INFOGRAPHIC: A Look Into America’s Biggest Unofficial Holiday — Super Bowl Sunday
When Super Bowl LII is kicked off on Sunday, February 4, more than a hundred million Americans will be watching. Can Tom Brady carry his Patriots to yet another victory or will the Philadelphia Eagles finally get their hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy? As the following infographic nicely illustrates, it is not only the biggest game of the year, but also a, albeit unofficial, national holiday.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Will the FA Cup US Rights Go Streaming Only?
Something for our soccer-showing sports bar friends to watch. Fox’s US FA Cup rights expires after this year, and FA Cup is considering moving to streaming-only, which could include free options like Facebook or a subscription service like ESPN Plus. As we’ve been saying for years: steaming is the future.
Instagram Loves Black Wine
Black wine is all the rage on Instagram. While the concept sounds new, “Black wines” are some of the world’s oldest wine, made from ancient, dark red grapes. Here’s a little history on black wines. Are you serving it at your locations?
Margaritas Garnished with Real Eyeballs
Faro, a restaurant in Tasmania, is garnishing its black margarita with an ice-encased bull eyeball. Yummy. The eyeball isn’t meant to be consumed and, if anything, it’s a bit of incentive to down the margarita before the iced-over eyeball melts. It’s also screaming to become an Instagram sensation. Check the drink out here.
FUNIONS ANYONE?
Why it matters to you: Your guests care about GMOs; you should too.
Generally, when you hear someone reference their feelings on GMOs, they are accompanied by a panoply of reasons, few of which are based in the truth. In fact, the whole conversation about GMOs is incomplete if you don’t also include other forms of genetic manipulation. They are crossbreeding, GMOs, and gene-edited crops. The distinctions are important.
For example, a new tear-less onion is being introduced called the sunion. This is the effort by farmers to breed out the traits of a plant that make it spoil faster, brown more quickly, or in the case of the sunion, cause you to cry. If you remember your freshmen biology, then you will recall this is the same process used by Gregor Mendel, the father of all modern genetics.
There is near universal distrust of GMOs, but what most people aren’t aware of is that peer reviewed science has also nearly universally proven it’s harmless. Without GMOs and other forms of genetic manipulation, we wouldn’t be able to feed millions of people that now don’t go hungry. We appreciate that your guest’s opinions rule as to whether you will opt for GMO or genetic manipulated vegetables and lab grown meat, but you should at least be informed yourself. This way, if you do employ a designed food, you can explain it and will understand why there is good in doing so.
DELIVER US FROM SOBER
Why it matters to you: Restaurants are boosting sales through small scale alcohol delivery with purchase of food.
Although still in the early stages since its conception, alcohol delivery has been making a definite difference for brands that given it a run, restaurants like Pizza Hut or Buffalo Wild Wings. Think of it: the idea of being able to order a cold six-pack with your buffalo wings or pizzas for you and your friends (or just you) sounds ideal! Who wouldn’t want to throw in a few beers with their order? Well the early word is that most people are enjoying and taking advantage of this. As a result, restaurant check averages have been increasing by $10 with companies with alcohol delivery. They have also noticed that about 60% of the alcohol they sell at this point is from delivery orders. Doesn’t sound like a bad option, eh?
With these delivery programs you can set a flat price for comparably priced domestic beers which can make up for 3rd party apps cutting into profits and dwindling sales -- if it’s done right. This idea is still so new it can be a way to set apart your restaurant from the masses before alcohol delivery becomes the norm (if it’s allowed in your area).
Say you own one of three Chinese food restaurants in a town of comparable price points and menus. What if yours also offered the option of beer or wine with delivery? With so much fierce competition these days and the fact that it is proven to boost check totals, why not add it?
