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shopping for the bargain. That is what they are loyal to. When the
         restaurant down the street has a better discount than you, that is
         where you’ll find them.


         Discounting also conditions your customers to think that you are
         willing to devalue your products. Why would guests want to pay
         $9.00 for calamari when they can get the exact same dish at $4.00
         for happy hour? If you really want to drive traffic at different meal
         periods, design menu items that are a lower price point and are
         signatures for that time.


         Half-price on all appetizers during happy hour devalues your regular
         menu. A specially designed small plate menu during happy hour with
         creative items not normally found on your menu will drive business
         to your door.


               4. Tell a story… a really

                             good story.





         People love a good brand story. Great brands embrace and tell
         their story to everyone! Who doesn’t know that Apple started in
         Steve Jobs’ garage? Is your meatloaf recipe handed down from your
         great great grandmother? Do you only use Spanish olive oil to finish
         you pasta with because of a trip you remember to Europe? Stories       are rules he needs to live by to embrace the culture of excellence,
         provide the human element of a brand.                                  that combat pilots need to be the best of the best. He develops a
                                                                                saying that he repeats over and over to himself, “I am not leaving my
             5. Don’t expect to be an                                           wingman!” You need to develop a similar mantra, “I am not leaving
                                                                                my brand!”
               overnight


                 success.                              “Why would guests want                                      6. Stand for
                                                                                                                   something.

                                                       to pay $9.00 for calamari
         It takes a while to build a brand, and
         this is where many owners fail. They          when they can get the exact                             Brands that have a cause find a
         expect everyone to fall in love with          same dish at $4.00 for happy                            niche that connects customers
         their brand as fast as they did. Truth        hour?”                                                  quickly. Basic human psychology
         is, very few brands are overnight                                                                     tells us that people like people who
         successes.                                                                                            are like themselves. Consider the
                                                                                                               restaurant that has an outdoor patio
         You need to have faith and confidence in your brand even when          and allows dogs. They provide water bowls and housemade “dog
         times get tough. Now trust me on this, you will question your brand.   biscuits” for patrons. They connect with a group that has shown if
         Not every day is going to be sunshine and rainbows. Now here is        you love my dog, I’ll love your brand.
         where many restaurant owners go astray. When the going gets
         tough, they wander away from the brand they created. They start to                  7. Be consistent.
         take advice from others (many have no restaurant experience) and
         the brand becomes “diluted.”
                                                                                Inconsistency is the slow death of any business. So where does
         Here is the one question you need to remember: If you don’t know       consistency start? It starts with your culture. If you allow an attitude
         what your brand is, how do you expect your customers to know?          of indifference to grow in your service team, don’t be shocked when
                                                                                they treat your customers with the same nonchalant behavior. If you
         In the movie “Top Gun,” Tom Cruise’s character loses faith in who      allow your cooks to take shortcuts and compromise the standards,
         he is is. He is overconfident and, when thrown in with pilots who      then do not be surprised when your customers go online to write
         are world-class, he starts to doubt himself. He soon learns there      reviews on the inconsistent food.



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