STAFF: The Dos & Don'ts of Restaurant Staff Behavior Contracts
The restaurant industry needs good leadership ideas when it comes to managing and motivating employees. An operator in Lakeland, FL decided to set us back a few years with an absurd contract she introduced to her staff right after Christmas. Not only was it insulting, it was really strange in its form. However, that doesn’t mean she was totally off the mark in trying to convey her values to staff members.
SURVEY: Do Sports Bars Show Women's Sports?
According to a recent Nielsen report, 84% of sports fans are interested in watching women’s sports. But are sports bars taking advantage of that fandom? That’s what we’re hoping to find out in this short, three-question survey. Once we get the results, we’ll publish them in an infographic juxtaposed to the Nielsen results, along with additional tips for how operators and managers can identify and maximize the opportunities showing women’s sports on TV can bring them.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Run (Literally) on Dunkin’
For the second year in a row, Dunkin’ has teamed up with Saucony to release a special-edition Boston Marathon shoe. To be fair, calling it a “Boston Marathon shoe” is a bit of a stretch since the sneaker has just the Dunkin’ logo wrapped and wallpapered around the shoe. The running sneaks go for $120 and are available in men’s and women’s.
Happiest Countries in the World
Finland came out on top of the United Nation’s World Happiness Report and most of the top-10 countries are European. New Zealand and Canada are the only non-European nations to make it into the top 10 happiest countries with the United States only managing 19th.
The Fake Influencer
We’ve talked a lot about reaching out to social media influencers to help drum up some interest in your restaurant, but let this be a lesson on doing your due-diligence on choosing a legit influencer. A Manhattan data scientist created a bot that runs a successful Manhattan-themed Instagram account on its own but also automatically solicits meals from restaurants in exchange for posts. The account does have over 28K followers, so it’s not like those who sponsored through the account didn’t get eyes. But it does show that sometimes the influencer isn’t a person, but software.
OH, THE MADNESS AND ITS MARKETING
Why it matters to you: The NCAA Tournament is a great chance to amplify your marketing
Would it surprise you to know that the most lucrative postseason TV rights in all of sports is the NCAA men’s basketball tournament? The current deal with CBS and TBS averages $771 million annually and is slated to grow to $1.1 billion a year from 2025 – 2035. As it turns, out they got it cheap. Their annual revenue has grown every year, including 2018 when they raked in $1.32 billion in ad revenue. That covers their costs and rewards CBS handsomely for the investment. It should also come as no surprise that restaurants experience a significant sales boost during the tournament.
Independent and regional chain operators alike see an increase of 2.4% in sales during the tournament. Since many of these operators don’t even focus on sports, you can only imagine what the sales increase for sports bars looks like. So, don’t waste this golden opportunity every year to drive business to your restaurant with content for which you have already paid. CBS and TBS are standard programming options and that gives you 100% of the games live. It’s an annual event that you should be treating as a special marketing opportunity.
We have outlined myriad ways you can market specifically for the tournament, but you’ve got to make it a big deal for the run up to it. You can get started even today as the game are about to begin. Call a beer distributor and demand some schwag. Then give it away in exchange for an email address from any customer that wants to win a prize. Simple and free way to collect new emails for your list. It’s already hard enough to succeed in our business and that’s why we have to take any chances we are given to amplify your marketing.
[Source: Forbes & Restaurant Business Online]
STACKED IN THE GUEST’S FAVOR
Why it matters to you: How a highly customizable menu can lead to growth for your restaurant
It’s not often we can report on someone disrupting the full-service restaurant model, but highly customized menus may be that next innovation. The success of regional chain Stacked is an example of that disruption, which is a logical advancement from its explosion in fast casual. You need only look at operations like Chipotle or Mo’s Burritos to see how customization drives guest traffic and works well financially. Stacked plans on expansion out of California, to introduce their fully customizable menu. In fact, 90% of their guests make at least one modification from their basic dishes.
Sure they did a lot of experimenting to get their operations to execute well on customization. But that means you can do the same. Also visit one of these fast casual joints that is offering individual customization at scale. You will be amazed what you can glean for the cost of a burrito and an hour of your time.
The only difference in the fast casual is that part of the kitchen is exposed. Pick something that would be fun to offer as customizable. Or maybe try out the concept by creating a tasting appetizer where guests can choose the items that are in the mix. The key lesson here, is give the guest choice and they will repay you by making them at your place more often.
[Source: FSR Magazine]
