Article: “Google Maps offers discount coupons for US stores” (Aug.2006)

excerpt:
“Google Inc. will offer printable discount coupons to local shoppers, in a promotional bid that aims to drive U.S. online shoppers using its Google Maps service to visit stores, the company said.

The world’s top Web search supplier is taking advantage of the marketing tool, which is traditionally used by small businesses, to entice U.S. consumers to seek out savings from local retailers such as dry cleaners, pizza delivery restaurants and auto repair shops.

Google has partnered with Valpak, the top U.S. supplier of coupon advertising, to provide more than 20,000 coupons from current Valpak advertisers when consumers search for relevant stores using its Google Maps map and local directory service…”

source: “Google Maps offers discount coupons for US stores” by Eric Auchard (Reuters, Aug.14,2006)

Press Release: “MealAgent Launches National Free Online Food Ordering Website” (Jun.,2006)

excerpt:
“A new website is now offering restaurants around the country free online food ordering for their customers. MealAgent.com provides a customizable, web-based take-out interface that is free to both restaurants and to their customers: people ordering food are never charged, and restaurants are only charged for extra services.

MealAgent believes that every restaurant should be able to have a web presence and that people should be able to easily order from their favorite restaurants without having to pick up a phone…”

source: “MealAgent Launches National Free Online Food Ordering Website” (Meal Agent, Jun.21,2006) [press release]

MealAgent is able to send orders to restaurants via:

• Fax
• Email
• SMS Cellphone Message
• Alpha Pager
• Supported POS Systems

link: MealAgent

Other companies providing related services:
Waiter on Wheels
Waiter.com
Delivery.com
Ehungry.com

Article: “Businessman blogs boldly toward BBQ restaurant success” (Jul.2006)

excerpt:
“On June 7, Reams started posting to the Mothership blog — and soon began counting down to opening. Then, on Friday, June 9, Reams announced on the blog the restaurant would be open the next morning. To his surprise, 50 customers came in for pulled pork barbecue and ribs – and their positive posts on his blog followed.

In simple terms, Reams managed to get Mothership off the ground and exceeding sales projections almost immediately without spending a penny on conventional advertising; only his blog, maintained by the free, Google-owned Blogger service, served as a sentinel for Mothership’s opening. He says he is Nashville’s only restaurateur using blogging as a method of publicity…”

source: “Businessman blogs boldly toward BBQ restaurant success” by Will York (The City Paper, Jul.24,2006)

Related links:
Free Blog Software / Hosting (About.com)

Software: MenuManager (FHG International)

excerpt:
“MENUMANAGER© is a user-friendly software program which can assist restaurant managers reduce their food costs, increase product consistency and reduce considerable time of manual bookkeeping.

While the program has several sophisticated aspects which enable the restaurateur to access and manipulate a plethora of information which will be the basis for better decision making, the restaurateur need only use one of the nine reports to immediately experience a time and cost saving.

The program allows you to develop a series of controls and standards over food cost and quality which have not been available before…”

link: MenuManager (FHG International) [free download link is on the bottom of the page]

Resource: FHG International’s Article Archive

“FHG International Inc., is a Canadian based boutique consulting firm specializing in the foodservice, franchise and hospitality industries.

…FHG has worked with clients to developed successful restaurant, franchise and hospitality businesses, conduct operational reviews, feasibility studies, market research, corporate restructuring, strategic planning, master planning, valuations and litigation support.”

link: FHG International’s Article Archive

sample titles:
Menu Planning: A Systematic Methodology
Marketing By Design
Service Timetable - A practical guide to efficient service

also available for free:
Book - “Restaurant Staff Service Tips”
Software - “MENUMANAGER©”

Blog Post: “The Art of the Email” (Jul.2006)

excerpt:
‘Recently I was in a seminar styled meeting and the topic was the art of the email. When I went in I thought I was aware of most of the email tricks. The guy who was leading the email discussion was a magician. He knew how to design an email so people respond.

He spoke of the psychology of the email and we discussed what gets people to respond. And, he had minimalized the science so non-tech people, like us, could get behind our key boards and accomplish something without the fear of failure staring us in the face. It’s a great, quick, easy, smple, rapid, yada, yada, yada, way to promote.

Here are a few tips:”

source: “The Art of the Email” by John Foley (The Restaurant Blog,Jul.19,2006)

related links:
Marketers still ignoring e-mail best practices (thewisemarketer.com)
Article: “Jump Start Your On-line Marketing With An E-mail Newsletter” (techwaiterbell)
Tool: Restaurant Newsletter/Email Marketing Services (techwaiterbell)

Media: Restaurant Podcasts

Podcasts are significant because it opens access to radio shows and restaurant industry content that were only available locally. This is a new and interesting media resource for restauranteurs in a portable format. You can download the show and listen to it in the car, during lunch, or in the gym. Also, these podcasts are also marketing vehicles for restaurants and related businesses.

NRN Podcast Central (created by Nation’s Restaurant News)
“Foodservice News Delivered in Fresh New Ways”

Podcast Grill
“Where restaurant meets business - trends, expert interviews and more to make your restaurant more profitable than ever”

Pizza Radio
“Pizza Radio is your source for sound bytes from pizza experts.”

The Restaurant Guys
“Co-hosts Francis Schott and Mark Pascal—who own Stage Left Restaurant in New Brunswick, NJ—have interviewed food luminaries like Gourmet editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl and chef Charlie Palmer in between other animated discussions. Their podcasts are adaptations of three 40-minute episodes from their radioshow on WCTC-1450 AM.”

BarServ’s Raising the Bar on Service
“Raising the Bar” tackles a variety of topics relevant to the hospitality service industry and occasionally features high-profile industry guests from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The program will offer insightful ideas to empower hotel, restaurant and bar owners and managers to improve service and increase profitability.

Article: “TV ads on the cheap for small biz” (Jul.2006)

excerpt:
“Findley’s meat market in suburban Atlanta had always relied on newspaper ads, direct mailings and quick radio spots to reach consumers. But after discovering Spot Runner’s do-it-yourself commercial tool for small businesses, the butcher shop ran a commercial on local cable TV ahead of Easter and again before Mother’s Day.

The commercials cost Findley’s $349 and $499 and the shop spent about $2,100 in March and $1,100 in May to air the spots on ESPN, Food TV, Fox News Channel and Fox Sports.

“We found out that it was very affordable and they help you work with a small budget,” said Findley’s owner Dolores Barr.”

source: “TV ads on the cheap for small biz” by Jessica Seid (CNNMoney.com, Jul.14,2006)

“At Spot Runner we make it easy, simple and affordable for everyone to take advantage of local TV advertising. We started Spot Runner because we saw three important opportunities:

• Small and medium-sized business people want to advertise on TV but the costs of creating ads are prohibitive.
• Choosing a media plan, negotiating the price, and tracking your advertising can be time consuming and difficult.
• Great TV advertising could be made more quickly and at a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising agencies.

We put these elements together and Spot Runner was born.”

link: SpotRunner.com

Article: “Jump Start Your On-line Marketing With An E-mail Newsletter”

excerpt:
“Quite frankly, I believe the restaurant industry is “missing the boat” right now by not taking advantage of this inexpensive, yet powerful marketing tool. There are only a handful of quality hospitality resources delivered via e-mail. This fact may be unfortunate for consumers, but it presents an excellent opportunity for the restaurant owner to grab mindshare by implementing an e-mail newsletter program in their marketplace.

One restaurant doing just that is Corner Galley located in Massapequa, NY. In addition to having a presence on the Web, Corner Galley publishes an e-mail newsletter entitled “The Daily Ship’s Log…”

source: “Jump Start Your On-line Marketing With An E-mail Newsletter” by Jaime Oikle (Restaurant Report)

related article:
“10 Tips for Creating an Effective Restaurant Newsletter” (StarChefs.com)

Article: “Free Online Resource Enables Companies of Any Size to Unlock Secrets of Customer Satisfaction” (Jun.2006)

 

excerpt:
"Zoomerang, the leader in online surveys, is changing that mix with the launch of its new Customer Satisfaction Resource Center (CSRC). A first-of-its-kind resource, the CSRC is designed to help organizations discern and quantify customer wants and needs. The new CRSC is available at no charge to Zoomerang customers and visitors alike at www.customersatisfactionresource.com.

…"Now with our Customer Satisfaction Resource Center, even companies new to online surveys can easily access the information they need to conduct customer surveys that will positively affect their business relationships and their bottom line." 

source: "Free Online Resource Enables Companies of Any Size to Unlock Secrets of Customer Satisfaction" (TMCnet, Jun.19,2006)