Being Personal Connected with your Guests is Everything

How come a chef-owner will spend 20 + years learning to be good at what he does by working in well known chefs kitchens day and nights and very little or no time at all learning the 'People Business'?

There is no better way for a potential chef-owner to learn the People Business than waiting tables in an upscale restaurant before starting out being a chef-owner!

Running around in the kitchens of your own or others, assuming you know what people like or dislike will only lead to disaster as a chef-owner!

No wonder there is so many restaurant failures in the the US

Just take one excample of how guests will much rather lie than telling you the truth when asked "how was everything"? 97% of the time they will lie and say "Great, we'll be back" They rather lie than having a confrontation and their friends thinking they are 'complainers' and not be re-invited out for dinner with same friends ever again!

But, try to call same guets

Being Personal Connected with your Guest is Everything

Make your telephone ring with reservations sundays thru thusdays

Most good restaurants can fill their seats on weekends, but how do they do it on Tuesday night?
If you can capture the guests data on weekends, you can invite them back by sending them a 'Thank You' invitation to come back with their friends on week nights
And do the same for with Birthday and Anniversary invitations...

Boca restaurant gets ROI, return of investment, of 2.314%

After only 13 months of guest database marketing Fleming's Bistro in Boca Raton have 4508
guests in their database.
Each new entry get a 'thank you' note asking their patron to help out by bringing in two or more friends so more people can experience their restaurant.
Each data entry represent two person 95 % of the time wich translate in to 9016 Birthday invitations.
Since most data entry are married couples with a strong sence of loyalty and a good portion of
the American phenomenon of "helping the little guy" their patrons go out of their way to do just that..."help the little guy" prevail and grow his business.
Fleming's Bistro tracks all their redemption's and they know their marketing cost to a teeth
and March 2010 generated a redemption sale on Sundays thru Thursdays only of $ 25.592.98
and their total marketing cost for march 2010 was $ 1.121.92
Not even Madoff can come close to this kind of ROI, return on investment!....2.314%

Show me a successful restaurant...and I will show you a restaurant full of mature Americans

Knowing you Florida demographic will either make you or brake you.
65 and older Americans will swell to 6 million and amounts for 60% of population growth the next few years in Florida
A total of 24 million people will be living here in a year or two, and get this...
26.2% is over 65.
Such a high percentage of retiree's will fuel the economic growth for table service restaurants.
Create a winning formula for mature Americans and for you restaurant.
Remember, it's not price they are looking for, but value!
You will be smiling all the way to the bank...if you got the rigth combination.
Think about it!

IT'S THE P-E-C's, Personal Emotional Connections, STUPID

Oppertunities in down economy just awvesome

When your competition start cutting corners in slow economy you should do the complete oppesite. Spend, Spend, Spend.....let's call it invest, invest, invest...

Market the hell out of your restaurant, hire the best P/R professional money can buy and get a human interest stories about you and your restaurant. Invite your loyal patron for complimetary birthday or anniversary dinner as your guests. Buy frequent patrons a comp. bottle of wine.

Bake extra bread and give to late dinner guests to take home. If Italian, give guests a gift like a mason jar of your secret marinada sauce to take home. Bring dinner guests comp. appetizers and ask for their opinion on yout 'new' menu experientations?

Start building a database of guests won with personal data, birthday,anniversary etc.etc.

and send a handwritten 'thank you' for joining your paronal extended family of friends and patrons. Remember your family and their special days, birthdays and anneversaries, and they will remember you all your long. Be a giver and not a taker. don't cut the size on your baked potato, don't serve old bread, don't buy cheap toielet paper, don't save on the A/C.

If you are an independent upscale restaurauteur call your guests next moning and assure yourself your patrons had a never to be forgotten dining experience. If not, find out why not?

Don't send them a free dinner complimentary gift certificate. Send them all the money plus the tip back on a check along with a letter of appoligies and aske them to send you the change as you over estimated the amount spend in your restaurant...

In no time at all you action will spread by 'word of mouth' in your comunity as people like to do business with someone who is not doing it for the money

THERE IS WISDOM IN LESSONS LEARNED!

Some years ago JOHN GIRAGOS of JOHN G’s restaurant at the Lake Worth pier was honored honored as the Florida restaurateur of the year. A great honor that he well deserved.

He is an old timer who to this day don’t take credit cards, and not until recently did he install an ATM. Guest without money or a checkbook would mail him a check, and according to his according to his daughter, Wendy, he always got paid because he trusted his guests.
His ‘customer trust account’ has never stopped growing. You may wonder why?

By: Jorgen Moller
Chef-Owner Emeritus

I don’t know if John is more known for his generosity, his community involvement, his consistently good food ( ZAGAT Rated for years) or his line of guests waiting around the building, 7 days a week… all year!
John ‘G’s have served only breakfast and lunch for more than 30 years and don’t even offer a dessert menu in order to turn tables faster. Smaller check averages, yes! Higher turn over, yes! More profit, yes!

The reason for Johns phenomenal success and longevity is that it’s all about family and people.
On Sunday morning for more years than I care to remember, John would “WORK THE LINE IN THE DOOR” by passing out complimentary chocolate covered fresh strawberries to his waiting guests. Shaking hands, kissing the ladies and just schmooze with all his guests waiting in line to get in to his restaurant.
John is a gold medal schmoozer…he created more goodwill on one Sunday morning working the line in the door, than most restaurants do in one year. Watching him in ‘operation’ is a sheer joy!

Last week I arrived for another wonderful lunch with my wife Monica, just before closing at 3:00 PM. We beat the line in the door, and it gave me a welcome opportunity to converse with Wendy, John’s daughter who now runs the store together with her brothers Jay and Keith,
About their dad’s 80th birthday coming up soon.

That she loves her dad very much is obvious looking at the sparkle in her eyes when speaking of him. I have known John since we moved to Delray Beach in 1988 and I thought I knew everything about him. Wendy said to me: “You know Jorgen, my dad was in the dry-cleaning business in Detroit before opening John ‘G’s here in Lake Worth.” Well, that in itself is not so unusual, as everyone in Florida comes from some place else before…But, John’s story is very different…let me share with you a little ‘secrets’ Wendy told me:
She said: “My dad had this dream of moving his family to Florida and raise his family in the restaurant business since he strongly believes that a family who works together will stay together.” Family unity, yes!

“One little problem with this dream of John’s was, that there was a lot dry cleaning businesses in John’s neighborhood in Detroit that was for sale. Only the business with large following were selling to fulfill his dream he had to have the most successful dry cleaning business in town to attract a buyer to pay the high price John needed for him to bring his family to Florida and open a restaurant.”

“Being forever the entrepreneur that John is, he came up with a brilliant marketing plan…
Every day for many years, John would hand ONE $ 20.00 bill attached by a safety pin to the clothes of his dry cleaning customer and tell this person that he found this $ 20.00 bill in the pocket of his/her clothes when they brought it in for him to clean.” The “WORD OF MOUTH’ of his ‘honesty’ in this Detroit neighborhood, where honesty was as rare as the Florida sunshine, enabled him to sell his very successful dry cleaning store for enough money to fulfill his Florida dream.” An institution was born. …and the rest is history!

If you can find a ‘legitimate mistake’ and mail your guest a refund check in a window envelope, your guests will remember you all year and the rest of their life’s. But remember, what “happen in Vegas, stays in Vegas” don’t tell your spouse as they think you are crazy! I have done this myself with extraordinary results = $$$$$
Have fun and enjoy the ride. Jorgen
Jorgen Moller is the Founder and President of Sold Out Tonight Inc. Specializing in proven and tested data base marketing strategies for independent chef-owners-restaurateurs and their guests won.. A past lifetime achievement IVY AWARD winner and a **** Mobil Guide recipient as Chef-Owner of Americas 83rd largest independent in Miami, The Prince Hamlet, Danish Restaurant. His Delray restaurant, ‘Out Of Denmark’ maintained a Top Rating by ZAGAT for five consecutive years w/ $ 7888.00 per sq .ft. in yearly sale. You can reach Jorgen at 561.702.6677 or Jorgen@soldouttonight.com (FYI visit his former rest. website@ www.jorgenmollersr.com )

To get the business, you got to give!

When upscale guests, the ones that drop $30./50.00 per person or more for dinner, start cutting their expanses, they will now go out for dinner one or two times less a week than they used to.

Their decision where to go now will be based on many factors.
besides good food, service and ambiance. Price is NOT one of them:

1. Where the greeted as family?
2. Did the chef send over some comp. appetizers for them to try out?
3. Was the A/C comfortable on their last visit?
4. Did someone call them after their last visit to inquire about their experience?
5. Did they get a birthday invitation for a comp/ wine or entree on their birthday?
6. Did they get a 'THANK YOU VERY MUCH' card in the mail after their last visit.
7. Did the owner send over a bot. of comp. wine two years ago when they broth friends to their restaurant three time in the same week?
8. Did the owner buy them bot. of wine with their business card when they met them in another restaurant having dinner ? or buy them a dessert, discreetly paying the tab before leaving, so their guests would not learn about this gesture before they got their check.
9. Did they ever get a refund check in the mail after telling the owners on the phone when called to inquire about their experience, about the only bad experience they ever had?
10. Did the restaurant give their guests a small bag of coffee to take home after guests gave a compliment on their coffee?

and the list goes on and on......for a total great memorable dining experience...

actually, what got these people to make reservation tonight was the phone call from the owner in response to his parking attendant reporting back to him that he had overheard his guests talking among them self while waiting for their car " we will never come back again, bla,bla,bla, and gotten the guests name and phone number so the owner could call his guests in the morning. This incident happen many years ago, but the letter from the owner in the mail with a full refund including tip was never forgotten by the guest who had become the best 'un-paid' P/R people he ever had on his 'Work For Food' payroll. The guests mailed back the check and told the owner "We'll Be Back" and they did, 100's of times, each time with new friends...

These are the kind of things that goes on in peoples mind when making decision on which restaurant to make reservation.

WHAT'S YOUR STORY ?

As a young chef at the Friars Club in Beverly Hill's ( before Wulfgang Puck) where I was cooking for the stars I walked away with many lessons having 'lived' with 700 Jewish Families for three years.

One of the best lessons learned, was that everybody got to have ' a story ' !

They would say to me " We know what your story is !" I had no clue what they were talking about...

And for the fist time did I learn of how the Danish people helped 99 % of their Jewish population escape the Naxi's to neutral Sweden.

It wasn't untill I got back to my native Denmark years later that I confronted my father and 'demanded' to know what all this talk about what the Danes did for their Jewish countrymen doing world war 11.

For 23 years my dad had told no one about our familys contribution to rescueing the Jews from the extengtion in the Nazi concetration camps. He said" Let's try to forget and get on with our lifes"

How to really WOW guests while eating in your restaurant

Implement a system where you (the restaurant owner) on the slowest night of the week select one or two tables to be your guests for the night. You would surprise and delight them with a dining experience never to be forgotten and they would definitely tell their friends.

Here’s how it could work: When your guest asks for the bill, they won’t get one, instead, they receive a personal letter from the owner, saying that in appreciation of their patronage they are your guests tonight and the meal “is on the house”. This letter could also be used as a news story in a local paper on how restaurants can grow their business by giving.

The restaurant owner could also entice his guests by mentioning that this is done the same day every week. You want to select the slowest day. Guests are picked at random so no one knows who will be chosen. This makes for a fun night for guests, waiters and chefs who are in attendance that night.

How Clean Are The Places We Eat?

We all hear the horror stories about eating out, either upscale in a Ruth’s Chris or fast food chain like McDonalds. I’ve heard everything from bugs crawling to hairs in people’s food and sometimes the wonderful story about animal droppings.

Does it really matter where you eat? What can a restaurant do to prevent these?

I watched a TV show featuring Chef Gordon Ramsey called “Kitchen Nightmares” and it had me thinking. How many restaurants do I go into where I can only trust the management on cleanliness, fresh food and that I won’t get sick? Does the food sit out in the open? Does the meat stay cold enough not to attract any harmful bacteria? Each state has it's own way of inspecting restaurants and people should check out the results before eating out. I’m not sure of what the answer is, tours, dining tables in the kitchen, cooking class or some other way to let the public view behind the traffic doors. A great place to start for owners is the National Restaurant Asscoication.

What Kills Resturaunt's? It's the "WE'LL BE BACK" Trick

Having lunch with the publisher of Today's Restaurant News he told me a story of a close friend of his in the the restaurant business.

His friend had asked him what he thought was wrong with his restaurant as the sales were going steadily south. He said; "Howard, I don't understand it, as the guests leave, they shake my hand, kiss my wife and tell us, "It was wonderful, we'll be back..." but they don't come back, why?

This publisher, Howard Appell, said he did not have the heart to tell his friend all the things he knew was killing his business!

If this operator had any brains, he would start calling his guests the very next morning on the phone and ask if they had a good experience in his restaurant last night.

This operator would then learn that most of guests are a bunch of liars as the very same people who told him; We'll be back," had a very different story to tell him in the privacy of their own home.He would instantly learn and understand why his business was going south!

Then, if a guests had a real bad experience, he should send back all the money including the tip that this poor abused guest had spent in his restaurant along with letter of apology.

In many cases his guests would be thrilled to death over his gesture and send the check back, with reassurance that they indeed would be back to his restaurant.
Some of his guests would cash the check and deduct only what they spent and send the balance of the money back.

This restaurant operator would soon find out that his guests 'trust account' would start to grow along with his increased business.
No guest will ever forget a gesture like that!

Years later this guest will not remember the name of the restaurant, what they eat or whom they had dinner with, but they will all ways remember the check in the mail!

In order to using this idea as a marketing concept to grow your business, you need to allocate 1% of sales to be refunded to "unhappy" guests.

EVERYONE LOVES A BIRTHDAY PARTY...

If you are looking for great ways to promote goodwill, increase traffic and sales, look no further than the guest at your tables, because everybody has a birthday.

66 % of all Americans go out for dinner on their birthday according to National Restaurant Association.

"Get this: Eigthty - one percent of those who were send a birthday card redeemed their offer." said Karla Pavese, co-owner of Cuisina di Amore in Liverpool, New York

"Even a poor restaurant operator like me can afford .27cents for a postcard wishing my guests a happy birthday"

"This marketing strategy is cheap to put in place. Get some comment cards out on the tables today. Once your database becomes bigger you will need to automate the process. The first few months of fulfillment can be done by hand, and the money that you will make will help you buy the initial cost to automate your system"

"Do yourself a favor and get into the birthday business. You will gain a friend instead of a guests when you send a card to him or her. And when you make a friend, you have a guests for life."

It's the "We'll Be Back" Stupid that kills restaurants

Our gusts are the worlds biggest liars.

They rather lie than have a confrontation with a hard working owner or manager.

Any operator who believes his guests saying ;' We'll be Back" should have their head checked.

In today's fast moving restaurant business, it is more important than ever to extract the truth from the your guests.

One way is to call guests abck the next morning and ask how their friends enjoyed themselfes?

Be prepaired to handle the truth, because they will tell you in privacy of their home on the phone with you...

If you have valet parking, have your 'boy's' be the wistleblower for you. Pay a bonus for every name and phone number they give you for a unhappy customer that they overheard while they were waitng for their car!
You call them the next morning, and you will blow their mind. Invite them back if they are not too mad at you, or send all the money back including the tip with a note of apoligies.
You wil have have made an avocate out of an assin.

This way you can stay on top of your operation.

How big do your guest database have to be?

Restaurant & Institution Magazine reports that Morton's of Chicago have 250.000 guests in their database. That may seem a like a lot of guests data.

But if you consider Morton's have 7o restaurants in their their chain the number for each restaurant is like 3570 guests per restaurant.

Knowing this, all the independent have to do is have not less than 100 guests data per seat in their restaurants and they will have the competitive edge needed in today's razor sharp competition with the dinner chains who are trying to look like an independent.
Lets take a 100 seat restaurant with 100 guests data per seat = 10.000 guest data.
Most dinner restaurant is frequented by couples, so the 10.000 guests is actually double when it comes to sending out a birthday invitation.

Then all you have to do is mail 20.000 birthday invitation to celebrate with a party of four or more on a weekday night over a year and figure this...

Many smaller restaurants where the owners are known to the guests will
get a minimum of 10 % redemption's.

Restaurant Start Up & Growth Magazine in the October issue had a story of a small independent small restaurant , Cucina di Amore in Liverpool, NY owned by Karla Pavese, that got EIGHTY ONE PERCENT of those who were sent a birthday card redeemed. WOW!

But, let's stay with our number of 10 % of 20.000 invitations = 2000 guests x party of four x national check average by ZAGAT of 32.60 and you will have an additional incremental annual gross income of $ 260.800,00

Not to mention the good will and loyalty created by remembering your guests on their birthday, and the additional new guests celebrating with your 'invited' regular patrons who will now become part of your extended family of friends and loyal patrons in your database.

It is then up to you to make this a memorable evening and don't let your guest leave without some sort of gift in their hand. Like if you had an Italian restaurant you may give a mason jar (with you label & phone # on it )with you grandmothers secret recipe marinara sauce.

I bet you, that years later when these people talk about that special evening, no one remember
what they had to eat or the name of your restaurant, but they will all remember the $ 2.00 insignificant gift you so gracefully gave them...

Amazing, but that is all it takes to be remembered for years to come.

With a large database of guests won the Independents in America will be in charge of their own destiny

Ten Golden Rules for a Successful Restaurant Opening

Here are Ten Golden Rules for a successful launch for a new restaurant.

1. Hold a Grand Opening Event (this is not optional!)
Studies have shown that restaurants that open without a grand opening event have significantly less sales success in their first two years than restaurants that do hold an opening. The event should take place three to four weeks after the store is operational to allow new staff to be trained and management to work out the kinks. It can take place on one night or over a whole weekend or week, if possible try to tie into local special events or calendar opportunities.

2. Invite local celebrities, dignitaries and relevant associations
Send a classy invitation to local celebrities and dignitaries including local politicians, local school principals, the police chief and fire chief. These people will add a local flair to the grand opening event and they are good friends to have in the future. Additionally these people are often popular networkers and they can spread valuable word-of-mouth. If you have an Italian restaurant invite the local Italian club, if you have a Jewish Restaurant invite the Boards of Directors of your local Synagogues.

3. Announce the Restaurant and Grand Opening Event with a press release
Prepare a list of local media and send the media release by mail or email well in advance of the event. Select all local and regional newspapers, local radio stations and websites. Call important media personally to invite them out and ensure all of your staff knows to get you immediately if the media shows up. TREAT THE MEDIA AS GODS AND GODDESSES, they expect it and they can make or break you. Give them a tour of your restaurant, introduce them to dignitaries at the launch event and follow up with a professional thank you letter immediately after the event.

4. Offer a Grand Opening Prize
At the Grand Opening Event and throughout Grand Opening Week offer a significant prize draw. This is a critical to build your mail and email list and your list is critical to ongoing marketing efforts.

5. Don’t forget your neighbors.
It is always beneficial to build good relations with neighboring stores, restaurants and hotels. Invite them to the Grand Opening Event, A concierge or hostess might recommend you to some tourists; another merchant might mention you in a media interview. Being a good neighbor can pay big dividends.

6. Make the Opening Grand.
Balloons are mandatory, a banner a bonus. It is old fashioned but critical to making the event and ‘Event’. Make it worthwhile for people who took the time to join you, feature your signature dishes and if appropriate host a simple bar. If the public will be in attendance you may be able to have a VIP area for invited guests and media. Hire a magician or other relevant mascot to hand out treats or just to add spectacle. If your budget allows for paid media, newspaper ads and radio ads are great, and a live radio remote with pre-promotion adds to the event. Hand out coupons for attendees to come back to the restaurant or for them to pass to friends and family.

7. Thank friends, family and everyone who helped you get started.
Invite everyone who was involved in making the store happen, your banker, your contractor, friends and family. Start a list today and make sure you thank everyone at the event.

8. Involve your team in the event
Give your staff assignments to help prepare for the event. Someone can help you put a media list together; another staff member can plan the menu. Involve them all along the way and make sure they feel like it is their Opening Night (or weekend or week), give them ownership, responsibility and make them feel special and appreciated at the event.

9. Get post event publicity.
Hire a professional photographer for the event and send out the photos to attendees and the media immediately after the event. If you have a photo shaking hands with a local media member or the local police chief or mayor it should make local papers. Consider making a donation to a local charitable cause; perhaps donate a percentage of sales on opening day. This donation will get additional post-event media coverage and will be well received by the community.

10. Make a keepsake
Prepare a collage of photos, invitations and media clippings and have it professionally framed, hang it in the store to commemorate your great start!

$20 on the Floor

I worked in a classy steak house chain when I was going to college. One day our new manager stapled a $20 bill to bottom of a coaster and left the coaster in a hallway all of the waiters and buspeople passed by while going to and from the kitchen and bar area.

After several minutes a senior waiter picked up the coaster. Of course the waiter proceeded to tell a number of the other employees and that story has stayed with me for over twenty years. Now I never pass a piece of garbage in any work place without stopping to pick it up!

There are many ways to teach and reinforce the core messages we want our staff to learn. Maybe it is worth $20 to connect with some of your team?

The Case of the Disapearing Waiter

Last night we dined at a very exclusive restaurant.

The hostess sat us promptly and politely. The waiter introduced himself and promptly took our drink orders, and then our dinner orders.

After dinner the waiter was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, the manager was close at hand and cleared our plates and brought the bill.

How can you ensure your server is consistent throughout a meal?

KIND ACTS NEVER FORGOTTEN!

When was the last time you did something from the heart?

The following letter was written to the original owner of a 2nd generation very busy lunch & breakfast landmark restaurant serving 1000's of guests every day.

"Dear John:
I was recently in Lake Worth after 34 years!
I was so surprised that your wonderful restaurant was still there and going 'gangbusters' !
in 1973 I was only 17 years old and worked at the "Lu-Lu Restaurant' on J street and lived on some very sparse tips. I rented a 'room by the week' and was really struggling to make ends meet.
Occasionally, I would ride my bike to the beach and would come into your restaurant for a grilled cheese!
One day you bought me my sandwich and your kind act has never been forgotten!
What a wave of 'deja-vu' when all these years later I came in, had lunch and got to see you and personally thank you . I am guessing you were in your mid 40's back then and you still look the same!
God bless you"
Laurie Popovick
PS. If you are ever in Chicago I'll sell you a condo and buy you a grilled cheese.

How often do you do something for a guest that is totally unexpected and kind?

Whether it's a 2.5 oz bag of coffee you give to a guest after a nice compliment on you coffee
or a loaf of bread to take home after a compliments on your delicious bread or giving your patron a mason jar with your wonderful 'mothers secret recipes' marinara sauce because your guest said to you " I just love your marinara sauce..."

In short, it could be any insignificant little thing to you, but it could mean the world to someone else, that would never be forgotten!

What idea can you dream up for your guests???

Remember, the more you give, the more you get!

The art of giving

When a guest compliments you on your coffee, just say thank you and keep moving on.
A little later, before guest leave, bring each lady in the party a 2.5 oz. bag of coffee to take home. You may want to say something like this:" When you brew this coffee in the morning I know you will get a delicious taste in your mouth again and you will think about what a memorable evening you had here tonight.
Your guest will remember this little gesture long after the forgot what they ate in your restaurant. "Remember that restaurant where the waiter gave us the coffee to take home?'

What's a social director?

Every household in America has a social director. Usually it's the woman of the house.

She will run the social calendar for her family, never forgetting a birthday!
In households with the most income she spends 77 % of all disposable income.
This prime time woman never leaves the house without her calendar.
No matter where she is, she will at a moments notice approve or dis-approve her husband's cell phone call about a dinner date on this and this date.

In addition, she will be the one that will arrange the dinner dates with her girlfriends and their husband's according to the 'Word of Mouth' reputation of the restaurants.
From divorce attorneys to cruises to the spa's to your restaurant she knows where to go by "Word of Mouth" from her friends.

I remember taking a reservation for a CEO of a Fortune 500 company with 75,000 employees, but when it came time to determine whether it should be 7:30 PM or 8 PM, this CEO had to get his wife and ask 'permission' to make it 8 PM and not 7:30 PM as his wife had requested.
Always focus on your Prime Time Woman guests and make her happy, whatever it takes!
...and you will see a lot of her in your restaurant with all her friends!

What is "Word of Mouth" Marketing ?

Restaurants live or die by "Word of Mouth"
It is not your guests responsibility to remember you,
it is your obligation to make sure they don't forget you.

It is your job to find guests who like to talk about you, but how?
Most likely your dining room if full of your fans already.
Just do ordinary things in an extraordinary way! - it's that simple!

Give your guests something to talk about, and they will!

Chef-Owners, please look for critisism & save your business

The trouble with us chef-owners is, that we rather be ruined by praise than be saved by criticism.

When a chef-owner starts his day by calling last nights guest to learn how his guests really enjoyed themselves, he better be prepared for surprises...

The same guest who last night kissed him goodbye and told him they loved everything and that they would soon be back again, now tell a whole other story in the privacy of their home and on the phone.

Listen, listen , listen to your guests, make appropriate corrections and continue to be successful.

What's a Chef Entrepreneur ?

It is my opinion after 35 years as a chef-owner, that failure is a phase through which nearly all chef-owners must pass on the way to success.

The ability to take a punch, and then get up on their feet again,
this time determined more than ever to win the 'war'
is the defining characteristics of a chef-owner entrepreneur.

How to get your guests to work for you!

Each time a new guest enters your database, make sure you send a 'thank you' note next day, in which you ask your patron to help you by bringing in their friends so more people can try out your restaurant.

In appreciation for their help in bringing in their own referrals buy them a bottle of wine with a party of four or more if they come doing the week when you most likely need the incremental business. It works!

Creating memories = repeat business!

You are in the business of creating memories for your guests because you know it means repeat business.

One way to do this is by presenting your birthday guests with a birthday cake and a Glitzzz super sparkler.

Years later your guest will remember your restaurants as the one with the big birthday sparkler. Your guests may not remember what they ate, but they will remember the birthday surprise 'firework' forever!

66% of all Americans dine out on birthdays

According to a National Restaurant Association Survey 66 % of all Americans eat out on their birthdays.

Did you mail your guests and patrons a birthday card?

If not, you missed the boat!

Cutting Corners Can Cut Customers

On Saturday I was looking forward to visiting one of my all time favorite pizza restaurants for dinner. All day I could practically taste their famous garlic rolls on my tongue. In fact, I mentioned to my wife in the car ride how much I was looking forward to the garlic rolls.

We arrived early and we got a nice seat by the front windows. The waiter took our order and I reminded him that I was looking forward to the garlic rolls.



When the rolls came, I took my first bite and I was so disappointed! The rolls were one day old and they were reheated. Imagine how let down I felt. I will always think twice about visiting my former favorite pizza place.

Cutting corners can save pennies, but a loyal customer can be worth hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. I must have been to this pizza place at least 20 times. Average check $20 times 4, that is $1600. I once calculated that me and my family had spent over $150,000 at another restaurant.

Next time you want to cut a corner, make sure you aren't cutting customers.

Meet Award Winning Chef Jorgen Moller!

I met Jorgen Moller at his restaurant Out of Denmark in 2004. I was amazed at how many times the lights were turned down in the full and busy restaurant to bring a special dessert out with a blazing danish sparkler lighting the way.

Jorgen explained to me that every sparkler signified a customer who had returned to the restaurant to celebrate a birthday or anniversary. Each of these returning customers were a part of his direct marketing program. Jorgen had never been classically trained as a marketer, but he was among the most intuitive and inventive marketers I had ever met!

I invited Jorgen to speak to the American Marketing Association and he delighted the audience with colorful examples of how he fills the seats in his restaurant. He then darkened the room and had special desserts with sparklers sparkling delivered by the hotel staff. Sadly, Jorgen sold Out if Denmark, but happily, he has dedicated his life to helping other restaurateurs fill their seats night after night.

Colorful, creative and passionate, I am proud to call Jorgen a friend and proud to be a part of brining his marketing lessons to you! In this blogWe will be sharing marketing ideas for restaurants and ideas of how to bring in customers to a restaurant. Please visit often. Comment. participate. We'd love this to become a vibrant an enjoyable restaurant community.