FOOD: Team-Themed Chicken Wing Recipes to Attract NHL Fans & Build Fan Loyalty
If your marketing program is putting all of its eggs in the Saturday/Sunday football basket then you’re likely missing out on a few market segments, including hockey fans. Having spent a number of years running some of Boston’s busiest sports bars, we can tell you that hockey fans are extremely loyal — not only to their favorite teams but also to an establishment that goes out of their way to make them feel special.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Top US Cities for Michelin Restaurants
The 2018 Michelin stars were announced for the U.S. last week, and San Francisco chef Dominique Crenn was the first woman in America to earn three Michelin Stars for her restaurant Atelier. For 2018, San Francisco has the highest share of 3-starred Michelin restaurants, while New York has the most overall Michelin restaurants.
Hooters Turns to Bundles
Hooters is looking for new and interesting ways of getting sports fans into their seats. Their new tactic is offering food bundles to fans who reserve a seat to watch UFC 231 at their locations. The bundles vary from 2-person to 6-person and include seats to watch the fights, chicken wins, chips & dip, and more. So, what are you offering fans to get them to visit you for the big events?
A Promotion Too Good to Pass Up
A man was arrested at a Virginia Cheesecake Factory after a promotion drew massive crowds. The restaurant celebrated their 40th anniversary by offering a free slice of their cheesecake to anyone who ordered delivery via Door Dash. Well it worked. A massive crowd of delivery drivers all arrived at the Cheesecake Factory to pick up their deliveries. Local police were called in to help bring order to the chaos and one man was arrested for disorderly conduct for refusing to leave the restaurant on police orders.
THE DEMISE OF TIPPING HAS BEEN GREATLY EXAGGERATED
Why it matters to you: The future of tipping rests on government policy change not restauranteurs.
The debate on the future of the tip-driven service model has been raging since 2015. You could say it started when Thad Vogler in San Francisco was the first to go tip free at his two restaurants, Agricole and Trou Normand. The experiment lasted less than a year before he abandoned it amid staff defections and negative guest responses. Vogler wasn’t alone. Danny Meyer, Tom Colicchio and David Chang all tried tip free and have returned to the traditional tipped model. It became clear that your most valued FoH staff members expected a certain compensation level and guests couldn’t reconcile the price increases and ordered less product. Concurrently, tipping makes the guest empowered to express their satisfaction (or lack thereof) in a way no-tipping denies.
The inherent racism of tipping’s origins and the sexism/classism it creates seem pretty anachronistic at this point, yet it survives. The conclusion from these various experiments is that tipping will continue, but some see a different path to change. Saru Jayaraman, co-founder and co-director of ROC United, contends that as long as there is a tip credit policy nationally, tipping with survive. When commenting on the current status Jayaraman said, “But it’s challenging to do that on your own without a policy change that requires everyone to be paid a full minimum wage.”
However, a first step toward that policy change was taken when the Consolidated Appropriations Act was passed in 2018 allowing operators to pool tips and split them with their front and back of the house employees. With eight states already mandating no separate minimum wage for servers and 12 more considering the same change, we actually may see the end of tipping. But it won’t be the lofty goals of restaurant operators that change them. Instead it will be trend toward fair wage policies nationally that finally sinks tipping for good.
[Source: GrubStreet]
CRISIS IS COMING! [Video]
Why it matters to you: Get ready for crisis or live with the consequences.
If we have learned anything from the last couple of years, crisis happens in our industry. Whether you are the most crisis prone chain ever (think Chipotle) or a well-respected corporate citizen like Starbuck’s, your staff can make errors or guests can bring controversy to your door. How you respond to it matters and that’s why this primer Tackling Restaurant Crisis Situations One Bit at a Time is a solid guide what to do in the face of some trauma. Not all of you can afford a professional public relations consultant but by following some simple steps you can approach any crisis like a seasoned pro.
The steps you take immediately after a crisis springs up are crucial to weathering the storm. The primed directs you to start by communication honestly and don’t wait to respond, stay ahead. Additionally, it warns you be prepared for confusion and doubt and work with local media to clarify whenever necessary. Finally monitor your social media and stay engaged to ensure your guests are confident you are taking action. Nobody wants to manage a crisis, but being ready when the moment arrives is just plain good process.
[Source: FSRMagazine]
