September 1st is fast approaching, and the COVID-19 crisis is not letting up. Many states are reporting increased cases and travel restrictions are in 30 states. Some states, like Pennsylvania, have reduced seating capacity in restaurants to 25%. With all this happening, it makes me wonder, what will restaurants do in the fall? Think about […]
Does your restaurant establish a marketing budget? As we head into the new year, it gives us a time to set up a new perspective for what we want to accomplish in 2018. Many things have changed in the restaurant industry over the past year. Now is your time to step back and develop your […]
Growing your sales with effective restaurant marketing strategies As we enter the busiest season of the restaurant year, it is important to refresh your teams on the importance of these months and the impact it can have on your business for the following year. Spend some time on these topics and have a great holiday […]
2017 has been a difficult year for many restaurants. The restaurant industry continues to change in many ways driven by the choices customers have. Many of the choices are facilitated by technology and the options it offers us to make decisions. Let’s take a closer look at just two ways in which technology has impacted […]
Football season is in full swing with High School, College and NFL Football every weekend. Does this help or hurt your restaurant? Yesterday, I went to a college football game that had over 100,000 people at the game. The tailgate lot was full, the concession stands were busy, and people were having fun. It was […]
As we start a new year it is important to take a step back and look at how you did last year. Was it a good year filled with great things that will lead you into 2015? Was your restaurant marketing plan effective? Many restaurants owners I meet with are just too busy to take […]
November is upon us and the holiday planning is set in place for most restaurants. Gift card promotions in place and holiday parties are booked. Fortunately gasoline prices are dropping which will free up discretionary spending. The challenge is to drive traffic into your restaurant and away from the big box stores. Promotions on social […]
Where has the customer traffic gone? In recent meetings with clients, the focus has really shifted on how do we build customer traffic counts. The NRA data confirms that customer traffic counts have been declining steadily for several years. Restaurant sales have shown minor increases largely due to price increases. The question still remains the […]
How do restaurant operators look at the cost of marketing? The NRA’s guidelines for restaurant marketing says that restaurants should allocate anywhere between two and four percent on restaurant marketing. Do restaurant owners follow this model when budgeting for their business? Like many families, the budget sometimes goes out the window when juggling expenses. The […]
Understanding the lifetime value of your customer is important part of restaurant marketing. What is a customer worth to you? 2014 is off to a crazy start. A recent article on Fox Business News cited that the winter weather has impacted small business by as much as 13% in the first two months of the […]
Is reputation management part of your restaurant marketing strategy? Recently, I was on an extensive road trip for the better part of the past month. Many nights in hotels and most of my meals in restaurants. Ah the glamour of business travel! One thing I have seen in most markets that I visit is that […]
2013 is done! 2014 is here…. Now what will you do? At the beginning of every year it’s always good to take a step back and see what worked and what did not work over the past year in your restaurant. Here are four quick easy categories to help you figure out your restaurant business […]