Restaurant Marketing Blog

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Pizza Hut has declared that cheese is a topping, meaning that plain pizzas and pies with one topping will now cost the same. The chain’s declaration comes in response to the rising price of block cheddar, the light sweet crude of the cheese market. Pizza Hut buys 300 million pounds of cheese each year. This reported from The Consumerist

Jennifer Little, a Pizza Hut spokeswoman, said the new strategy is to treat cheese “almost like an extra topping.” Little said the price change also could be justified because a typical cheese pizza has about 50 percent more cheese than a similar-size pie with one topping, such as pepperoni.

Papa John’s has no plans has no plans to treat cheese like a topping; the Pizza Hut rival hedged its cheese supply, guaranteeing steady prices through the summer. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER

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Friday, June 22, 2007

1. Why do the staff at McDonald’s never look me in the eye?

2. Why do restaurant owners spend more time planning their kids’ birthdays than they do planning how increase restaurant sales?

3. Why do restaurants think just sending out an email will automatically get a guest into their restaurant?

4. Why are plates so boring looking?

5. Why does every hostess greet me by a number?

6. Why doesn’t every restaurant join in on the Secret Group?

Posted by jcohen in • Restaurant Marketing
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Thursday, June 14, 2007

So You Really Want To Have A Relationship With Me?

**  I plan on unsubscribing to your restaurant’s newsletter. The information in your emails is irrelevant. You asked for my first name, yet you don’t address me by that. I’m still a “Dear VIP” to you! You asked for my cuisine favorites and I replied, “Italian Food” and you send me specials on seafood. You asked for my street address. Why do you need that, especially since you already asked for my zip code?

**  And when you send me your offers, they are full of “not valids.” Not valid here, not valid there, not valid this day, this week ... and not valid this hour! Let alone needing a magnifying glass to read all of the fine-print restrictions, if you keep doing this, soon I’m going to be a “not valid guest.”

**  You sent me a Mother’s Day offer and I’m not a parent. You asked for my birth date and you didn’t even send me a birthday card. You continue to email me twice a month with stories about you. I don’t care about you, since I’m not convinced you care about “Dear VIP” me.

**  If you want a relationship with me, then get to know me. I am not like your other guests. Repeat. I am not like your other guests.

**  And, let me get to know you. Who are you? Who is the owner? What’s he or she look like? Why haven’t I ever seen him/her in the restaurant? Why hasn’t he/she ever come over and introduced himself/herself to us? Isn’t that how you start of a good relationship?

**  And finally, if you want to “date” me, then you’ll have to make an effort to get to know me. Once I trust you, I’m happy to give you more information about me, so you can find out more of my interests. If you don’t want to “date,” then I’m happy to play the field—the restaurant field—as I have all kinds of discretionary income to spend on restaurants—other than yours! 

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Thursday, June 07, 2007

Restaurant Marketing: Google Maps is no longer the mapping and driving directions tool that it used to be. Over the past few months it has evolved into a one-stop shop for information to help you attract more guests to your restaurant.

New features include the ability to add your own descriptive copy and insert photos, logos, coupon offers and videos about your business.

Google Maps is an incredibly easy way to market your restaurant to the millions who search online using Google Maps. Take advantage of these listing enhancements by going to “My Maps” at: http://maps.google.com.

Posted by jcohen in • Restaurant Marketing
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Friday, June 01, 2007

Restaurant Marketing Menus: Make This Pricing Adjustment To Your Menu & Profits Will Increase: 

In your menu, check to see if all the final digits in all prices is a “9” versus any other number. Guests perceive a better value with a price ending in “9” versus a price ending in “5”.

Check your menu now and make the change.

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