18 Marketing Ideas to Bring More Customers to Your Restaurant

18 Marketing Ideas to Bring More Customers to Your Restaurant

by | Oct 19, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

With sales on the rise, restaurants are expecting to see an influx in business. To make sure some of those customers visit your restaurant, you’ll need to hone your marketing skills. Advertising isn’t always cheap, so here are some inexpensive marketing ideas to use instead.

1. Sponsor a local team

There’s a lot you can do on the local level to get word out about your restaurant. To start, consider sponsoring a local team, whether it’s adult volleyball or kid’s hockey. The team could be named after your business or, if they’re already established, your logo could be added to their uniforms and equipment.

Not only will this increase exposure, but you’ll also be supporting your community. And if you’re really crafty, make sure to offer drink specials or happy hour on the day of the week they play so they’ll celebrate their wins with you after the game.

2. Join the local Chamber of Commerce

Pretty much every community has a chamber of commerce that promotes local businesses. Joining it will expand your network as well as open the doors for catering or hosting chamber events.

If your restaurant has just opened its doors, a grand opening is a great way to generate publicity.

3. Donate to charities

With a little searching, you’ll find local charities that might be willing to team up with your restaurant. You could provide food for the organization’s events or schedule your employees to volunteer. If that’s too big of a commitment, donating to smaller fundraisers accomplishes the same end.

4. Have a grand opening

If your restaurant has just opened its doors, a grand opening is a great way to generate publicity. You might offer some sort of special, like a deal on a sampler dish, to encourage visitors to try several foods.

5. Host a holiday party

Make plans to decorate and host a dinner party during an upcoming holiday or event. You can even create a theme centered on local culture or a popular television show just for the fun of it.

Occasionally bringing in local musical talent is a surefire way to entertain your customers.

6. Hold a customer appreciation dinner

This will get the message across that you appreciate the support of your guests. Again, try offering deals on various foods and drinks.

7. Offer live music

Everyone loves dinner and a show. Occasionally bringing in local musical talent is a surefire way to entertain your customers. Include the community by asking them to vote for the next performer on your social media pages.

8. Twitter

Twitter is a good platform for those who are new to social media advertising. It offers ad options that are simple to understand, and users can select a target audience and budget that works for them.

9. Facebook

Facebook ads also allow users to set a target audience and budget, but they can seem a bit more complicated because there are more options to choose from. So designate someone who understands social media marketing to put together some ads for a particular demographic.

Write up a press release and send it to local media whenever you’re hosting an event or teaming up with another organization.

10. Email marketing

You may feel like you’d be spamming your customers this way, but don’t underestimate its reach. Collect emails wherever you can on a sign-up sheet or through your website. The emails can be discounts on specific items and holiday deals, and they can also include invitations to events where you’ll be catering or hosting.

11. Yelp

This is a popular online directory for restaurants because of its review system. It provides potential customers with business information as well as offer a venue to leave reviews and feedback.

12. Restavista

Restavista is a directory that allows customers to find restaurants in the area based on their specific needs, whether its dietary or they just have a craving for a specific food.

13. Foursquare

This is kind of like the “check-in” option on Facebook. By having an account, your guests can check-in while they eat. This info is shared with their connections and extends exposure to those who otherwise would be unaware of your establishment.

By establishing your social media presence on social media channels, you help your business get a better online exposition and spread the word about your restaurant among users.

14. Whitepages

Yes, these still exist. Having a Whitepages account offers information about your restaurant, but there’s no rating or review option. Think of it as an electronic phone book listing that people can access it from their mobile devices.

15. Write a press release

Write up a press release and send it to local media whenever you’re hosting an event or teaming up with another organization. Make sure it’s sent directly to the reporter or their assignment editor so it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.

16. Sign up for HARO

“Help a Reporter Out” is a way to get media attention outside your community. Those who sign up receive daily emails on upcoming news stories that need sources. When one pops up that’s relevant to your restaurant, contact the reporter. It may lead to an interview that will increase exposure for your business.

17. Contact reporters with your opinions

Reporters often search for local angles on a story. If, for example, the city is changing liquor license requirements and you have an opinion about its impact on the restaurant sector, reach out to local media and tell them what you think. Who knows – you just might land the lead story.

18. Get found on Google

Last, but not least, make sure your business address is set up correctly on Google. You will need to create or claim your Google for Business Page. Make sure ALL the information is filled out wherever you can, including phone number and website. Test to make sure your restaurant shows up by searching for it in Google Maps or Waze on your phone.

Happy Marketing!

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How to Take Pictures of Food for Your Restaurant Portfolio

How to Take Pictures of Food for Your Restaurant Portfolio

by | Oct 14, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

There are four basic elements of a great food photo: lighting, composition, styling, and equipment. Once you’ve got a handle on these basics, drool-worthy food photos are a mere snap away! Let’s talk about how to take pictures of food for your restaurant portfolio.

Lighting 

Lighting will make or break your shot. It is the single most important photography element there is. But don’t worry if you don’t have a studio full of lighting equipment. Natural daylight can make your food look phenomenal when manipulated correctly.

Stay away from direct sunlight! It might seem like a good idea at the time, but it will be harsh, flattening, and can create shadows that distract from the food. Your goal is to shoot in a shady spot on a sunny day. This will allow the bright color to shine and texture will be more discernible in subtle shadows.

The prep work will enable you to find the best time and position to set up your actual food shoot.

Spend a few days looking at different locations in your restaurant throughout the day. Take a plate of food with you and look at it through your camera in different spots at different times of the day. This prep work will enable you to find the best time and position to set up your actual food shoot. Near a window is usually a good bet. (Tip: hang a white sheet over the sun-filled window to diffuse the light and create ‘shade.’)

Composition

As chefs, you know the old adage, “you eat with your eyes.” Never has it been more true than with food photography. These pictures have no heavenly aroma, and the ambiance of your restaurant can’t help you. They have to tell the complete story for you. The composition is not just plating, though that’s a huge part of it. It includes everything in the shot including the backdrop, plate, utensils – everything. Even including just food on a white plate is a stylistic composition choice.

The composition is not just plating – it’s everything in the shot including the backdrop, plates and utensils.

The ‘rule of thirds’ is a helpful one here. Imagine your framed shot is divided into nine squares – like a tic-tac-toe grid or sudoku. Now the main subject of your photo should sit on one of the grid lines, not in the squares themselves. This gives the image a dynamic feel. The main subject could be many things, your chef, the meat on the plate, the cheese bubble on French onion soup, the sugar flower on a cake, or the plate on a tablescape. This works for things big and small. If your shot is Thanksgiving, the turkey would be on a grid line. If your shot is the turkey, the crispiest, most delicious piece of skin would be on the grid line.

Styling

The devil is in the details, but so is the fun! Now’s the time to think about plates, silverware, and tablecloths. Do you wrap sandwiches in wax paper? Serve pie with printed napkins? This is a way to tell the story of your restaurant and chefs along side the story of your food. Colorful food can benefit from simple or highly contrasting props. What fits best with your restaurant’s style? Very brown food (think stew or chili) benefits from patterned props, but be careful not to distract from the subject.

Active moments are a great way to break up a static photo gallery and inspire the viewer to imagine them holding that spoon.

Food sitting flat? Get a model! Maybe a scoop of mac and cheese on a silver spoon held aloft looks more appetizing than the bowl. Take a bit out of a sandwich and photograph a spoon cracking a crème brûlée. Active moments are a great way to break up a static photo gallery and inspire the viewer to imagine them holding that spoon!

Equipment

How much equipment do you really need? With the right lighting, an iPhone or similar phone can absolutely take a fantastic photo. And maybe that works for you right now. There’s nothing wrong with that! But, if you’re ready to step up to some real photography equipment, these are good places to start.

  • Clip Lights – found at most hardware stores. Can act as back-up to a main light source (“fill”) or be the sun for you on a rainy day. Hang up a white sheet to diffuse it or use a big piece of white poster board to reflect the light onto your subject.
  • Tripod – Manfrotto makes great tripods for those starting out. But for an even cheaper option, AmazonBasics offers a couple of different models.
  • Editing Software – Polish up your photos before you send them out in the world! Photoshop is an obvious choice. But there are more options out there. Canva is a great design platform for those who don’t like to spend too much time editing pictures but still want to have pretty images.

Hopefully, this has inspired you to step up your food photo game. Make sure to share them on social media as well as your website to get the most bang for your shot.

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Not Every Food Establishment Should Offer Craft Cocktails

Not Every Food Establishment Should Offer Craft Cocktails

by | Aug 12, 2016 | IndiNews

The craft cocktail event horizon has long passed. The truth is that craft cocktails are no longer a new thing. We’ve reached a point where customers expect virtually every restaurant and bar to understand their obligation for offering the drinks, even if it isn’t their main selling point. And that’s a problem. Creating a craft cocktail list and keeping up with it night after night is far trickier than many people think.

Part of the issue lies in the fact that mixing a drink and doing it well is a complicated process. This especially rings true when the server is trying to throw together a dozen different concoctions in just a few minutes to keep bar goers happy. The number of bartenders who can juggle all that at once is blatantly insufficient for the demand.

The truth is that craft cocktails are no longer a new thing.

In addition, numerous establishments that have attempted to implement an ambitious cocktail menu in the past are ultimately forced to return to offering their regular drinks. It’s unrealistic to assume that every 20-something with a few months of hospitality experience can be taught how to make a proper craft cocktail.

More so than execution, however, what trips up restaurants and bars the most is the planning. Given the wide variety of craft cocktails that already exist, it stands to reason that there are literally billions of potential combinations for various ingredients. So it should come as no surprise that many of those cocktails taste quite terrible. Because of this, there are actually fewer combination possibilities that are worth exploring. To top it off, the majority of the great cocktails have already been created and named.

That doesn’t mean an establishment should not experiment and see what they can come up with. Just because most have been done, what’s to say the next great cocktail invention isn’t right around the corner? Restaurants and bars would have a far smaller drink lineup without that experimentation. At the same time, it also doesn’t mean that every business should be trying to create something patrons have never seen before.

The reality is that an increasing number of customers are demanding what used to be a novelty everywhere they go, and it doesn’t matter where they are.

Not all restaurants should attempt to reinvent the wheel when exploring its food options. The same holds true with bars and the drinks they offer.

Despite all of this, the reality is that an increasing number of customers are demanding what used to be a novelty everywhere they go, and it doesn’t matter where they are. Whiskey drinkers are no longer content to stick with a well-made Manhattan. Even diners at Asian restaurants are asking to see a craft cocktail menu, even if the establishment doesn’t have one.

That’s taking it a bit too far.

The unfair assumption that craft cocktails are served anywhere drinks are available damages everyone in the hospitality business. Restaurants and bars can’t please those customers who demand they comply with their unreasonable expectations. Patrons may not be able to guess whether or not a specialty cocktail will actually taste any good. And genuine craft cocktail bars are forced to watch their products become lost in the shuffle.

When someone wants to try something exotic, they will make it a point to find a bar that already has a creative drink on their menu.

Everyone loves to try a creative food or drink once in a while when they go out to eat. But most of us are reasonable enough not to expect every pizza place to have its own unique topping combination. Many people would balk if a restaurant tried something creative with fried chicken. So why should cocktails be any different?

Not all establishments should feel the need to give in to the pressure of coming up with something new – because truth be told, classic combinations are perfectly fine just as they are for the majority of the population most of the time. When someone wants to try something exotic, they will make it a point to find a bar that already has a creative drink on their menu. Let them have their moment, and they’ll return soon enough.

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Creative Ways to Deliver the Restaurant Check

Creative Ways to Deliver the Restaurant Check

by | Jul 18, 2016 | IndiNews

Usually, one of the least enjoyable parts of going out to eat is paying the bill. With all of the creative ways you work to “wow” your customers, from signage to social media to redesigned spaces, what are you doing to impress guests at the close of their meal? The Restaurant Hospitality magazine talked to a few operators who are thinking outside of the traditional check presenter.

Geraldine’s, on the fourth floor of the Hotel Van Zandt, in Austin, TX, delivers its checks inside vintage books that highlight Texas history and Austin Music. Geraldine’s Director of Food & Beverage, Tobias Peach, says, “Guests love it and often comment on the books being a charming surprise at the end of their meal.”

The notebooks started as just a fun and easy presenter, but soon guests were writing mini reviews, notes to servers and chefs, and it just kind of took off.

At Honey Salt in Las Vegas, owner and founder Elizabeth Blau says that when Honey Salt first opened, they were looking for new ways to connect with friends and guests and chose notebooks as check presenters.

“The notebooks started as just a fun and easy presenter, but soon guests were writing mini reviews, notes to servers and chefs, and it just kind of took off,” says Blau. “We have a whole cabinet of them in the office, and sometimes it’s great to flip through and be able to relive the stories of the restaurant. I much prefer them to reading Yelp reviews.”

Digital bill folder made our table servers more efficient, and as a result, we’re able to turn tables more quickly.

Emory’s on Silver Lake in Everett, WA, uses a digital bill folder to cleverly disguise a high-tech RAIL payment terminal inside the otherwise normal looking check presenter. G.M. Robert Frost says the main reason they made the switch was for customer card security.

“We didn’t want to be the restaurant that had a customer’s card information breached,” he says. “The system has helped us from both a labor standpoint and from an efficiency standpoint. It’s made our table servers more efficient, and as a result, we’re able to turn tables more quickly.”

The ones who go on Yelp are either angry or love it; in Saylii we see many happy or neutral customers.

Several restaurants in San Francisco are testing a new app called Saylii, which asks customers to share their experience via writing, voice recording or video at the time of check payment, according to Saylii CEO Esther Kuperman.

“We’re seeing that the restaurants are getting reviews from people who generally never post reviews,” says Kuperman. “Usually, the ones who go on Yelp are either angry or love it; here we see many happy or neutral customers.”

More check delivery ideas

  • Utilize branded wooden clipboards and attach postcards showcasing local artists or upcoming events at the restaurant.
  • Use an item that represents your brand, such as a miniature pizza paddle, a mason jar, or a coffee cup to deliver the check.
  • Attach the check to a personalized photo album that highlights the buildout—or history—of your restaurant.

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How to Create a Unique Restaurant Concept

How to Create a Unique Restaurant Concept

by | Jul 15, 2016 | Business Toolkit, Management

A good concept is vital for marketing a new restaurant. Given that there are over a million restaurants in the United States alone, it may seem impossible to find a unique, appealing new niche. The fact is, with enough creativity and passion, you can come up with a restaurant concept that is fresh and exciting. Whether you are in the brainstorming stage of your new business, or you are in the process of re-branding your current restaurant, follow these tips to create a winning restaurant concept.

Be a visionary

The first step in creating a unique concept is thorough brainstorming. Use open-ended questions that allow you to ponder ideas without restrictions. Take note of all the crazy and random thoughts that come to mind. Let yourself have fun with it. Once you have a long list of ideas, you are ready to mix and match them.

Create a scrapbook of notes and images. When you see an appealing design or art concept, take a picture and save it on your phone. As you go through the day, ideas will pop into your head. Whenever this happens, jot it down on paper or in a note app on your phone. At the end of the day, gather everything together into a folder and use it to fuel your next brainstorming session.

When you see an appealing design or art concept, take a picture and save it on your phone.

As you consider ideas, they will spawn other, even more interesting ones. After enough brainstorming, you will be able to pick out some shining nuggets and discard most of the lackluster ideas. Once you have a few great ideas, you are ready to put more practical thinking to work in order to narrow them down based on how unique and inspiring they are, along with their viability from a business and marketing perspective.

Also, be patient. Great ideas don’t happen overnight. Do research. Study the market and examine the trends. Take long walks and let your imagination wander. If that eureka moment doesn’t happen, take a night or two to sleep on it and you will have a fresh perspective and new ideas the next day.

Draw inspiration from others

Isaac Newton, the inventor of calculus and physics, famously said: “If I’ve seen further (than others) it was only by standing on the shoulders of giants.” This idea holds true for great restaurateurs as much as for scientists.

If I’ve seen further, it was only by standing on the shoulders of giants – Isaac Newton

The greatest ideas have been inspired by the genius of others. If your solitary brainstorming session doesn’t yield a true gem, why not look toward some of the most intriguing concepts that are out there and put your own personal twist on it? Also, a lot of the most successful restaurants took old ideas and just improved upon them.

Mix and match ideas

Think about all the most memorable experiences you’ve had in restaurants you’ve visited. One may have had delightfully eccentric menu items, and another may have had a fun and unique design concept. Maybe you had great service that felt genuine and down-to-earth while still exuding professionalism. Take all the best experiences you’ve had and combine them into one “dream team” concept for a winning restaurant.

Take all the best experiences you’ve had and combine them into one “dream team” concept for a winning restaurant.

On the other hand, you may have been to a place that was excellent, except for one blaring flaw. This means the market is in need of someone (you) to come along and do it right.kkl

Create a fantasy league of extraordinary chefs

When developing a great unique menu, imagine you could gather together all the world-renowned chefs you’ve admired over the years. Research and learn more about these icons.

You may be surprised at the ingenious ideas you come up with.

Think about what menu they might devise if they collaborated with each other, or what new fusion of world cuisines they might invent. You may be surprised at the ingenious ideas you come up with by doing an exercise like this, and it is bound to be fun as well.

Some important things to consider when making a final choice are: Would you be thrilled to dine at this restaurant? Is there a restaurant that you wish there were more of? Also, even if your concept is not completely new, if you are inspired by the idea it will have your individual flair that can’t be reproduced anywhere else. If you are passionate about your idea, the energy will be passed on to your staff and the customers will know they are in an exceptional restaurant.

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