Friday, July 18, 2008

The Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel reports that a number of South Florida restaurants bearing the names of well known athletes have closed down.  The key for success, restaurant and sports experts say, is the right mix of good food and atmosphere, location and experienced management.

Each situation is unique. Some athletes lend their names and likenesses in exchange for a percentage of food and merchandise sales. Some become investors and have a say in the decor and menu. Others, such as Hall of Fame Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula—Shula’s Steak Houses, and former Dolphins Offerdahl Offerdahl’s Cafe Grills, and Bob Brudzinski
Bru’s Room Sports Grills, enter the restaurant business.

“It’s location, location, location for the rule of thumb for any real estate deal. And after that, it’s food, food, food,” said Tom Prakas, of The Prakas Group in Boca Raton, which specializes in restaurant brokerage. “The name adds the kicker, and gets them in the door.”

Posted by jcohen in • Restaurant Marketing
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Saturday, July 12, 2008

If you run in to a Salad Creations, try them out. Fabulous salad. Served in mixing bowl...and the salad is cold. Huge portion. This is fresh, fast and fabulous. I did three restaurant marketing workshops to a great group of interested and passionate about their business franchisees.

Posted by jcohen in • Restaurant Marketing
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Sunday, June 22, 2008

Restaurant Marketing: Did you ever think that the restaurants who coupon are couponing because it’s the easiest way to convince people to visit their restaurants? Isn’t there a better way to convince and persuade people, rather than giving some of your profit margin away? And the ones who redeem your coupons...are they really going to become your fans? What’s your value story? Are you not worthy? Then close the doors.

Posted by jcohen in • Restaurant Marketing
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Sunday, June 08, 2008

Mens Health magazine rates this as the unhealthiest drink in the country: Baskin Robbin’s Large Heath Bar Shake (32. oz)
2,310 calories, 266 grams of sugar, 108 grams of fat
73 ingredients go into this milk shake.
66 teaspoons of sugar.
11 Heath bars equal the calories in this shake
8-12 minutes to consume this drink.
240 minutes on a treadmill running at a moderate pace to burn it off.

Posted by jcohen in • Restaurant News
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Tuesday, May 13, 2008

There are similar restaurants in similar locations, selling similar food, at similar prices, from similar servers using similar menus. The hostess’ greetings are similar; the thank you’s are similar and the manager who bunny-hops from table to table asking the obligatory question, “Is everything okay?” is also much too similar.

The web sites are similar, the email messages are similar with similar offers all being sent out at similar times to similar people training them to accept your similar discounts, desperately luring them into your similar restaurant.

The direct mail pieces are similar; the newspaper ads are similar, the birthday clubs are similar.

Do your guests enjoy similarity? Enjoy isn’t quite the word. Ignorance may be bliss, but with the exception of fine dining, they don’t know of anything else—until they experience something better than similar, and then it’s good-bye to you.

Is your restaurant an average, mediocre restaurant that people visit because of convenience or a coupon? Is anyone talking about you in a positive fashion? Do you have raving fans?

Posted by jcohen in • Restaurant Marketing
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