BUSINESS: What Does a New Professional Football League Mean to Sports Bars?
With two additional football leagues to challenge the NFL for viewer's attentions, what does The Alliance of American Football (AAF) mean for sports bar operators? Learn how sports bar marketing can benefit from The Alliance football games.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Facebook and Twitter Are Old News to Young People
Snapchat is the clear #1 for teens in the United States, with 45% of the 6,000 teenagers polled for PiperJaffray’s bi-annual “Taking Stock With Teens” survey naming it their favorite social platform. 26% of the teenage respondents called Instagram their favorite, while Facebook and Twitter are falling out of grace with the teen demographic. Something to keep in mind as you evolve your restaurant’s social media strategy.
Where Home Buyers Need Deep Pockets
For young people saving up to buy a home in major U.S. cities, the prospect of finally owning a house or apartment is becoming a very distant dream. A new report from Unison has found that it's becoming more costly than ever to purchase a home with large coastal cities hit the hardest. They gauged the extent of the problem by calculating the salary needed to purchase a home in major American cities. Prospective buyers will need the deepest pockets in New York where the average home would cost approximately $418,000, making it the least affordable city in the country.
The Contender Returns to Epix
Boxing reality series The Contender returns to TV, this time on Epix. It originally aired on NBC, ESPN and Versus. Epix is available on many content providers and carriers but not, alas, DirecTV. It’s basically Survivor but with hitting contestants repeatedly in the head. Sports bars that have access to this show should consider airing it as alternative content to your guests.
SO, WHY DO PEOPLE LEAVE REVIEWS?
Why it matters to you: A recent discussion on the Verge’s podcast raises the ever-important question.
The motive behind amateur restaurant reviews has long been debated. Do they long to be professional critics? Was their experience that bad/good? Are they trolling the business? Is it one of the owners or employees in disguise trying to boost their rating or a competitor trying to do the opposite? On the Verge’s podcast Why’d You Push That Button, the Yelp product manager of contributions, Brian Bosches, said that he believes that altruism is the main push to leave reviews. As in, the diner has gotten so much out of Yelp that they just want to give back to the rest of the community/they are champions for their communities and want everyone around them to have the same great experiences. Bosches also goes on to say that 80% of reviews left are three stars or better.
This sounds like he is drinking the Kool-Aid. He didn’t break down or cite any data; he works for Yelp and would surely be in trouble if he said anything negative publicly. We’ve previously reported our feelings on the company and its’ relationship to restaurants, so take everything with a grain of salt. This wouldn’t be the first time a large company twisted the facts in their favor…
FOOD COST LOOKING FAVORABLE
Why it matters to you: Food costs are looking stable which is great news for restaurant operators.
Food costs are looking stable across the board. Beef and pork are the main stories here as their costs can get pretty high; eggs, however, are costing at a near all-time high. Beef and pork are staying stable thanks to a high-level of supplies. Beef and pork prices should remain stable for some time. Chicken is a similar story. There is a major production capacity increase, so prices should stay in the current ballpark. We all know how drastically unstable chicken wing (or any protein) prices can affect a restaurant, so enjoy this while you can.
The good news is that this stability should be a factor in restaurants’ profits by making everything more predictable. When predictability is the case, the diner ultimately ends up winning too as establishments can run more offers and deals on menu items without gouging their bottom line. Stability is a comfort that restaurants are not usually afforded and, while everything else will remain unpredictable as always, at least their costs won’t for some time. Isn’t it great to hear good news for once?
