Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Today's Specials:
PODCAST: “Have a Plan and Go For It.”
“Have a plan and go for it,” are words of wisdom. Do your research first, yes, but then go all-in on pursuing your passion. Allison Arevalo and Erin Wage of Homeroom Mac + Cheese hop on the Restaurant Unstoppable podcast to talk about inspiration in the restaurant industry.
WATCH: Are Mobile Payment Services the Future of Restaurants?
Learn more about the benefits and drawbacks of mobile payment, and the three main mobile payment services in the market today... all in under a minute
DID YOU KNOWS…
Landry’s Loses BIG!
Landry’s Downtown Aquarium and Aquarium Restaurant lost a defamation lawsuit in which they sued animal rights activists for calling the company out for the treatment of their white tigers. White tigers? Damn. The coolest animal we’ve ever run into at a restaurant is a feral cat. Anyways, the lawsuit was thrown out and Landry’s owes the activists $170,000 for the trouble.
VIDEO: Melee at City Island Restaurant
About 40 people threw down in a massive brawl at a Bronx restaurant over the weekend. The fight included chairs being tossed across the room and used as defensive parrying objects. The melee was over by the time cops arrived but, fortunately, someone caught the mayhem on their smartphone.
Does Your Staff Speak this “Unspoken Restaurant Language?”
Cool little infographic from Metro Tables, showing the unspoken language between restaurant guests and servers. Does your staff know ‘em? Do your guests?
Hey #NYC #foodies, are you aware of the "Unspoken Restaurant Language"? If not, here it is... pic.twitter.com/xgWFp7ObvJ
— MetroTables (@MetroTables) February 20, 2017
THE DEVIL’S IN THE DETAILS
Why it matters to you: Impressions begin before guests even eat your food.
More and more, establishments are focusing on the guest experience. And they should be. Our industry is struggling. Let’s face it; we’re all in a fight against each other to win guests money and patronage. This article from the foodable network outlines some of the things that you might be overlooking when examining the guest experience. Think about your own experiences eating out. Everything from the parking lot to the entrance of your building will leave a lasting impression on your guests.
Food, beverage and customer service are all still important, but have you thought about landscaping or the ambiance of the building your establishment is in? When was the last time you looked at your bar or restaurant through a guest’s eyes? Doing walkthroughs from sidewalk to dining room and back will allow you to literally see what your guests see. A little empathy can go a long way in creating and improving the service you provide.
CAFES KILLING THEIR WIFI
Why it matters to you: Establishments are looking to build community and customer relationships by not offering wifi.
We’ve all heard the question before, “what’s your Wi-Fi password?” Pretty soon you get so tired of repeating the password that you just post it in the restaurant. Cafes in Chicago have seen a common trend where many small establishments are no longer offering wifi as a means to encourage customer conversation. Café owners are trying to create an environment where people can “unplug” and spark natural conversations as a means of reinventing interpersonal communication.
This bold move could either help business growth or drastically detract their typical “work-from-home” customers. According to a Reuters poll, about one in five people around the world works from home, which includes an estimated three million Americans. While these wifi-free cafes have positive intentions such as building a community, the general population may not be ready for the switch.
WINNING THE OLD FASHIONED WAY BY “EARNING IT” [Video]
Why it matters to you: Guests are loyal based on price, taste and service, not necessarily rewards
We do prattle on about technology in our business and how valuable it is to your success. One bit of tech that seems to defy our logic is the arena of loyalty programs. Sure, guests are engaging more and more with restaurants via mobile apps that provide ordering and delivery services, but loyalty programs have not really kept pace. The irony is that 65% of consumers report being a part of a loyalty program even if they aren’t engaging with it.
The sad truth is that loyalty is won not bought. This is best proven by the fact that consumers point to factors like taste, service and price and not loyalty initiatives for their brand affinity. We have heard this message recently from several big names CEOs, specifically Outback and Red Robin’s. The focus is shifting away from discounting and towards the experience. If you focus on the basics of giving great service and food, guests will be loyal, no discounts needed.
