will, hopefully, benefit the entire restaurant and foodservice community.

I hope you will come visit my blog at Dining by Numbers to learn more about what the health conscious consumer wants!

Lara Baldwin is FoodCALC’s Communications Manager, as well as an established contributor to the online health and nutrition community.