MARKETING: How to Make Your Restaurant the Most Popular in the City
It’s not always easy to juggle everything as a restaurant operator. Having great chefs and amazing interiors isn’t always enough to self-promote your business. You need to ensure that thousands of people get to know about your restaurant and its specialties in other ways. So how do you manage to do this? Here are effective ways on how to make your restaurant is the most popular in the city.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Beer Flavored Beer
Last month, Anheuser-Busch claimed that it introduced sour beer to the US (*rolls eyes*). The internet did what it does best and roasted the company for the claim. Also in response was Wiley Roots Brewing, which announced that it has made a “Beer Flavored Beer” along with an image parodying A-B’s Budweiser can.
Best a Man Can Get?
We often talk about the Purpose Economy and what your restaurant’s purpose is (outside of making a profit). Gillette, the men’s razor company, is showing how to do it beautifully with their new ad challenging men to shave their toxic masculinity and build a better world. It’s an emotional take on their tagline “Best a Man Can Get” and we applaud them for their message, drive, and execution.
Longest Shutdown in History
The current U.S. government shutdown is entering its 23rd day and on Saturday it set a new record for the longest shutdown in U.S. history. It all started when President Trump refused to approve a budget unless it included $5.7 billion to fund a wall along the border with Mexico, one of his key pledges on the campaign trail. Democrats are bitterly opposed to his plan and they claim it would not solve the country's immigration issues. The U.S. has had plenty of shutdowns since the mid-1970s and previously, the longest one on record occurred between the end of 1995 and start of 1996 under President Clinton.
SHUTTING DOWN
Why it matters to you: The government shutdown will eventually be a problem for restaurants too.
So, this government shutdown continues. Presumably, the argument is over immigration, specifically from our southern border. As restaurant operators, we know a lot about the presence of undocumented immigrants in our communities and workforce. Most of the operators I know have employed immigrants without legal status at some point. Universally, they report that these folks were anything but a threat and instead would describe their hard work and perseverance. Yes, most restaurant operators support keeping ALL of our borders safe, but they can’t understand why this fight is being waged. Both sides are being impossible and with no end in sight, this could start seriously impacting our industry.
How, you ask? Let’s start with the inspection and enforcement activities undertaken by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The irony is that a tiny portion of our food supply is actually inspected. But by eliminating it completely, we could see further supply chain disruptions from food borne illness or even disrupt your supply chain if product is delayed due to no inspectors. And the problems don’t end with the FDA. Transportation is regulated by various agencies and we could see other disruptions if our supply chain movement is impeded. The fact is, none of us can understand how they can just shut down 30% of their business and not expect serious consequences. Only time will tell what those consequences are for this silly shutdown.
V IS FOR VENDOR
Why it matters to you: Know what makes a vendor good at their job.
Managing vendors is a core competency for restaurant operators. The folks that sell you the stuff you need to operate come in a variety of forms. Some are polished professionals that appear to understand your business and come with answers. Others are small product producers that have a story to tell and find creative ways to share it. Yet, some others totally don’t have a clue about your business, its needs, and their role in fulfilling. One would hope that most of your vendors are of the former variety and not wasting your time every time they visit your location, but is there an easy way to differentiate between a great vendor partner and someone who believes they are doing you a favor by calling your restaurant?
While, there is no simple test to determine a vendors quality, this interesting blog on Nightclub and Bar’s website does offer insight into what great vendor behavior looks like. The blog specifically enumerates four ways a vendor can stand out to their clients. It’s simple enough to reverse engineer and compare what your vendors are doing to these basic approaches. Things like meeting regularly with clients to determine their needs and follow up on their service performance are sure signs your vendor takes you seriously. Additionally, the blog suggests “being of the industry”, which translates into being authentic. By attempting to show empathy for the difficulties facing their clients, good vendors support good operators. It’s your job to find those great vendors just as you look for great staff. The better your supply team the better your supplies.
[Source: Nightclub & Bar]
