The Restaurant People e-Zine

Get your Oscar by making sure you read those important points

A few facts might explain it all and give a light on what patrons seek:

• $1.6 billion: Restaurant-industry sales on a typical day in 2010.
• $2,698: Average household expenditure for food away from home in 2008.
• 40 percent of adults agree that purchasing meals from restaurants and take-out and delivery places makes them more productive in their day-to-day life.
• 73 percent of adults say they try to eat healthier now at restaurants than they did two years ago.
• 57 percent of adults say they are likely to make a restaurant choice based on how much a restaurant supports charitable activities and the local community.
• 78 percent of adults say they would like to receive restaurant gift cards or certificates on gift occasions.
• 52 percent of adults say they would be more likely to patronize a restaurant if it offered a customer loyalty and reward program.
• 57 percent of adults say they are likely to make a restaurant choice based on how much a restaurant supports charitable activities and the local community.
• 56 percent of adults say they are more likely to visit a restaurant that offers food grown or raised in an organic or environmentally friendly way.
• 78 percent of adults agree that going out to a restaurant with family or friends gives them an opportunity to socialize and is a better way to make use of their leisure time than cooking and cleaning up.

Report: According to the National Restaurant Association

Mark the manager and Jeanette

The Chaya Brasserie has kept a steady business all the way through the down economy.  Mark  claims that good food and great service will always prevail regardless of what happens in the world. “Too many people are ready to blame others for their failures.”

Chaya Brasserie — 110 Navy Street, Venice, CA 90293, USA –  Phone: (310) 396-1179

Lunch is not to make money, it should pay for expenses; leaving dinner for profit. Here are a few ways to attract guests for lunch. Speed is primordial, create a lunch menu that do not require too many cooks on the line and the prep. Get most of items such as salads, sandwiches prepared to the max, ready to go. When the orders comes in, you should be able to deliver the food within five to ten minutes top. Check every steps involved to cut the time to the max (remember speed made McDonald, do not reinvent the wheel, copy the winners.)

Offer an extended “Happy Hour. ” Usual time for “Happy Hour” is 5 to 7pm, make yours 3 to 8pm. Instead of creating new dishes, set prices for certain items from your menu 20% less or even more. Increase the price of discounted items through the day (eg. appetizers for $2.50 at 3pm $3.50 at 5pm and regular price at 7.30pm) — promote the low prices to fill the dining room earlier.

How to build a data base

Importance:

In today economy it is even more critical to stay in touch with your guests. The WOM (Word of Mouth) doesn’t work — It takes too long and guests when crossing your threshold on their way to their car have already forgotten about you.

Various ways to stay in touch:

• Snail-mail (post-cards are the most cost effective way: Less than $0.50 per card – printed and delivered). Effectiveness (when using a bought list: 0.01% — when using your customers data base 15%) If you use a cartoon instead of picture the ratio increase to 9% and 21% respectively.
• Print advertising: This is the least effective way to reach potential guests, since people nee to see an add nine times before they react. With the average cost of $250 for a small add you cost is way too ineffective.
• Radio — If you can make a deal with a local radio (exchange meals vs. advertising) You can reach some of your market. The problem with radio is the coverage being too vast; 90% of your message goes outside of your market. Remember your market is only a three to five radius from your location
• Television — If you can get on local TV shows great. To reach the producers of those shows you need to have a PR company get the deal worked out.
• PR — Some PR guys are great some are not so great. Your choosing will make a difference. Look at Wolfgang PUCK his success is 100% PR — The cost is humongous.
• Set up your own eZine — The best and most effective way to stay in front of your guests. You need to gather your guests data. The more often you will be in front of your guests the better chance you have that they will choose you over someone else tonight.

How to build a mailing list

Most guests are reluctant to give their personal information. The best and most effective is to give something free in exchange of the guests info.

What to give?

Here are some ideas that you can develop for your concept — All you need is one or two.

Remember this basic principle: Greed is the key ingredient — Everybody love something for FREE.

Raffles: (Entrees are given to guests with the check, and also on your web site. Frequency will speed up the data gathering — once a month, once every two weeks, once a week etc…)

Raffle a bicycle, an I-pod, dinners, lunches, brunches for two, or a trip to *Las Vegas four six — whatever you want to do that will fit your business. The better the offer the more entries you will have and the faster you will build your data base. Your cost, minimal for the value of your own data base

Glass Bowl [Many restaurants use the glass bowl idea, but never give away anything -- This is a waste of time an counter productive -- people are aware of cons] easily accessible for guests to drop their business cards. Offer a FREE lunch for tow or more (To make it interesting the raffle should be weekly).

Make sure that someone wins — advertise every where the winner. Have the first name of the guest written on a blackboard on the hallway of the restaurant, on fliers given out to guests with the menu. You want everybody to know that the raffle is not a con, that in fact people really win. Use you web site to the max to publicize the winners (take pictures of the lucky winners), it is your chance to be your own PR.

Create a Special Dinners once a month at a great discounted price [Use the day that you are closed for this special event]

Such as Cooking by a guest chef from another restaurant.

Cooking specialties from various countries other than your regular fair

Famous dinner from History Book

Specialties from your grand mother’s cook book

Etc…

some are a few ideas to gather a personalized data base. Then use it to send out an eZine at least once a month. If you cannot do it yourselves, we will do it for you at a minimal cost give us a jingle or email. Remember that call is never an obligation, we will be glad to discuss with you your specifics without charge. email: eatz70@yahoo.com

*Trip to Las Vegas: The city is starving for people, it is easy to make a deal with a casino and have great discounts, even free staying in exchange for advertising — A call might be worth thousand of dollars.

We create a great experience for our guests. We do not cut down on the quality of the products, we deliver a constant cuisine to please the most delicate palates and when our guests ask for the check we say with a smile:

“Pay us what you think we deserve.”

At first the guests look surprise. I can pledge that we have never received less than our menu price.

Cafe Massilia — 110 East Lemon Avenue, Monrovia CA 91016

(626) 471-3583

After interviewing hundred if not thousand of restaurateurs regarding what approach to take to improve customers visits. No one has a clue on how to do it or what to do.

Whenever restaurateurs are asked, “What marketing do you do?”

The first words out of their mouth is always, “We do not do any advertising, we rely on the word of mouth.”

In other words, restaurateurs see large companies like Mc Donald, Subways, KFC, Pizza Hut as businesses which have no relationship with their own. When in fact it should give them an example of what to do. It is obvious that Joe’s deli is not in the same category as those large corporations but it should be an example to model after. It will be obvious to take after success rather then Joe Schmock who can’t even pay the rent.

Marketing doesn’t need to be expensive, there are many ways to get free publicity. All it takes is a little work and some elbow grease. In later articles I will develop how to get FREE advertising.

Marketing is not an expense it is an investment. Remember this very simple line of thoughts, If you do not want to invest in your own business, who will?

A lesson to learn from Apple, after the launching of the new tablet. Do not talk about what you are going to do, do it. Surprise is the key factor in bringing something new. Come up with a new menu change one day and advertise like crazy (web site, press releases, news letter, local press, radio TV — everywhere you can.) Do all of it at once. Train your staff to be part of the happening and present the new menu as a special event to the guests. Set the stage amid a herald of trumpets and perform magic.

For the next two weeks, every guests coming to your restaurant, should be part of this launching of the new menu. Make sure that they are honored with something special (glass of the new wine on the list, a new dessert, a new appetizer.) This will make your guests feel that they are part of the NEW. Do not forget, give and you will receive.

J.B. (the owner of the Wine Bistro in Studio City)

“I cook your spaghetti “Cacio e Pepe” or “Carbonara” just like the best restaurants in Rome,” says Raffaelle the chef owner assisted by hostess.
Pecorino
11604 San Vicente Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 571-3800

Ask your servers to pick a wine they like best. The owner chooses one too. Cut down the list to three or four. You can work with the distributors or even the growers of those wines. Give a 25% discount to the guests on the chosen list.
This should be a great promotion and has great appeal to the consumers.
Repeat every week, two weeks or once a month depending on your wine list and availabilities.
You will see a word of mouth working all by itself, guests are always excited by great deals and great discoveries.
Enjoy,

Eddie at the Hungry Fox says: “Dedication is king if you want your customers to come back. I have new specials everyday, that keeps my customers interested.”
The Hungry Fox, 13359 Sherman Way, North Hollywood, Ca., 91605 t.818.765.7111