Fresh. Organic. High-quality. These are a few ideas associated with local produce. They are also three reasons why your restaurant should invest in the local food movement today. Not only will you improve your ingredients but you will also communicate that your restaurant supports the surrounding community and is aware …
Read More »Restaurant Marketing: The Hunting Season Is Over
So, your sales are down and you decide to send out a direct mail piece into your zip code, expecting your usual response of 2 to 3%. I’ll bet you’ve never ever thought about those other 98% in the zip code who never responded to your offer. You see, they …
Read More »Restaurants Need To Catch Up On Technology
At the National Restaurant Association’s annual trade show last month, a lot of restaurateurs were talking about the technology gap in the food service industry. Big chains like T.G.I.Friday’s and Hard Rock Café have already begun to introduce digital gadgetry into their restaurants as a way to connect with younger …
Read More »Restaurant Marketing: Your Focus Shouldn’t Be On Social Media
I arrived in Madison, Wisconsin last week to do a restaurant marketing workshop for Sysco and was looking for a place to eat. Obviously in a strange town and no one around to make recommendations, I pulled out my trusty iPhone and downloaded the Yelp app. Immediately, I got hundreds …
Read More »Green Initiatives: A Rise In Cost Or A Part Of Your Marketing Budget?
QSR magazine published an article recently about new take out packaging for restaurants made from recycled plastic water bottles. Dubbed The Bottle Box, the restaurants that have used it say it performs just as well or better than normal plastic take out packaging, and that it can be customized with …
Read More »How To Give Your Customers Value
In yesterday’s post I talked about the new reality facing restaurants, namely, the consumer expectation of great value. This doesn’t appear to be changing despite an uptick in consumer spending. A number of voices in the food service industry have been advising restaurants to provide value to their customers in …
Read More »Should Your Restaurant Have A Website?
The short answer is yes, definitely. As long as you build a decent site, it can’t hurt your marketing efforts and has the potential to be a big help. Some of the things you can do with an internet presence for your restaurant: Get to know your customers. A website …
Read More »10 Holiday Restaurant Marketing Tips
The folks at MustHaveMenus.com were kind enough to share some great marketing insights from John Foley, editor of The Restaurant Blog. Must Have Menus is your source for food menu templates, event flyers, restaurant menu software, and restaurant marketing ideas. 1. What are some easy, inexpensive ways to drive customer …
Read More »Independent Restaurant Marketing – 3 Ways To Compete With The Big Boys
Big chain restaurants dominate the mass market when it comes to advertising – a fact of life that can sometimes make it difficult for smaller independent operations to be heard among all the songs about baby back ribs. Launching a restaurant marketing campaign for an independent means less money to …
Read More »Restaurant Management Tips: Hiring and Training Employees
Restaurants and commercial kitchens have always been relatively high turnover work environments, making new employee recruiting and training a constant chore for management. A few basic procedures can help you maximize employee retention and reduce turnover, which in turn reduces costs and increases efficiency. Cast a wide net. When you have …
Read More »