Several years ago now, our company was approached by a fledgling restauranteur who wanted to make a change to a rather tired out brand that he and his partnership bought into. They wanted a makeover, but not just any cosmetic makeover.
It had to be a complete overhaul – that was the only way it was going to work. Only the brand name and the location of the business were safe. Everything else was on the table to be either scraped or completely altered.
The first question we asked when our team stepped in was what captures your customer’s attention? Is it your restaurant’s menu? Location? Or maybe it’s catchy marketing?
For many of today’s consumers, their attention needs to be grabbed quickly and then action needs to be taken to keep it. With restaurant experiences changing and consumer habits evolving, we need to find new ways to engage with customers. Our day to day restaurant marketing strategy efforts need to be nimble and ever-evolving.
Why is this important? The goal is to be top of mind, increase your credibility, and gain your customers’ trust. Your customers care about the message you’re sending, online and in-person.
We took a multi-pronged approach to the restaurant’s rebranding. First, the logo was updated and a new slogan was introduced. The menu would need to change too – from appetizers to main course meals; from stylish beverages crafted by the bartending staff to tasty desserts that complement any meal.
But that’s not all. Next up was a complete renovation of the entire footprint – from re-creating a more desirable indoor dining experience, to exploiting the location’s beachfront viewpoint and reconstructing the outdoor experience.
Lastly, a new website, social media strategy, updated merchandising and a plan to host various events to help bring the customers in would change the guest experience and make it more experiential. Everything from Halloween parties and Thanksgiving and Christmas buffets, to full-blown concerts and inviting guests to use our beach as a place to hang out and grab a drink.
Needless to say, all of these measures worked in making the business profitable and we’re still going strong. We’ve since helped to launch a new restaurant – from the ground up – using the exact same principals and approach.
To learn more about what we can do to help your restaurant or bar, contact us and let’s get started on making your place one that’ll have people talking about before they’ve even left.