In This Issue
* Feature Article -- Brand Positioning
* Restaurant For Sale -- Lewisburg Inn
* Reader Feedback
* Bulletin Board
* Subscribe - Unsubscribe Info.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
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Brand Positioning: Growing Your Restaurant
By Maren L. Hickton
Most of us have heard the term "Branding". We are certainly familiar
with famed corporate CEOs who rock the world inundating us with
advertising related to their products and/or services in their own
continual competition for an increase in market share of their "brand"
(name). And if we haven't heard this term in the boardroom, we
are
all familiar with the cowpoke's brand, leaving an indelible mark on
a
particular herd in the old west used to say, "These are MINE."
Branding has been going on since the beginning of time and is hardly
a
new concept. What is new about it today is its importance in
clearly
identifying who we are in an increasingly competitive and exploding
marketplace.
For many chain operations, their brand/s and the perception of the
customer related to these brands ARE their corporate identity.
McDonald's includes the welcoming golden arches and its hamburgers,
KFC is the icon of the Colonel and his bucket of fried chicken and
so
on. These brands and others attract, develop and form continued
positive perceptions and a loyal customer base through effective brand
positioning.
For example:
Your quickservice restaurant's sales ticket to success is undoubtedly
its marinated wings. They are not just any wings. They
are a
variation of the popular "Buffalo Wings", which are disjointed and
deep-fried in peanut oil. But you, and your customers -- who
line up
every evening at 4PM until 11PM to get them to go, believe "Lisa's
Louisiana Wings" are much better.
Your recipe is an original that your wife, Lisa, created after you
both came back from the French Quarter several years ago. She
revised
the recipe when she didn't have enough room in the deep fryer at the
family reunion in 1997. So for the last three years you have
purchased fresh wings daily. "Never frozen," according to Lisa.
Your
kitchen staff cuts the tips off and marinates them for four hours,
quickly deep-fry's them to seal in the juices, bastes them with your
secret hot sauce including butter, garlic and a combination of dried
peppers and then slow bakes them uncovered for 18 minutes. You
serve
them with a zippy dill and Roquefort dip along with matchstick cukes
and carrot sticks.
So how do we brand your quickservice restaurant to add to its
continued success?
1. Focus. Currently your simple, but solid, roadside structure
is
called "Fred & Lisa's Take-Out". It is absent of any logo or other
identification except the large hanging plastic sign staked in the
front of your property. You have a huge parking lot and a double
drive-thru window. So we begin by the creation of a logo.
A "wings"
symbol effectively emotes that you offer fast service and, likely,
to-go service. So the evolution of your logo's path is born with
a
winged design device with the possibility of a name change to "Lisa's
Louisiana Wings".
2. Strengths. You visit other regional operations that serve
wings
to clearly determine exactly how and why your wings are better than
theirs. Is it just pricing? Are they truly more flavorful?
Can you
improve your presentation?
3. Communicate. With these considerations in mind, you begin
to
further develop your focused concept inside and out and design a new
menu incorporating your new logo with the look and feel of your
evolving operation. Your operation's "personality" is created
and
eventually defined as you continue to tell your story with the design
of your exterior facade, well-matched choice in interior furnishings
and other decorating techniques, new staff attire, service protocols,
various regular promotions, packaging, etc.
4. Stay with theme. "But we also sell great fish sandwiches
and no
one makes chili like we do." You certainly can continue to sell
these
items themed to the style of your operation. It is just very
important that when you do communicate that you do not give the
customer too many messages. If you have the money to move and
open a
grand-scale casual restaurant called "Mardi Gras", that is one thing.
But if you plan to remain a small quickservice operation with the
possibility of franchising, you must have a product focal point with
an organized and efficient preparation and delivery system.
5. Build loyalty. Your product must continue to meet consumer
wants.
That means that if you notice a decline in sales, you must immediately
determine why and revise your recipe or add "new and improved"
variations to your menu that will keep your customers coming.
Translated, this means that you are paying attention to the changing
desires and wants of your customers that will inspire them to believe
that you care about them. Building loyalty always involves more
than
just the product itself. It also includes how you amiably transact
your business.
If you follow these general guidelines, your current and future
customers will begin to develop a "relationship" with your restaurant.
That relationship with you, the positive perception about you, is
necessary for your brand positioning to be a success.
(The names used in the example are fictitious. Any operation with
a
similar name is purely coincidental.)
*****
Maren L. Hickton is the Principal of Maren Incorporated, a
Full-Service Hospitality Consulting & Marketing Firm based in
Pittsburgh, PA. Maren can be reached by e-mail at
mailto:mareninc@aol.com
*****
Send newsletter feedback and comments to us at
mailto:newsletter@restaurantreport.com
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RESTAURANT FOR SALE
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For more information on this and other postings, visit the
Marketplace on-line at http://www.restaurantreport.com/marketplace
**Next Post
CENTRAL PA - THE LEWISBURG INN
Elegant acclaimed restaurant located in historic district of A college
town (Bucknell University). Three dining rooms (seating for 100+) and
parlor. Seasonal exterior dining with mature trees to shade the
brick
patio. Fully equipped kitchen, walkin cooler and more.
Includes:
dining room furnishings, linens, tableware and the liquor license.
A
TURNKEY OPERATION. Second floor owner's suite: 4 bedrooms and 4 baths,
formal living and dining rooms and family kitchen. 5 car garage.
Call Martha at 570-524-7500 for details.
*****
Reach 8900+ readers with your very own Marketplace posting.
Categories include: Restaurants For Sale, Food & Wine Items,
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READER FEEDBACK
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**Next Post - Re: Rude Customers
As a veteran server, it is extremely disheartening to hear any manager
or owner say, "The customer is always right." Those of us on
the
front lines appreciate that customers are the source of revenue every
restaurant is built on. The vast majority of our income comes
from
them too. However, restaurant customers are not always right.
Sometimes they are wrong but we usually handle them without a fuss.
For those few who cross the line, we need management support.
If Ms.
Perkins was told before the meal was served about the threat to shove
food down the server's throat, she should have verified it with a
third party or even the customer and then spoken with the customer.
The situation would have either escalated and she could throw him out
or been defused and the meal could have continued. The server
was
probably more hurt by the lack of support than the missing tip. For
all the talk about the importance of service and good servers, most
owners and managers continue to side with the customer, no matter how
over the line. A little management support in these rare situations
will go a long way toward giving your servers a reason to stay and
to
keep on trying to please.
David Cyrelson is the author of Great Tips - The Ultimate "How To"
Manual By Servers, For Servers. A compilation of strategies, phrases,
and techniques from America's top waiters and waitresses on how to
handle customers, co-workers, and management for minimum aggravation
and maximum income; this book is recommended by Restaurant Business
Magazine, The Waiters Association, and is now completely updated for
the 21st century. Available on-line: www.BookMasters.com/GreatTips
S.C.
**Next Post - Re: America the Beautiful?
In response to the article about food trends with regard to today's
youth, it is indeed astonishing to note the current shift in the
family meal structure. A parent (if they happen to be home) can
produce a "nutritionally balanced" meal in minutes, thanks to
freezers, microwave ovens, slick ad campaigns, and preservatives.
The
problem is that between fast food in the marketplace, and fast food
at
home, we are teaching a whole generation that this type of diet is
nutritionally sound. We in the industry know quite differently.
A
wholesome, nationally balanced and delicious meal can often be
prepared in the same amount of time as a boxed dinner. We need
to
educate parents, care givers and relatives, as well as children, how
to accomplish this. I have taken part in this endeavor in my area,
but
it is usually almost a fight with some community and civic
organizations to allow me in to do a demo or program. It is their
contention that children "just won't really be interested." B.S.!
The reception I have received has been phenomenal!
Let's all get out there and show the world what's good for them,
before Ronald and The Colonel wipe 'em out!
Cheers,
J. Zan Mauler, Jr., Executive Chef
The Downtown Brewing Company
** Original Article - America the Beautiful?
http://www.restaurantreport.com/newsletter/issue109.html
**Next Post - Re: Motivating Waitstaff
To achieve what you want, hard work and savvy are required in two
areas:
(a) effective people management
(b) training and development.
* You must read, watch, learn, and implement effective people
management strategies and practices.
* Study your company's policies and house rules. See if they are
fair
and make sense. If not, draft a revision as far as your department
is
concerned, then submit to upper management for approval. This
is the
foundation you must build on.
* Know your employees well, communicate with them, both formally and
informally.
* In the revised strategies, policies and practices, merge company
goals with the personal and career goals of your employees.
* Try to eliminate from your thoughts and your employees' thoughts the
negative connotations of "discipline". Explain the benefits of
house
rules and positive discipline and how these serve the interests of
employees.
* Re-examine your staff's job descriptions and if these only
communicate tasks to be accomplished. Re-write them, with a customer
service and sales focus. Stress attitude and behavior.
Make job
descriptions clearly spell out performance criteria and explain to
employees that their performance will be based on this criteria.
* Discuss all tools and strategies with your employees. Get their
input, get their commitment, make them part of the re-design and
re-write.
* Do some soul searching and discover what you yourself lack.
Since
you have been thrust in a leadership role, you yourself are under your
employees' scrutiny and expected to perform as leader. If you
lack
some management or technical skills make sure you acquire these.
* If you have among your staff someone deserving of a position as
second in command, i.e. making up for any shortcoming you have,
appoint him or her as second in command. You will earn your
employees' respect and will show them that good performance is
rewarded.
* If you yourself are versed in Customer Service and Sales prepare a
series of training sessions to conduct on a regular basis. Allow
for
employee input, comments, suggestions regarding these two subjects.
Adopt workable ideas and give due recognition to individuals giving
positive and workable suggestions.
* Do not treat your employees as plate-carriers or table-setters.
Treat them as human beings.
* Do not speak of customers in numbers and dollar figures but speak
of
them as human beings worthy of being won as part of the permanent
family of the business.
* It is your organization, management, attitude and behavior which can
accomplish what you want with employees.
On my web site at http://www.easytraining.com I have articles covering
all these issues.
Good luck!
Claire Belilos - chic@easytraining.com
CHIC Hospitality Consulting Services, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
http://www.easytraining.com
*****
Send newsletter feedback and comments to us at
mailto:newsletter@restaurantreport.com
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BULLETIN BOARD
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**Next Post - Re: Training Manual
I am a new restaurant operator. I am in the process of coming up an
employee handbook. Can anyone help me with this process.
Thanks,
Raj Sharma - mailto:mrsharma27@hotmail.com
**Next Post - Re: Tip Pooling
I would like to know if there is a guide as to how to include kitchen
staff in the servers tips pool, what % if any?
Thank You,
Carlos Perez - mailto:loscamaroncitosrest@hotmail.com
**Next Post - Re: Market Trends
I would like to how the Restaurant and Bar market is doing especially
in South Louisiana? What is predicted future of the industry?
- mailto:bhf4@mindspring.com
*****
Note @ the Bulletin Board: If you can lend advice/assistance/comments
etc. please respond to the individual directly and cc: us here at
mailto:newsletter@restaurantreport.com We'll summarize and post
responses we receive that would benefit the group.
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