Friday, March 17, 2017

Today's Specials:

MARKETING: Does Your Website Match Your Restaurant?

Your restaurant's website is the digital version of your restaurant. So, your design reflects your restaurant digital branding -- right?

VIDEO: Who Raps Best: Gordon Ramsay vs. Julia Child?

Ever wonder who would win in a rap battle between Gordon Ramsay and Julia Child? Wonder no longer.

DID YOU KNOWS…

Snapchat Doesn’t Make the Grade

Marketers are all about social media marketing, but not all platforms are created equal. Between Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, Yahoo, AOL and YouTube, Snapchat only outperformed AOL in terms of ROI, scoring a 3.43 out of a possible 8 points. Ouch!

Dancing in the Streets

Ghost Street in Beijing might be known for its cuisine and parties, but did you know it’s also home to a dancing and chanting troupe of restaurant employees?

Sports TV Roundup

The National Lacrosse League has signed a contract with ad-based over the top service, Xumo. Under the contract, Xumo will provide access to NLL’s games & highlights, including the league’s new NLLL subscription network.

In related news, Fox Sports will be part of Fox’s new steaming app called Fox Now. The catch is you need to be an authenticated pay TV subscriber.

WHEN THE STAFF IS FIRED UP

Why it matters to you: the restaurant industry builds both character and discipline.

Every restaurant has experience disruptive kids every so often, just hope they don’t set anything on fire. A restaurant in Scotland experienced the worst-case-scenario when a group of 13-year old kids set a restaurant on fire. In response to the act of arson, the owner offered to… hire them. No really. He specified that the “youths” would get paid for an honest day’s work as kitchen cleaners because he believed shaping their future was more important than reprimanding them.

The restaurant industry is known to be rather resilient in response to challenges. In this case, the restaurant owner decided to take it upon himself to use the power of his industry to shape the perspective of a younger generation. “People are all too quick to say 'hang 'em high' rather than make a difference and help,” Bird said. “We can change their direction.”

DESIGN AND RESTAURANTS

Why it matters to you: You might unknowingly commit a faux pas!

Eating at a restaurant or bar is a complete sensory experience. From the lighting to the sounds and smells, even the feel of the guests’ seats all of these things combine to leave a lasting impression on a customer. It’s important to get it right. Modern Restaurant Management understands this and recently published an infographic created by lighting and furniture company Industville that highlights the elements of influencing guest psychology.

Anyone familiar with the marketing psychology behind McDonald’s knows that red, orange and yellow stimulate appetite, but did you know black diminishes appetite? Some other interesting tips that might help If your restaurant is small, apparently the smell of apple and cucumber make a room feel larger, but the smell of barbecue smoke can make a room feel even smaller. While having a great product can speak for itself, a great design and intriguing architecture can definitely lure new customers in for you to wow.

ARE YOU [ALCOHOL] FREE?

Why it matters to you: With no advanced alcohol-free offerings you might be leaving money on the table

We are sometimes a little obtuse in the restaurant industry. We hear the loudest calls from guests and focus on what we think are the most important things for service, but do we actually hear what our guests are asking after? A recent post on Eater.com by Joy Manning reflected on how underserved she feels as a diner that has chosen not to drink alcohol. While she references a few spots in her hometown of Philly that acknowledge her needs, she mostly laments the lack of alcohol-free options she finds as a restaurant critic in the City of Brotherly Love.

Her experience is not unique as we have reviewed her in the past. Soft beverage programs are smart business. Ensuring that any class of guest has a specialty beverage available to their liking is no less profitable that traditional mixology. The good news is, alcohol-free beverages are always upsells to more dollar profitable concoctions in lieu of a coffee or soda. We suggest you start by reading this piece we published previously that outlines why your soft-beverage program can be better. Then look at your menu and wee what you can do. Likely you won’t even need to bring in many new things to create a beverage experience that will be top notch for the non-drinker.