There are numerous reasons for Santa Fe Grill to conduct an internal research. Despite the restaurants owners being educated, they have both professional and personal resources necessary to collect data and thus make improvements. To use qualitative research, the use of internet and networking can enable the owners to get precise and relevant data necessary for the restaurants growth.
Santa Fe Grill owners ought to focus on some areas including integrated marketing communications, new product planning, and competitive analysis. The use of competitive analysis will give them an insight on their competition. The use of new product planning provides the owners with options of new items on the menu and negative and positive feedbacks on the items. Using integrated marketing will enable the name of the business to be more popular thus assisting in getting new customers (Malhotra, David, and Peter).
Research Objectives
The restaurant ought to consider the use of Marketing Program Development to complete the required research since it widely covers areas like marketing communication, pricing and distribution decisions, and decisions on product assortment. Within the groups, numerous issues can be dealt with given that they affect various areas such as sales tracking, studies of service quality, customer satisfaction, and research on cycle times among other research avenues. Using this planning process, these particular areas of concern are addressed thus getting them answers to their questions (Malhotra, David, and Peter).
The objective to answer when conducting the research includes the following questions:
Are the customers content with the restaurant?
Are the needs of the customers met?
Does the ambiance and food in sync with each other?
Data Collecting Methods
Data could be collected through numerous ways. However, the methods best suited for the restaurant include observation for collecting qualitative data and variance analysis, chi-square analysis, and statistical techniques for collecting quantitative data. Using observation as a method to collect qualitative data allows a hands-on approach to the managers as they gather results of detailed data (Garner & Scott, 2013). The use of variance analysis will enable the researcher to get a clear view of dependent and independent variables collectively seeing their correlation. Using chi-square analysis allows relationship comparison of the data results collected, while statistical techniques decrease the margin of error ensuring the data collected is accurate.
Qualitative Information
When and How Observation Could Be Used
For the restaurant, Santa Fe Grill, observation can be a good way through which qualitative data can be collected. The managers or hired researchers of the Santa Fe Grill restaurant can use the structure of observation in collecting data from the business itself as well as other similar restaurants. Using an observation method is a good way to gather the restaurants qualitative information without interfering with the customers. The owners can use the methodology at their busiest time, which can be either during dinner or lunch. Carrying out the research at these times will give the owners accurate and concise data given that they will be able to gather more data from their actual target audience. They will also be in a position to listen and see a majority of the customers at once (Harwell).
The observer conducting the research can choose a sitting place where they can appear like the other regular customers, and take notes of all they hear and see. Some of the diverse elements that can be observed while conducting the research can entail the kinds of food returned to the kitchen, portions of foods left on plates, and the comments given by customers regarding the food. Looking at video footages recorded on camera tapes can be another way that observation can be done, although they can only see and not hear what customers say. Using observation as a qualitative research method to complement the quantitative research will make it easier for the researcher to understand the relationships and the collected data. The owners of the restaurant can be in a position to quantify the extent of relationships and variables, which will also explain the casual relationships.
Focus Groups
In the case the restaurants owners decide to use focus groups as a way of collecting qualitative information, some topics can be certainly explored (Krueger)Some of the topics that can be suggested and used in the study of focus groups include:
Food quality expectation
The quality of service offered
Satisfaction of the items on the menu
Price Reasonability (Krueger)
Conclusion
In conclusion, the use of observation as a qualitative method through which to gather information on the Santa Fe Grill restaurant. This is because it complements the quantitative data collected using variance analysis, chi-square analysis, and statistical techniques. Using both quantitative and qualitative research methods to collect data enables the owners to interpret and understand data much better and thus address the issues that need to be addressing. Using focus groups is another way through which qualitative data can be collected, and numerous topics explored thereof.
Work Cited
Harwell, Michael R. "ReseaRch Design in Qualitative/Quantitative." The Sage Handbook of research in education: Pursuing ideas as the keystone of exemplary inquiry (2011): 147.
Krueger, Richard A. Focus Groups: A practical guide for applied research. Sage Publications, 2014.
Malhotra, Naresh K., David F. Birks, and Peter Wills. Essentials of marketing research. Pearson, 2013.
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