In recent years, businesses have discovered that how they’re perceived by internet users can make a big difference, not just in their online reputation, but also in their reputation as a whole. For restaurants in particular, online reviews and testimonials are a big part of that perception, and restaurant owners can certainly take steps to
Should Your Restaurant Participate in Food Festivals?
Whether it’s specifically food festivals or festivals that also features food, there are a lot of reasons for restaurants to participate: The potential to reach new customers – it’s sort of like opening a pop up restaurant, but one that pops up smack dab in the middle of a crowd! Festivals also allow you to
Spanish Language and Beyond: Bilingual Restaurant Marketing
According to the Census Bureau, over 60 million American residents over five years old speak a language other than English at home, as of 2015. In that same report, about 25 million residents put down that they consider their own English proficiency to be lower than “Very Well” on the Census’ scale. There’s a largely
Making the Most of Your Independent Restaurant Edge
When you’re a small, independent restaurant, it can be easy to feel discouraged. After all, if there are big franchises down every block, how can you compete? Especially in a year that’s seeing a 2 percent crunch on the number of independent restaurants in the market. The good news is that your restaurant’s status as
February/March Restaurant Marketing Ideas for Promotions
Valentine’s Day is, even in these rocky times for restaurants, the biggest day for dining out all year. While you’re focused on making sure customers choose your restaurant for the special holiday over your competitors, don’t lose sight of the other days worthy of marketing promotions that pack a punch. To help drive customer traffic
Building Brand Ambassadors: How to Connect with Online Foodies
It’s not quite the white whale of the restaurant business, but one of the trickier elements of running a successful restaurant in the 21st century is developing a following with online foodies. Many of these consumers write their own blogs, do freelance food reviews, or just have a strong following on different social media platforms.
Practical Magic: How to Navigate Your Restaurant’s Charitable Giving
Bell ringers. Kids going door to door. Countless envelopes arriving in the mail daily asking for your end of the year donations. Even customers and staff get in on the ask. They all want your charitable donation. They probably all represent excellent causes that deserve your support. But you can’t do it all, can you? With
What to Know About the LTO: Limited Time Offers in Restaurants
Whether you’re looking to shake things up at your restaurant or simply generate some extra profit for your bottom line, a smart (and often low-risk) opportunity is the classic LTO, or “limited time offer.” These are dishes that do not currently reside on your menu, that you can advertise as a special offering. Critical to
Sell Yourself: Building a Retail Product for Your Restaurant
Chi-Chi’s Salsa. Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs. College Inn Chicken Broth. Marie Callender’s Chicken Pot Pies. You’ve seen them all at your local grocery store, but did you know that each of these familiar products (and hundreds more) originated as extensions of their original brand, the full service restaurant? In some ways, building out a retail
Restaurant Marketing Strategies for Slow Times
The ability to turn a profit at any restaurant depends on one thing and one thing only: Filling seats. So when you have a full staff, a kitchen full of food, and no one in your dining room, it’s time to get creative. We have five restaurant marketing strategies that can fill in the gaps
