Joel Cohen's Restaurant Marketing Blog

Restaurant Marketing: Please Turn Off Your Cell Phones

2012-02-08T15:08:16-05:00

When everyone in your restaurant is using their smart phones and sharing information, take a few minutes and enjoy this:

Restaurant Marketing: Open All Night Can Mean More Sales

2012-02-04T10:51:57-05:00

Restaurant Marketing: While staying open late is not for every restaurant concept, Julie Jargon in the Wall Street Journal reports that the overnight period is the largest growing segment in the fast food business.

McDonald's Corp. says the overnight hours of midnight to 5 a.m. are the fastest growing time segment in its U.S. business.

While not perfect for every concept in every area, you'd be surprised how many people are working late night shifts, with few places to go to eat. Look for more restaurants, especially those with the security of drive-thru's to stay open 24 hours.

Restaurant Marketing: Pizza Restaurants Gearing Up For Super Sunday

2012-02-02T15:57:30-05:00

Restaurant Marketing: Merry Christmas to all pizza restaurants. Even though it's February, this Sunday's your BIG day!

Super Bowl Sunday is the the second biggest eating holiday of the year, right behind Thanksgiving. In a survey by the NRA, although wings, dips and other snack foods ranked high in popularity, pizza was most popular fare to eat during the game.

Pizza restaurants – chains and independents are gearing up for what is their "Christmas" by making sure enough product is on hand and enough team members are available for pizza preparation, customer service and deliveries.

From a marketing point of view, this is the pizza restaurant's time to put their best foot forward. How you treat a customer in the madness of this rush, will tell them whether to order from you again.

Increase Restaurant Sales With Top Ten List

2012-01-22T13:52:43-05:00

Restaurant Sales & Marketing. This time of the year you get inundated with top ten lists. There's a reason that people are fascinated with these lists. They're easy to read, easy to remember and easy to talk about. Some lists are ridiculous, some are humorous and some are factual.

Lists can play an important role in your restaurants sales and marketing efforts by educating your customers in an easy format, about the value of your products.

Does your restaurant have a list of the top ten reasons that make you different or better than your competitor?

Having a top ten list gives you and your staff the ability to easily verbalize how your restaurant stands out from the others, especially if you're building name awareness within a highly competitive business sector.

Restaurant Marketing: When I Retire, I Want To Be A Server

2012-01-17T15:41:59-05:00

Restaurant Marketing: I Want To Be A Server --

That’s what I’m going to do when I retire. I’m going to serve guests in a restaurant. Why? It’s like being in my own business, except I don’t have to buy inventory, pay any rent, be responsible for employees, no overhead - nothing at all. Imagine having your own business without overhead and inventory.

As a server, it would cost me absolutely nothing to be in business for myself. And amazingly, (this is the best ever) I can make up to 20% on everything I sell. And sometimes even more than that. Wow ... and everyone coming into the restaurant is going to buy something already! That's one heck of a deal and an easy way to make money.

I just need to treat the customers like royalty, give them a great dining experience to remember ... and I've got it made!

I'd even have my own title, and business cards. They’d say "Director of Hospitality." Or, "Director of Fun." I’d give them out to my guests and thank them for allowing me the opportunity to serve them.

I’d develop my own guest mailing list and send them thank you notes. I could make as much money as I want. Is there any better "business" to be in than the "server business?"