Its 7:00am when you first smell that fresh coffee brewing.  Half asleep and groggy eyed, you quietly pour the first cup of piping hot goodness.  As the mug warms your hands, you give a long morning stretch, and lazily open your laptop.  The calm peacefulness of early morning is soothing like crawling in fresh sheets after a hot shower.  Quiet, serene, the morning is yours.  Now it’s time to wake up, sleepyheads!

Like most Americans, your first morning task is to check email, delete spam, and cipher what really matters.  Without fail, there is a coupon in your inbox offering 53% off at your favorite local restaurant.

Hook, line, and sinker you’re sold.  Is this really a good thing?  Are we turning restaurants into department stores?

The Department Store Effect:

When do you buy new clothes?  Do you wait for sales/coupons or pay full price?  The logical argument is to wait for the sale, and that’s not our fault.  We love getting deals…it’s hard wired into the human psyche.

By bombarding us with coupons, department stores have brainwashed us to only buy during sales.  Talk about the biggest marketing backfire of all time!

Are Restaurants The Next Department Stores?

I hear more and more people saying “I’ll just wait for the Groupon.”  Here is a quick lesson in Marketing 101:

“As consumers slowly adapt to deep discounts, it begins to change expectations.  Once our expectations change, so do our buying habits…which is difficult to reverse.”

The idea “why would I ever pay full price” is dangerous.  Are these newly cropping up coupon sites creating this expectation in diners?

Happy Hour is Different

It’s no secret, restaurants and bars have been promoting happy hour specials for years.  Until the recent rise in group buying, this was a widely acceptable form of marketing (that keeps regulars coming back daily!).  Happy hour will never die, but the shift to deep discounts is flat out scary from a marketing standpoint.

The Smart Alternative

The smart alternative is to focus on specials you already run like daily happy hour.  Use online tools to create awareness of current specials and invite customers in.  Get creative.  Why not create daily specials on the fly?  Focus on creating a loyal customer base, and not customers looking for a one-time discount.

In my opinion, I fear if we continue to offer deep discounts, consumers will quit eating out unless they can find 53% off.  Our buying habits shift with expectations.  This could be devastating for mom and pop restaurants that lack the budget of large chains.

What do you guys think as customers?  As restaurant owners?  Please leave your comments below, I am intrigued by this conversation!

photo credit

Across from St. Louis, in the small river town of Alton, IL resides a legendary bar called Fast Eddies Bon Air.  Some gather for the drinks, most come for the food.  The scene resembles “The Double Deuce” from the movie Roadhouse, hosting everything from bikers to attorneys.  The only difference is Patrick Swayze isn’t ripping out throats, and Fast Eddies clientele is MUCH friendlier.

The dark interior of Fast Eddies is lit up with neon beer signs, old memorabilia, and glowing flat screens covering the days sporting events.  At first glance, it’s not a place to take your mother.  Only to find out, your mom loves Fast Eddies!

So why does Fast Eddies draw such a crowd?  I’ve seen Sundays where they ring 500+ food orders by 2pm.  That’s just warm up!  What is their secret?  How do they do it?  Here are the 5 reasons why Fast Eddie’s Bon Air sells:

1.  Keep the Menu Simple, Stupid…

What does Fast Eddies Menu consist of?

-Peel n’ Eat Shrimp…29 cents

-Fat Eddie ½lb Burger…99 cents

-Basket of Fries…99 cents

-Bratwurst…99 cents

-Red Hots…99 cents

-Pork Kabob…$1.99

-Hot Chick on a Stick…$2.99

-Big Elwood (steak kabob)…$2.99

What you see is what you get.  We are huge advocates of keeping things simple.  Ever open a Cheesecake Factory Menu?  Keep it simple, and make it awesome!  (perfect what you do best)

2.  Cheap Eats = Tons of Drinks

Look at The Fast Eddie’s Menu, its cheap…dirt cheap.  It’s the main reason people keep coming back.  How much profit do you think Eddie clears on food?  My guess is slim to none…

In a sense, Eddie is like the blogger of the restaurant industry.  He offers free content (food), and sells drinks.  Just like a blogger who writes about saving on insurance and sells insurance polices.  Teach a man to fish, and he will buy the fishing poles from you.

Cracker Barrel is great example of this!  They make 23% of profit from retail sales.  What about gas stations?  They sell gas just to get you in the store.  Most of their profit comes from retail sales, not fuel.

Give incentive to your customers.  Offer something at a great price, and then focus on up-selling.

3.  Cash Only = Unbelievable Service

Yes, you heard correct, Fast Eddie’s is CASH ONLY.  While most of us move forward into new payment systems with our iPhone like Square, they keep it old school.  Waitresses never wait to run tabs.  Splitting tabs is out of the question.  They enter drinks, pay the bartender cash, and on to the next customer.  It almost seems like waitresses roam without sections, although I am sure that’s not the case.

Now I am not suggesting you switch to cash only.  It works for Fast Eddies because they focus on volume.  I am pointing out how much smoother the wait staff operates.  They are fast and efficient.  Are there ways to simplify how you accept payments?  Make things faster?  Streamline?  These are all questions to help both your customers and FOH.

4.  Patios Sell Themselves

One of the greatest features is Fast Eddie’s Patio.  It’s GINORMOUS!  To give you an idea, they bought the street next door to expand it, put a retractable roof over it, added space heaters, and made it open year round.  Most call it awesome, I call it genius!

People love to be outside, especially in the summertime.  If your restaurant has the room, make a patio.  Sidewalk patios work also if you can get the license.  It is worth giving customers the option to sit outside, patios keep customers drinking all summer!

5.  “This Place Rocks My Face Off”

Atmosphere is everything.  Fast Eddies is a unique experience.  When you first walk into Fast Eddies, you feel the vibe.  This place is different.  This place rocks my face off!  Focus on making your restaurant/bar unique for every experience.  Man vs Food is an example of how to make your restaurant unique.  Entertain people with live music, let the food smells permeate, and be friendly.  That’s how you keep people coming back.

Disclaimer:  In no way is UrbanBacon affiliated with Fast Eddies, I just happen to love that place!

Won’t you be, my neighbor?  This was the theme song to a long airing PBS show called Mister Rodgers Neighborhood.  The lovable character, Mister Rodgers, asked this of American children for close to 33 years.  He believed in community and crossing the fence to meet your neighbors.  You know what?  Fred Rodgers would have made an excellent restaurateur!

Running a restaurant involves an engine of working parts.  If the engine starts locking up, marketing gets quickly pushed aside.  In reality, marketing is the oil that keeps the engine running.  Starting locally within your community is a powerful marketing tactic…Mister Rodgers understood this principle.

I was recently reading the three part series at Jaw Dropping Marketing titled Restaurant Marketing:  Be a Good Neighbor…and the wheels started cranking.  The article talks about being involved in your community as a form of marketing.  Car washes, charity events, and church picnics are all ways to get involved.  These people are the customer base of your restaurant.  Don’t sit back waiting…offer to help with community events, and they will thank you by becoming a patron.

Who are your neighbors in a three mile radius?  ESPECIALLY the office buildings, they can help double your lunch crowd.  You need to get out within this community and make friends.  Go door to door and introduce yourself.  Offer a coupon or just shake hands.  Tell them about your restaurant.  These are the people who are most likely to become repeat business, just because they live next door.  You need to meet your neighbors, it worked for Mister Rodgers, and it will work for you!

An easier way to scale these relationships are online.  Scour Facebook and Twitter looking for people who live in your community.   Friend or follow them up and introduce yourself.  Tell them about your restaurant and invite them in.  Don’t push specials on them, that would be spamming.  Take the time and get to know them.  If they are part of church group on Facebook, ask if you can cater a picnic.  Get creative, the business is in your backyard.

We both know that Mister Rodgers wasn’t a restaurateur, but he would have been awesome.  Getting involved within your community is a way to give back, and run a successful business.  The people within your community are the people who pay your bills.  Take the time to meet, show you care, and they will support you.  It is the ultimate “THANK YOU.”  Now step over the fence and start meeting your neighbors!

We have all seen Man vs Food on the Travel Channel.  A heavyweight eater by the name of Adam Richman tours the country battling the mightiest of food challenges.  Season 1 aired in St. Louis at the World Famous Crown Candy Kitchen:

The Challenge:  Dominate 5-24oz Milkshakes in 30 minutes.

The thought of slurping down 5 ice cold malt milkshakes is enough to make any man shudder.  Many brave warriors have battled, and only around 30 people have tasted sweet victory since 1913 (according to wiki).  That’s a food legacy!  Let’s just say food won this battle of Man vs Food.

So what gives?  Are we such an obese country that we get off watching a guy devour 8000 calories?  My first reaction is to say “hells yes!”  But that’s half of it…The other side is watching what food challenges restaurants dream up.  Is your restaurant a legacy?

The idea of a food challenge is fantastic marketing.  They made a hit cable television show just based around it!  Here are 5 reasons why the concept works:

1.  Elements of a Successful Food Challenge

For unknown reasons, the challenge of devouring massive amounts of food is appealing.  It’s a sense of accomplishment, and freaking impressive.  Here are the main elements:

1.  Time constraints

2.  Free food for winners

3.  Winners = free t-shirt + spot on the wall of fame

Use these 3 elements, and watch customers start lining up!

2.  Braggin’ Rights

Every food challenge awards the winners with a spot on the wall of fame.  That’s braggin’ rights, and yes it motivates competition.  The winners keep braggin’ for years to come (free word of mouth, duh).

3.  A Shot at FREE!

How many times have you sized up a large plate of food?  How many times have you heard of a food challenge, and guessed you could probably beat it?  After all, if you win the meal is free, right?  Hook, line, and sinker.  It’s like playing the lottery…yes it’s only a dollar, but if you win the payout is huge!  Hence many keep trying, but most will fail.  That means you continue to collect payment for large meals.

4.  Free Publicity

Media covers big news, especially local media.  Start creating buzz by offering a ridiculous food challenge and watch the media take interest.  Include it into your marketing budget.  If the media covers your challenge, the business can be worth weight in gold.  It will draw more attention than spamming Facebook.

5.  Losses Cover Costs

The challenge should be difficult.  Not impossible, but less than 20% of people should finish.  This creates word-of-mouth legacy among diners.  They want to be the next contender and prove their eating dominance.  Since most fail, you will profit heavily off the losses.  These profits can go into t-shirts and marketing for future challengers.

BONUS – Ultimate Food Challenge Example:

The Big Texan FREE 72oz Steak Challenge is the best food challenge known to man.  Its copywriting genius mixed with a marketing know-how.  Here are the key elements:

1. The steak is labeled FREE.  This convinces consumers they have a free shot.  Which The Big Texan takes payment upfront and then refunds the winners…genius?

2. 4.5lbs of steak is massive!  48,000 have tried, roughly 8,000 have conquered.  Hence many try, most will fail.

3. The 72oz steak is so legendary, that Adam Richman accepted the challenge.  He dominated, and The Big Texan landed a spot on The Travel Channel.  That’s marketing genius!

Location is EVERYTHING, right?  Of course it is!  Will you always be slammed?  Not necessarily.  The Field of Dreams idea “if you build it they will come” doesn’t really pertain to real life.  Mondays, cold rain, lack of exposure, and poor marketing are all factors that can kill a business.  Therefore “location is everything” doesn’t always hold true.

Let’s say you’re in a relatively high traffic area and you normally do well.  Today just happens to be one of those days, and you’re abnormally slow.  How can you increase street business?  Google Favorite Places may be one way, but I am a bit skeptical.  Let’s ditch advanced technology for a second, and get back to our roots.  Below are 5 tips for hustling street traffic:

1.  Send out the Canadian Mounted Police

My Grandfather used to have a saying:  “If you get lost, I’ll send out the Canadian Mounted Police.”  He was neither Canadian or ever lived in Canada.  It was originally just a hilarious joke that my Grandfather loved to keep going.  In reality he meant:  “If you get lost, we will hit the streets and find you.”  Some times you gotta hit the streets…

Is the restaurant dead?  See a server standing around?  Send them to the streets!  Servers are naturally friendly, or can at least fake it.  Have them stand if front and invite people inside.  Better than standing around arguing who is getting cut first.  Tell them to engage, make friends, invite people inside.  In the end, it benefits their tips to pull in customers.

2.  Video Billboards

Remember back in the 50’s when television was first introduced?  Stores would line 50 different televisions facing the street all programmed on the same channel.  It was mesmerizing to watch the pictures dance around through the windows.  A small boy staring through the window with white eyes lit up usually outlined the Hallmark Moment of this period.  We say take the same approach!

Invest in 3-4 small LCD Flat-screen Panels and strategically hang from your storefront.  An alternative is wireless picture frames, which also work well in bathrooms.  Face them onto the streets to attract your customer’s eye.  Set up a slide show and rotate all your specials from the house computer.  This will be sure to catch the attention of people passing by.  Take a hint from Vegas and start drawing them in like flies!

3.  Old School Chalk Boards

I know what you’re thinking…a freaking tech site for restaurants and I’m talking about chalk boards?  Yes I am, before blogs there where chalkboards.  Chalkboards are cheap and mandatory.  They are simple to update daily and place in front of your restaurant.  Buy the double sided board to attract customers walking in both directions.  I know its old school, but very cost effective.  Update your specials daily and set it on the street, think of it as your daily blog post!  Best of all, servers can do it easily.

4.  Hand Out Free Drink Tickets

It’s no secret, people love free drinks.  Have some coupons on hand and hit the streets.  Invite people in for a free drink on the house.

1 Drink = 2 Drinks = Full out Dinner

Tell your servers to say “Stop in right now and get 1 free drink.”  This way you bank on the spontaneous factor, and who would pass up a free drink anyways?  Your customers are swimming by, now go fishing and land them in the boat.

5.  Take the Chinese Approach – Free Samples

You know what I am talking about, Mall Chinese Food.  The bourbon chicken sample kills it!  How many customers do they pluck daily with one free sample?  Your restaurant should take notes.

The Chinese know one thing, people can be swayed with free food.  You may have been craving a hot Sbarro’s Calzone until that spicy bourbon chicken came along.  Five minutes later you’re elbows deep in fried rice and crushing Crab Rangoon.  The free sample prevails once again.

Cut up some of your best sammies/apps.  Hit the streets and offer small sample sizes.  Once the customer is baited, hook them with a special inside.  Guarantee you will begin to pull customers off the streets like the Chinese do in malls.

These are some non-tech ways to get more customers.  Can you guys think of other clever marketing ideas?  How about restaurant owners, any of these techniques work for you?  Share your comments below!

Office buildings are freaking hilarious (at least mine is).  It’s not uncommon for the question “What’s for lunch” to spring up around 8am.  That sounds ridiculous, but if you forget lunch at home then you’re eating out.  It’s a great idea to get that ball rolling early.

If you work in a restaurant, you might not understand the politics behind a lunch break.  It’s the highlight of the day!  Everyone has to eat, and you’ve got one hour to do it.  The power is that offices order food in groups.  Do most restaurants understand this culture?  It amazes me that local restaurants never stop by our office to offer incentives.  They could be killing it!  Here are 4 quick office promo tips:

Take a Groupon Approach

Two key features why Groupon works:

1.  Sense of Urgency

2.  Fear of Loss

Basically, this offer is only good today, buy now or risk losing it forever.  QVC uses the same sales techniques, and so can you.

Put together a special offer that includes group buying.  Most offices order lunch in group orders anyways.  Drop it by an office building and tell them “If you get 10 people together to place an order in the next 2 days, we will offer you $5 sandwiches.”  Or whatever your most popular dish may be.  Just make the deal worth doing.  People will fight to sign up for $5 sandwiches when it comes to lunch. The key is to make the special worth doing, limit the time, and only make the offer valid if X number of people sign up.

Party Trays

People like free food.  Ok, people LOVE free food!  Drop off a sampler tray by an office next to your restaurant.  Include some of your favorite menu items.  Make sure to leave lunch menus and even a small incentive.  For example “Receive 10% off when 10+ people place an order.”  Bait them with the incentive, hook them with the free food, and land 10+ orders.

Exclusive Twitter offers.

If you are a restaurant on Twitter, than you probably have a follower who works in an office.  Send them a DM that morning saying “Hey, get 10 orders together and we will give you 25% off for lunch today.”  That sets a spark within the office early.  That person will start asking around if anyone is interested in ordering.  DM ten followers daily and you’re likely to get at least one large lunch order.  Make sure you have good relations with these people so they don’t see the offer as spam.  This goes back to basic principles of how your restaurant should be tweeting.

Group Happy Hour

Ok, this one doesn’t pertain to the lunch crowd, but it’s worth noting.  Office employees love happy hour, especially if it’s close.  The key is getting in touch with someone within the office.  Have them pick a date and offer a group happy hour.   These specials are exclusive to the people that attend.  This spreads like wildfire as people constantly ask each other if they are coming to happy hour tonight.  Whoever you set up the happy hour with is now your spokesperson.  Put them to work on getting a large group together.  Numbers baby!

What are some other ideas for office promotions?  We have tons, UrbanBacon being one of them!  Let’s start the discussion below, its lunchtime!

The majority of my life I grew up fishing private ponds, streams, and rivers in Missouri.  There is nothing like the serene stillness and peace of a bright summer day on the crystal water.  This is my element, at least as a kid it was.  I remember tying neon green and construction orange lures in hopes of landing that monster 8lb large mouth bass.  Constant casting and reeling while my lure danced across clear water taught me a great deal of patience.  In a way, fishing is like social media.  Are your customers biting your lures?

The Game is Patience

My father taught me the importance of patience.  He is honestly the most patient man I have ever met.  This transferred well into fishing for me.  When you’re bass fishing, you are constantly casting and retrieving different lures in efforts to attract fish.  Bass have instincts to strike what they haven’t seen before.  Therefore you should constantly change and adapt to water color, temperature, time of year, time of day, and what everyone else is fishing with.  This takes patience.  Learn that you won’t always land tons of fish until you find the right technique. Social media is the same way for your restaurant.  You have to offer different specials and react differently given the timing.  You are building an online customer base, and that takes time.  The most deadly mistake your restaurant can make is believing things happen over night.  You have to learn, try new things, and be patient with your customer base.

Push vs Pull Marketing

There are both push and pull strategies in fishing.  Buzz-baits make an awful buzzing sound that annoys fish to the point of striking out of frustration.  Are they effective?  You bet.  Spinner-baits use shiny metals to attract fish so they strike out of curiosity, also highly effective.  In essence: Buzz-baits = Push Marketing Spinner-baits = Pull Marketing Most social media platforms use a pull marketing technique.  Twitter is a perfect example of this.  90-95% of your tweets should be engaging (Pull Technique), and the rest to push your specials on followers.  Twitter followers consider specials as spam, so it’s best not to over tweet them.  Instead, you should focus on creating compelling content around your restaurant that pulls followers in.  Here are some tips on using Twitter like a double edged sword. UrbanBacon is more of a push marketing example.  Here you directly post your specials, and then work on pulling them in through comments/interaction.  UrbanBacon users are actively looking for specials, so you can get away with pushing specials upon them. Ideally you should use a combination of Push vs Pull according to Mike Atkinson from FOHBOH.  Play with your customer base and see which platform/strategy is more effective for your restaurant.

What Are You Fishing For?

In my eyes, there are 2 types of fishing:  Bass fishing and Cat fishing, and both use very different techniques.  For bass you typically use fake lures to constantly cast and retrieve.  Bass are aggressive and hunt their prey, so you must be aggressive.  Catfish are bottom dwellers meaning they sift through the pond floor for food. They rely on sense of smell, therefore stink bait smells like a steak dinner to them.  Let your bait hit the bottom, pull the line tight, and wait for a bite.  Are your customer’s bass or catfish? You should know what customers you’re fishing for.  Are you a trendy college bar?  Than why in the hell would you advertise in The Wall Street Journal?   Focus on producing content your customers will consume and revolve it around your restaurant.  For example, if you are a dive bar, than start a blog about dive bars across the country.  This will attract people who love dive bars.  Once they’re hooked, it’s up to you to land them into “the boat” a.k.a. your bar.  The foundation of content marketing is knowing what you’re fishing for.

Fish Different Spots, But Stick to Your Honey Hole

Anglers learn to try different spots.  There are plenty of fish, just some places are more abundant.  Through trial and error you can find these spots.  The main key is to get fishing, just remember your honey spot. There are tons of social media sites:  Facebook, Twitter, UrbanBacon, Yelp, etc where people are daily.  Which spot works best for you?  If your Facebook fans are extremely loyal, than this is your honey spot.  But don’t be scared to fish other social media sites.  They may just have the customers you’re looking for!

Fishing Takes Time

You want to start catching fish?  Start fishing!  Simple as that.  The more you fish, the more you catch.  You have to invest the time it takes to learn techniques, scout spots, tie lures, wait for bites, set hooks, and ultimately land fish.  If you want more fish it’s time to take action. Social media is exactly the same.  Want more followers?  Then you need to start connecting with people online.  There are multiple social media platforms already built, you have to invest the time.  It takes time to build a customer base online, and nothing happens overnight.  The customers are there, are you ready to invest the time? What do you guys think as restaurant owners?  As customers?  Is social media worth the time?  Leave your comments below!

Imagine walking up to a store, scanning a bar code, and getting instant online reviews.  Imagine getting special offers right before you walk into a restaurant, just by scanning a barcode.  Imagine scanning that same barcode and telling the world about your experience at that business.  As a business owner, did your heart just skip a beat?  Are you a Google Favorite Place?

Let’s get one thing straight, I am a Google Whore.  I love the company, and would possibly drop everything at a shot to work for them.  I also LOVE technology, the internet, and people.  Google has a very innovative way of connecting those three concepts, and I love them.  But Favorite Places on Google is something that scares me, well kinda…

Google has sent over 100,000 stickers to local businesses and listing them as a Google Favorite Place.  You can watch the trailer here.  These stickers contain a QR Barcode that looks like this.  Your smartphone scans the barcode and immediately takes you to the mobile business page of that establishment (another reason to get rid of your rotary phone).  The page contains reviews, contact info, and special promotions regarding that establishment.  While this technology seems awesome in face value, could it be bad for restaurants?

Spontaneity is Dead

Online sites like Yelp kill spontaneity.  Not that it’s totally a bad thing, but the days of “there is a new restaurant up the street, let’s go check it out” are over.  Now it’s “lets check it out ONLINE first.”  Consumers have the ability to be savvier this way, and it raises restaurant standards among consumers.  Which in the end, I believe betters us all, but the idea of being 100% spontaneous is dead.

Google Favorite Places takes this to a whole new extreme.  What if a consumer decides to try your restaurant on a whim, only to read a bad review right before walking in the door?  Does that stop a consumer in their tracks?  Probably not, but it will etch a pre-conceived notion in their minds.

Offer them SPECIALS!

I love specials, and I’m a sucker for a great happy hour.  It’s one of the main reasons we built UrbanBacon!  But am I really going to drive all the way to restaurant/bar to figure out a special?  No, but than again I live in St. Louis, MO…we are forced to drive almost everywhere.

In a bigger city, I could see this being beneficial.  You walk by a Google Favorite Place, scan the barcode, and instantly get special offers.  This may increase spontaneity and entice new customers to stop.  On the flip side of the coin, you could be offering discounts to customers who were going to pay full price anyways.  They are already at your front door about to walk in.  They had full intentions of paying full price, and now you just lost on profits.  Do you assume that risk?

Do You Track Your Marketing Efforts?

One of the greatest tools Google has ever invented is Analytics.  While there is not a separate analytics page for Favorite Places yet, it’s coming.  This could be a HUGE benefit.  You can track who scans your barcode, which links they click, and watch your marketing efforts.  If Google combines Analytics with actual sales, this will be EXTREMELY beneficial for restaurant owners.  Imagine tracking your ROI in real time…now that’s innovative!

Google Favorite Places is still an infant.  Quite frankly, they are still only testing the product.  Most QR scanners for smartphones are having problems scanning barcodes.  What do you guys think, innovative or too much Big Brother?

Why where The Romans such a dominate army?

One Reason: The Gladius aka “the sword that conquered the world”

This technology allowed soldiers to dish massive amounts of damage to opponents that leveled entire armies!  When was the last time your iPhone conquered Greece?  It’s funny how a simple technological advancement can be so powerful.  Sounds like Twitter, right?

We all know Twitter is a powerful networking tool.  That’s not a secret.  Just like the double edge sword, its also has an incredibly simple design.  This in return, deserves a simple approach.  There is no magic bullet to killing Twitter, but we can let you in on a secret tactic that works, keep reading…

The Nature of Twitter and Specials

Twitter is entirely user based.  Without users the service dies.  Therefore, the nature of Twitter follows natural human behavior.  We all want deals/specials and we will jump through hoops to get them.  Getting hooked up makes us feel special, destroys buyer remorse, and keeps us coming back.  Face it, by nature we are suckers for great deals.

Yet, we don’t want to be sold, because that just sucks.  So how does a restaurant offer deals without selling?  What is the super secret trick to posting ninja specials?  Are you ready for it?

The Super Secret Ninja Tweet Example:

“RT this and we will send you a coupon for…”

Profound, huh?  Not really…we told you Twitter deserves a simple approach.  But this single tweet alone can be a double edge sword, here’s why:

1.  The coupon = exposure = more customers to your restaurant

2.  Since they must RT to get the coupon, it encourages everyone of their followers to RT it also

Wondering what this can do for your followers and email lists?  Say someone RT’s you in order to get the coupon, which means it’s time for a ninja move.

@mention them saying:

“Totally pumped to send you our coupon, please DM me your email.”

In order to DM someone, they must follow you.  See where the hoops are leading?  Once they DM their email to you, send them their coupon immediately.  They have deserved it.

Do not forget to rehash by asking them:

“Do you wish to receive coupons in the future to this email?”

If they agree, consider this a sign up for your email list =) In a matter of seconds you have gained a customer, follower, and email subscriber. Some may call this gaming the system…I call it brilliant marketing.  After all, you are offering the consumer something they want, for free.

WARNING:  Yes, this works.  It’s effective as The Roman’s double-edged sword.  But even a powerful nation like Rome became arrogant and fell. Use this technique sparingly as ALL your marketing efforts on Twitter. Twitter makes a better customer service platform anyways.  It’s all about meeting people and listening.  95% of your Tweets should be talking to people, the other 5% can be marketing.

@RizzoTees once told me to respect the twitterverse, and it will show you love.  I believe that wholeheartedly.  In tha words of Ali G – “Respect!”

DO you guys know any other effective Twitter tips?  Leave your comments below or share this!

It’s no secret, chain restaurants are ultra successful business models.  They work.  They work extremely well.  Have you ever asked why?

Look, we are not promoting large corporate chains.  We love local restaurants and bars!  Helping every local restaurant in this country is our goal.  That doesn’t mean we can’t analyze chain restaurants and learn from them.

In 1955, Ray Kroc started a little chain hamburger joint called McDonald’s…maybe you heard of them?  McDonald’s was an instant classic.  You can read their story here.

The success of McDonald’s did not happen overnight.  Two brothers wanted to streamline their small hamburger stand for efficiency.  They started drawing out the flow of their kitchen on a tennis court.  Everything was strategically placed to maximize efficiency and consistency.  Then they took it a step farther.  They developed an in-depth how-to manual that someone in high school could follow.  Viola, fast food is born!

Here are 5 strategies independent restaurants can learn from McDonald’s:

You MUST Plan Operations

What is the major success behind McDonald’s?

Operations…

Every chain and fast food restaurant has copied this pattern:  Build an in-depth infrastructure that is highly efficient and consistent.  Independent restaurants rarely take the time to develop a solid manual.  You need to develop charts, manuals, and how-to pictures for the staff.  These should be set as “guidelines” for your staff to follow.  Post these charts directly in the kitchen for quick reference.

I know it sounds like a ton of work, and I am not suggesting you run a Nazi Regime.  In the end, you are still running a business.  Imagine how streamlined your business will run.  Fast food adopted these strategies to pump out a consistent product.  Your independent restaurant can enjoy the same success if you take the time.

Consistency is Key!

Why do millions of people go to McDonald’s everyday?  Two reasons:

• You know what your getting
• The price is right

People visit McDonalds everyday based on expectations.  Do they think the food is amazing?  Not likely…but they expect it to taste the same every time.  This level of expectation keeps people coming back.

Chain restaurants like Ruby Tuesday, Applebees, or Friday’s post in their kitchen how-to photos of entrees directly on the line for cooks.  When your kitchen is slammed, it is much easier to look at a picture and duplicate it.  Chef Gordon Ramsey also uses this method on the show Kitchen Nightmares.  Take the time to develop how-to photos and post them on your line.  The more consistent your product, the more customers will consistently come back.

Show me the Money!

McDonalds offers an extremely affordable dollar menu.  Guess what, you’re not McDonalds.  That doesn’t mean you cannot offer affordable alternatives.

The NRA listed local foods as the hottest trend in 2010.  Organics and healthy choices are also predicted to be big this upcoming year.  Take advantage, offer a reasonable lunch menu and emphasize your local support.  Most people will pay the extra dollar for something local and amazing.  You don’t have to offer a dollar menu, but a limited lunch menu for $6.99 is right on target.

Are you an Owner, or Employee?

When Ray Kroc evolved the McDonald’s Brother’s Operations into a nationwide franchise, he never looked back.  The operations manuals were set in place.  McDonald’s could teach a monkey to sell hamburgers, and people will buy them.

A big problem with owners is they still take on the responsibility of an employee.  They want to oversee the kitchen everyday.  They are constantly monitoring the floor.  Are you an owner, or an employee?

With solid operations and guidelines set in place, your manager can handle daily work.  I understand not all restaurants are big enough or even set goals like this.  But if  your goal is to open multiple restaurants and expand, than you must act like a CEO.

By setting a solid system and letting managers handle the daily work, you are free to focus on expansion.  Things like marketing, financial duties, and business opportunities.  This is the only way your business will grow.  Put the trust into your plan, and focus on expansion.  It was certainly a profitable model for Ray Kroc.

Do you Realize Curbside Potential?

It’s no secret, I used to work at a Ruby Tuesday’s.  They do a curbside to-go service, it’s basically carryout without the McDonald’s drive-thru window.  The customer orders ahead, drives up, and their food is brought to them.  This accounted for probably 25-35% of our business.  Do you realize how much business opportunity is there?

Designate one server as your curbside server.  They will take all phone orders and ring them in.  This also puts them in charge of gathering utensils, napkins, and food.  Have them run it out to cars as they pull up to your restaurant.  Most servers won’t mind doing this because people generally tip for curbside.  Promote your curbside menu across all social media platforms.

McDonald’s has drive-thru and Ruby Tuesday has curbside.  The goal is to move more products.  Learn from these chains and start promoting a curbside service.

What do you guys think?  Can independent restaurants learn from McDonald’s?  Leave your comments below!