With the summer winding down, it’s time to make some predictions for the upcoming fall. Here a few highlights:

• Bars across the country are still offering summer-inspired drinks through September - See the slideshow here
• Look for smaller portions or half-portions at a lower price – NRN Fall Menu Trends
• Side items are also making more of an appearance on menus as consumers look for ways to reduce costs – NRN Fall Menu Trends
• Many restaurateurs are focusing on afternoon selections and bar foods – charcuterie platters, cheese courses and more happy hour treats – NRN Fall Menu Trends
• Lunches that fall in the $5 and under and $10 and under are continuing to sustain the restaurant indusry – PackagedFacts Survey
• Better-f0r-you choices are also popular with the lunch crowd for both students and adults - Consumers are looking for ways to reduce calories, add fiber and vegetables at lunch – PackagedFacts Survey
• Vegan protein is enough to get you a best-selling cookbook and an appearance on Oprah – Tal Ronnen Puts the Protein on Vegan Plates
• Meatless Mondays are all the rage as these movers and shakers endorse the campaign – MeatlessMonday.com
• International Vegetarian Week is in just a month – Get ready! We’ll start covering ideas for promoting this healthy week in Marketing Nuggets next week.

What are you seeing in Menu Trends? Share your ideas and feedback in our Facebook discussion.

afternoon meals · consumers · healthy · lunch sales · Marketing Nuggets · menu · Menu Trends · trends · vegan · vegetarian

For years, traditional kids menus at many restaurants featured simple, kid-friendly fare. Mac n’ cheese, hamburgers, and the ever-popular chicken fingers were usually the only dishes presented on menus for children. A couple of years ago, the tides started turning, and more parents started requesting regular entrees in smaller portions for their children or more healthful kids meal options.

A recent post on Chowhound asks parents for their opinion—what do parents really want to see on kids menus? While many parents championed for an overhauled kids menu, a lot of parents still hoped that kids meal standards continued showing up on menus. One poster commented that “if the little ones are happy and quiet, munching away on their chicken fingers, yay me!” Read more from this week’s MustHaveMenus Fresh Sheet…

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It’s school time and as schedules fill up, so do the seats in your restaurant with families and children. Entertain the kiddos, so the parents can talk with this Design of the Week - a kids game menu template. Get it ready in minutes with the Menu Editor. Just click, edit and print. That’s it!

Design of the Week · kid menu · kids game menu · kids menu · kids menu template · menu editor

It’s Labor Day Weekend! The unofficial last weekend of summer and time for college football. Did you know that today has some serious historic significance in football. The first professional football game was played on September 3, 1895. Just a year earlier, Labor Day was celebrated as a legal holiday for the first time on September 3, 1894.

It’s also a significant day in history from another warring perspective – literally. The signing of the Treaty of Paris on this day in 1783 ended the Revolutionary War and World War II began today in 1939 when England and France declared war on Germany.

Now that our history less is over, let’s move on to some Marketing Nuggets.

Nugget One: Our Millennials are looking for value and nutrition in these hard economic times. As reported in Nation’s Restaurant News, a new study released by the Chicago-based NPD Group, Gen-Yers are struggling to find jobs and looking for low-cost, and portable food options. How can you earn bucks from this – lunch specials, all-inclusive specials  such as entree, side and drink for one low price and drink specials.

Legal Gen-Yers may be cutting back on dining out, but they’re still on the go, and they still like happy hour. Just be sure to connect with them in mulitple ways – they’ll pay more attention if you are sharing value with them via Facebook and text alerts.

According to this same study, Gen-Yers are looking for healthy options instead of the usual burgers and pizza. Take note.

Nugget Two: It’s okay to admit you’re a chicken in front of the team. Call it good for morale. Call it airing out the dirty laundry, but if your team is open and honest about what they want to accomplish and even more so, you, it’s good for the business. Check out this lesson and others over at Seth Godin’s blog. It’s a great place to learn really simple lessons on marketing and management.

Nugget Three: What’s neon orange and poised to dominate the space next to your sandwiches or kids’ meals? Not Cheetos, but baby carrots. Check out how America’s carrot growers are taking aim at the crunchy, cheesy snack in a $25 million ad campaign.

Have a great Labor Day weekend and we’ll see you on the MHM blog next week with more nuggets and ideas to maximize your sales and connect with your customers!

carrots · cheetos · football · labor day · Marketing · Marketing Nuggets · millennials · seth godin

Editor’s Note: The following post is a continuation of a guest post from Colm Barry of TrakAx.com. He discusses how video can enhance your restaurant marketing efforts by giving potential diners a visual of your food, location and even your chef skills. Contact Colm Barry at colm@trakax.com. We’ll feature part of this post this week and conclude next week. This week we’ll cover video tours of your restaurant, your food and your unique selling points. Next week, we’ll dive into more detail on cooking lessons and location features, plus quick tips for great videos.

 Creating a Dish

The best Pesto at Farina from martinfilms on Vimeo.

A great way of promoting your restaurant, the chef’s skill and food is to post regular blogs. These blogs can include the chef demonstrating how he/she produces their favorite dish, the process involved in creating a new dish, how to make a specific sauce, a particular cooking skill, cooking at a special event, etc. These weblogs will help build brand awareness, as well as highlighting the food offered and the talent of the chef. In this video, we see Chef Paolo Laboa of the Farina Restaurant creating his favourite Pesto Pasta dish. He demonstrates how using simple, fresh ingredients can produce appetizing dishes.

If you are creating a video such as this, using only one camera, be sure to film all the ingredients first and edit them in when necessary. Also, be sure to keep your videos short to keep your viewer interested.

Highlight Your Location

Black Pearls Restaurant from Jean-Jacques Lutz on Vimeo.

The location of your business is always important as footfall is key to a successful business. But what if your restaurant is in a unique location, like a famous tourist spot or landmark or somewhere different such as in a stadium or train station, why not show it off? The Black Pearls Seafood Restaurant is one such example. Located in Brussels Airport, they offer their customers a place to relax in comfort, while high-class food. This simple 1 minute, 30 second video clearly shows it’s the “very place you would want to spend a nice time awaiting your flight.”

Some other videos you may find useful:

• Embedding your Video into your Website / Blog
• Cheap Lighting Tips for your Business Video
• Sprucing Up your Credits – Some Quick Ideas

About TrakAxPC

TrakAxPC is a video editing software capable of helping you create excellent videos for your restaurant. Check out their special pricing here.

Marketing · using video in your restaurant · video · your restaurant

Ahhh, a night without the kids. Date night is good for three things - Mom’s sanity, marriages everywhere and your pocketbook - if you know how to get on Mom’s restaurant go-to list for date night.

How to Get on Mom’s Go-To Date Night Restaurant List

1. Offer incredible service, so Mom doesn’t have to think. This is the best way to get on a busy mom’s go-to list because she thinks, thinks, thinks all day long. Servers who make suggestions and answer questions knowledgeably are going to get brownie points from Mom.
2. Recognize Mom and Dad’s need to celebrate even with no big occasion. It’s simple for a host to ask a couple of questions and give Mom and Dad a great table. Adding in a free dessert never hurt the cause either.
3. Spell out your menu. This means to make it easy for Mom to decode ingredients if she has a picky eater or dad in her life.
4. Offer a great atmosphere and experience geared toward date night. Think about the experience a couple wants when they are away from the kids – no really loud music – they are either here to talk (probably about the kids) or do something fun – watch an upbeat hibachi show, cooking class or wine tasting are all attractions for date night. Make sure the experience meets their date night criteria – and it’s easy to do. Ask for feedback and incorporate accordingly.
5. Offer value packages for two. Dinners Mom and Dad can share or package deals with courses that complement one another are another way to get on Mom’s go-to list because she can fit you in her budget.
6. Sometimes we just want dessert. Offering a great dessert menu that’s not packed with the usual apple crumble, molten chocolate cake and crème brulee is a way to get on Mom’s go-to list. Be creative and tell her about it.
7. Market to Dad about special nights. Sending him an email is a great way for him to suggest a surprise date night or pick the place when it’s his turn to make the reservation. Knowing that there’s incentive (your email or Facebook suggestions timed just right – end of the work day, right before their anniversary or her birthday), it’s a no-brainer that if she likes your food or may like your food, you’re on the list. Mom will remember you if the experience is right.
8. Market to Mom about date night. Moms love to give subtle hints when they need a break. It’s as simple as, “I got a postcard from this cool place called INSERT YOUR RESTAURANT NAME. We should check them out some time.” If Dad is listening, he’ll schedule the babysitter right away.

How to Get Off Mom’s Go-To

1. Don’t offer a great experience. One of the keys to staying on Mom’s go-to list is to impress her. The fun of date night is trying new places or going to restaurants that deliver consistently. Don’t kill your spot on the list.
2. Bother the dining couple with overly attentive service. Moms are asked a million questions a day, and if your wait staff is continually asking if they need anything, she might just take you off her list. It’s all about being overly attentive without her noticing. Watch a mom with her children for lessons in how to do this.
3. Don’t time your courses right. One of the appeals of date night is to actually get to eat dinner in one sitting and as it’s meant to be enjoyed – appetizer, main course, dessert, for example. If you time it where they don’t have time to enjoy the appetizer before serving the main course – forget your spot at the top of the go-to list.

Share your tips and tricks for getting on Mom’s Go-To Restaurant list in our Facebook discussion.

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This weekend is the official start of football season. Get ready for some football sales with our sports bar football flyer. This Design of the Week features bar food and drink specials to kickoff your big season and is easily updated in minutes with the Menu Editor.

Let’s go out and execute big sales as we get this party started.

Design of the Week · flyer · football · sports bar · sports bar football flyer

We talk a lot on this blog about putting the customer first and making the customers’ experience memorable, but it’s also important to pay attention the people providing this service and take a look at the examples managers set.

Managing is Similar to Raising Teens
This action item was inspired by a talk show program I heard today on how teenagers are very aware of justice with their parents. They see things in very black and white terms, and your relationship with your employees is similar to that of a parent and teenager.

The radio program took two key examples and applied them to the “teen justice” model and gave ways parents (or managers) can relate to teens (or employees) in a way that satisfied this model.

You’re Always Late, Why Should I Be on Time?
Taking away a teen’s car for getting a speeding ticket was the first example cited on the program. Looking at it from the teen’s perspective, if the parent speeds all the time, why should he or she lose their car? The same can be said for an employee/manager relationship.

The basic lesson here is if you are taking one action and critiquing your employee for doing the same thing, are you really getting anywhere with them? Let’s take being on time as an example. If you aren’t on time for work, what example are you showing your crew?

Just a Little R-E-S-P-E-C-T
The second item of discussion on teens and parents relating was punishing a teenager for disrespectful language. In their mind, if you are disrespectful in your language, why should they be respectful to you? This example plays so well into a restaurant employee/manager scenario. Yes, the manager has authority, but that authority comes with a responsibility to be respectful in words and actions. Your expectations should meet your example in all interactions. Talking to your employees about issues in a respectful tone can earn their trust and make training actually work.

Roll Up Your Sleeves
With teens, you can tell them you walked five miles to school up-hill both ways in the snow and they’ll never believe you. As I said before, they are very concrete. That’s why it’s important for managers or parents to be willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Teens are looking to their parents to dig in and do the dirty work, and so are your employees. If you are willing to get out there and bus tables or sweep the parking lot, you’re speaking a thousand words through your actions. Keep it up and your employees will notice.

Take Action – Be the Example
In conclusion, your Monday Action Item is to look at your own actions in relation to your employees. Setting the example in respect, tone of voice and actions speaks volumes when you are trying to communicate and provide the best guest experience possible. Employees who feel respected and part of the team always pay off in the end.

What other advice can you offer on setting the example and building morale?

Customer Service · employee morale · employee relations · employee satisfaction · setting an example

It’s been a slow week as everyone gets back into the school thing and the approaching holiday. However, I found a few marketing nuggets to get you through the weekend. Enjoy!

Nugget One: You can position yourself an expert on anything - including grilled cheese sandwiches.
Laura Werlin, author of multiple books on cheese has made a career of the melty stuff. Have you considered that you are an expert in your field? Do you use your knowledge to position yourself in your community? Cooking classes, videos, cookbooks and seminars are great ways to not only market your restaurant, but also to get yourself recognized for your expertise. Maybe you’re the next grilled cheese expert or eggspert. Pick something and start showing your culinary expertise. I know a Domino’s franchisee who got famous making pizzas fast - check him out here.

Nugget Two: Infamy can generate buzz. It’s all about the story.
This list of worst restaurant names has some serious success stories on it. Does your restaurant name have a story? Tell it in your marketing. My favorite piece of this list is Dooky Chase’s in New Orleans. Richard Pryor found the name so funny after he ate at it; he made it a part of his comedy routine. Stories like these pique interest for diners.

Nugget Three: Some clever ways to get web reviews for your business.
Duct Tape Marketing has great ideas for generating business that don’t cost a whole lot of money. These five steps to generating reviews for your business are great! Check them out and try a couple!

Bonus Nugget: A Labor Day Hours Flyer for You Be sure to tell your customers your Labor Day plans!

buzz · cooking classes · demonstrations · expert · expert cook · grilled cheese · infamy · labor day flyer · positioning · seminars · story · web reviews · your niche

Editor’s Note: The following post is a guest post from Colm Barry of TrakAx.com. He discusses how video can enhance your restaurant marketing efforts by giving potential diners a visual of your food, location and even your chef skills. Contact Colm Barry at colm@trakax.com. We’ll feature part of this post this week and conclude next week. This week we’ll cover video tours of your restaurant, your food and your unique selling points. Next week, we’ll dive into more detail on cooking lessons and location features, plus quick tips for great videos.

Why Video?

The restaurant industry is one of the most competitive and diverse industries.  Whether your restaurant is in a major city or a small rural village, how are you going to let potential diners know about your business, style of food and location? Adding a video to your website, YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and Google Maps can provide potential customers with an insight to your restaurant, the type of food on the menu, local produce used, unique selling points and of course, your location. In the videos below, we examine how some restaurants and chefs that have used videos to highlight their business, skills, food and, more importantly, to entice diners to their restaurants.

Tour of your Restaurant

RESTAURANT GUY SAVOY from Jesse Salto on Vimeo.

Creating an overall video tour of your restaurant will give your patrons an excellent understanding of your business, the style of food, the surroundings, as well as the staff who help make the restaurant work. Here we see a video created for the Guy Savoy restaurant in Paris. In this video, even though it is professionally made, there are a lot of great ideas you can use in your video production. There are no great tricks or illusions in this video. It is simply well made.

First, we see the ingredients being selected en in the market, followed by the cleaning and preparation of the food. Then, the doors open, patrons arrive and the action begins. We see the beautiful shots of the dishes which are the star of the show and finally we see the dedicated team that made it happen. This video highlights that a clean and simple style (both the food and video production) is always the best.

What you’ll need:

• A Microphone to record sounds of the restaurant.
• A tripod – see here for a selection of affordable tripods
• A Camcorder – Flip Camcorders and Kodak Zi8 camcorders are available from $120
• Video editing software – suchas trakAxPC - available for $24.95

Tour of Food

Bao Nodles from lasolas on Vimeo.

Creating a video highlighting your dishes can be great for any restaurant, but it can be especially useful for restaurants which offer speciality foods or ethnic dishes that may be uncommon in your area. In this example, we see a food and drink tour of Bao Noodles Vietnamese restaurant located in Manhattan, NY. By allowing us to view some of their mouth-watering dishes and cocktails, the potential diner can almost smell and taste the food.

 Unique Selling Points

Bao Nodles from lasolas on Vimeo.

What makes you different? What makes your restaurant stand out from the rest? Why not make a video about it? Here we see how two chefs promote their restaurants by highlighting their unique selling points. In the first video, we see Head Chef Ryan Tate of the Savoy restaurant create a beautiful duck dish, which uses fresh ducks from his local producer, John Fazio. The chef also explains the process of cooking duck properly and why their restaurant believes in working with small farmers.

Chef’s Table – Turnberry Resort from Ruben Gabino on Vimeo.

In the second video, we see something completely different. The Turnberry Resort in Scotland promotes their restaurant by highlighting their unique selling point “the Chef’s Table.” This fun and well-made video emphasizes the delicious food, the private service and the experience offered by this “Chef’s Table.” 

About TrakAxPC

TrakAxPC is a video editing software capable of helping you create excellent videos for your restaurant. Check out their special pricing here.

food · location · Marketing · restaurant · using video · video · vimeo · youtube