by Meredith McKee, Vollmer Dallas
At least for foodies strapped for cash.
We are in the middle of Restaurant Week 2009 or Restaurant Month as the case may be. Love it or hate it, everyone has something to say about it. I personally love it and see it as a great way for restaurants to gain some new customers. Over the years I have seen this to be a public relations firestorm. With the abundance of food blogs, Restaurant Week is the hot topic and the goal is to get good reviews from the harshest critics, the diners. Here are some tips for restaurant managers and owners to survive the month:
1. Enjoy the Week. I know as a diner and not a restaurant worker that is easy for me to say. However, no one wants to read their favorite food blogs and find out that you hate participating and what a burden it is. Don’t let your staff or “unidentified servers” say it either. I could easily go spend my $35 elsewhere with someone who is happy to have me.
2. Love the Charity. Here is the perfect out for that leading question: Don’t you hate Restaurant Week? Answer: We love Restaurant Week. We get to see lots of new faces and we’re always happy to support causes like [INSERT CHARITY NAME HERE].
3. Get Yourself Out There. I can’t imagine what a logistical nightmare this week/month really is for a restaurant. But aren’t you glad to see all those full tables? To get customers in those chairs, announce that you are participating everywhere – in the restaurant, on you Web site, blog and Twitter feeds. Publish the menu so everyone knows what to expect and let people know when you are booked. The ones that book early seem like they are the place to be.
4. Gain a New Customer. This is the perfect opportunity to win over a new customer over. I admit that I participate in Restaurant Week every year and I go to restaurants that wouldn’t normally see me on a Friday night. However, for those restaurants that I have enjoyed I will go back and I always recommend to people. For instance, last week I was able to dine at Nobu Dallas. I learned three things – they make the best Alaskan Black Cod I have ever had, they have superior service and they have a $45 three course menu on a regular basis. Hello Nobu, I will see you again soon!
5. Show Off! Offer your best dishes and have the staff in tip top condition. The restaurants participating in Dallas are the best of the best, and customers will tell their friends. But if it’s not a great experience you’ll read about it somewhere.
I hate to see restaurants have disappointing service or bad food during Restaurant Week. And while you might not care about Restaurant Week diners, you don't want foodies all over town reading a bad review.
We’d love to hear about your experiences of Restaurant Week. Feel free to email me at mmckee@vollmerpr.com. And go check out the Alaskan Black Cod with Den Miso at Nobu – you’ll love it!
At least for foodies strapped for cash.
We are in the middle of Restaurant Week 2009 or Restaurant Month as the case may be. Love it or hate it, everyone has something to say about it. I personally love it and see it as a great way for restaurants to gain some new customers. Over the years I have seen this to be a public relations firestorm. With the abundance of food blogs, Restaurant Week is the hot topic and the goal is to get good reviews from the harshest critics, the diners. Here are some tips for restaurant managers and owners to survive the month:
1. Enjoy the Week. I know as a diner and not a restaurant worker that is easy for me to say. However, no one wants to read their favorite food blogs and find out that you hate participating and what a burden it is. Don’t let your staff or “unidentified servers” say it either. I could easily go spend my $35 elsewhere with someone who is happy to have me.
2. Love the Charity. Here is the perfect out for that leading question: Don’t you hate Restaurant Week? Answer: We love Restaurant Week. We get to see lots of new faces and we’re always happy to support causes like [INSERT CHARITY NAME HERE].
3. Get Yourself Out There. I can’t imagine what a logistical nightmare this week/month really is for a restaurant. But aren’t you glad to see all those full tables? To get customers in those chairs, announce that you are participating everywhere – in the restaurant, on you Web site, blog and Twitter feeds. Publish the menu so everyone knows what to expect and let people know when you are booked. The ones that book early seem like they are the place to be.
4. Gain a New Customer. This is the perfect opportunity to win over a new customer over. I admit that I participate in Restaurant Week every year and I go to restaurants that wouldn’t normally see me on a Friday night. However, for those restaurants that I have enjoyed I will go back and I always recommend to people. For instance, last week I was able to dine at Nobu Dallas. I learned three things – they make the best Alaskan Black Cod I have ever had, they have superior service and they have a $45 three course menu on a regular basis. Hello Nobu, I will see you again soon!
5. Show Off! Offer your best dishes and have the staff in tip top condition. The restaurants participating in Dallas are the best of the best, and customers will tell their friends. But if it’s not a great experience you’ll read about it somewhere.
I hate to see restaurants have disappointing service or bad food during Restaurant Week. And while you might not care about Restaurant Week diners, you don't want foodies all over town reading a bad review.
We’d love to hear about your experiences of Restaurant Week. Feel free to email me at mmckee@vollmerpr.com. And go check out the Alaskan Black Cod with Den Miso at Nobu – you’ll love it!
1 comment:
nice post!
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