Awesome Restaurant Marketing Ideas!

Function food restaurant marketing requires high local traffic, big signs, speedy service and the basics in place for execution.  Large portions doesn't hurt for customers who worry more about volume than flavor.  (Sad but true.)

Function food is for people who eat simply to refuel the body and think very little about what they are spooning into their mouths.

Just make sure it's not terrible"

"As long as you aren't rude"

"Short lines are better because I am in a hurry"

... are thoughts that hurry-up guests may have rambling around in their heads. 

True story of how restaurant marketing success happens when you least expect it and appear as if it were magic marketing.

Twenty years ago or so...   
Table to table, family to family, I walked through the dining room.

I love this aspect of the dining room cruise and look at:

• The things.  Are they as expected?
• The people.  Are they in happy mode, more than satisfied, do they want for nothing?

To test the second, it is necessary to capture a glance and maybe even a few words need to be exchanged.  Those words can’t be canned.  They must be sincere.  The body language must scream “I care”. 

Table by table I walked the dining room cruise.  

Its never too late to create a new restaurant marketing calendar. Today can be that day you tell your team "We are no longer going to buy advertising based on what salespeople have to offer and will instead become pro-active."

Ever had a restaurant marketing idea in the middle of the night only to have it drift off as you snooze? Here is an idea for your marketing campaign and a free online tool to assist you.

Why do you have a business card?  What is the purpose of spending money to have a company print business cards? The intent today is to change your perspective.

 Over the many years in the restaurant business, the only people who wanted a business card were people who wanted my time or money. Think about what a business card truly does for you in your restaurant business.

It provides your name, email, phone number, website address, online ordering site, fax number, name of business, title and of course the address (for snail junk mail?).

Recent years have redefined our value systems. The debate of "recession" will depend on which part of the country you are in. Those who are innovative and open minded will not only survive but thrive as they adapt to the new culture and re-invent their restaurant marketing plans.

Those who continue to repeat old patterns will struggle and resort to trying to out-working issues instead of out-thinking them. Instead of focusing on rising food costs, rising minimum wage, customer purchasing power and the like... my preference is simply to look more closely at you, your team, your business, and your community.