MARKETING: The #1 Question You Need to Answer Before Attracting New Customers [Presented by Bar Restaurant Success]
There's one key reason why so many bar and restaurant owners marketing dollars are wasted and it's due to the messaging behind their marketing. What 90% or more do is pretty much just shout their specials and prices. Yes, there's a time and place for that, but not when you're spending money on advertising because this strategy doesn't work anymore. So, check out this video for what you have to know to attract new guests.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Sonic’s Spicy Slush
Last year, Sonic released a pickle juice slush. This year, they’re turning up the heat. As part of their Mocktail Slushes series, Sonic has released a Reaper Margarita Slush made with Carolina Reapers, one of the hottest chilies in the world. Carolina Reapers have a potency of more than 2 million Scoville heat units, 250x hotter than a jalapeno. The drink’s sugar cuts it down a bit, but reports are it still packs a massive wallop. What’s your frozen drink program looking like?
Biggest US Problems
According to the 2019 Disinformation in Society Report, published by the Institute for Public Relations, misinformation and disinformation, the difference being that the latter is deliberately misleading or biased, are both seen as major problems by the majority of Americans. 65% and 63% of the respondents considered the (deliberate) spreading of false information as a major problem for their country, putting the issue ahead of the economy, racial discrimination and illegal immigration on people’s minds.
PBR Coffee
Everyone’s favorite hipster beer, Pabst Blue Ribbon, has debuted a hard coffee and it reportedly tastes like Yoo-Hoo “with a bit of booze.” The canned beverage, called Pabst Hard Coffee, has a coffee-and-cream-colored label that reads, “the original Pasbt Blue Ribbon Hard Iced Coffee with a dash of milk. This java brew balances a rich creamy blend with whipped vanilla flavor.” But is it any good? Well, depends on if you loved Yoo-Hoo has a kid or not.
PLEASE PASS THE FEEDBACK
Why it matters to you: Without guest feedback, how will you ever know what’s really happening with service in your restaurant?
Feedback is one of those words that can send a shiver down your spine. While it often times comes in the form bone-crushing of criticism, it’s time we all were more accepting of it. We can all be reminded that quality insight from guests isn’t always easy to obtain, albeit, plenty of folks are ready to share theirs with you. In the case of restaurant operations, guest feedback alone can be the difference between launching a new menu that guest’s love and dealing with the disappointment of guest’s who lost items they craved from your old menu. This post on Modern Restaurant Management outlines the specific and several types of feedback you need to collect in order to gain value from your guest’s contribution.
For example, consider feedback on the performance of your staff. You are there for a tiny fraction of the interactions your service staff has with guests. Consequently, the only people capable of giving you feedback on the quality of your servers, bartenders, and hosts is the guest. To gain access to guest opinions you will need to incentivize both staff and guests to get it done. So, whether you put out guest feedback forms with your check presenters or incentivize guests through your loyalty efforts, assessing the opinions of your guests is your only way of knowing for sure how your team’s service is. Feedback doesn’t end with your menu or service performance, but is the beginning of building a healthy business that is both responsive and respectful to guest’s impressions.
[Source: Modern Restaurant Management]
YOU HAD A BAD DAY
Why it matters to you: GrubHub is under fire from all sides and here’s what it means for delivery in general.
If they aren’t fending off a class action suit regarding the way they collect fees, they are being forced to sit with municipal authorities and justify their business practices. For GrubHub, it’s been a rough few weeks. The most recent issue is a system whereby GrubHub bought restaurant name specific URLs and created microsites for clients without the client’s full consent. We say “full consent” because the right to do so is listed in the Terms of Service, however a bit obscurely according to some clients. This story reinforces a couple of lessons we can all gain from by heeding. First and foremost, read the fine print. With technology taking over the restaurant industry, we are increasingly faced with understanding complicated contracts that will allow a company you contract with significant power over your business.
That isn’t to say that companies are intentionally deceiving customer, just that it’s incumbent on you to be informed about what you are signing. GrubHub claims to have abandoned the system whereby they created microsites in the name of clients and vociferously denies any wrong doing. However, if there was no legal or ethical issue with their terms of service, then why did they abandon the part that allows them to create a website in the name of a client? Either way, the central takeaway here is don’t be a victim. Read your contracts and don’t let a technology partner try to distract you from protecting the integrity of your own business.
[Source: Eater]
