Are You Looking For Restaurant Gimmicks?
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Written by: Jose L Riesco.
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Word Count: 581 |
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2010 |
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If you're looking for a special edge, as most other businesspeople are these days, you may be thinking how you can set your eatery apart from all the competition in your locale. Maybe you need something to set your standards of service, to define your menu choices or to bolster the ambience that you present to customers.
Over the years we have seen any number of restaurant gimmicks come and go. Sometimes an entrepreneur will base an entire project around a gimmick, such as the Planet Hollywood chain of venues, for example. Some of these angles can be less subtle than others and as such they have a limited lifespan. Clearly, the trick is to come up with an idea that is both innovative and has longevity.
If you have been able to come up with some restaurant gimmicks of your own, it is probably a good idea to bounce them off your trusted confidantes and advisors. When we are involved so much with our business from day to day, we often do not have a neutral perspective and this is where trusted advisors would be so important. Don't be afraid to let them pour cold water on your ideas, if need be.
There are plenty of professionals who have considerable experience in restaurant marketing and should be consulted in this particularly difficult arena. Don't think that you have to go through the school of hard knocks just to establish yourself in the industry, as this can be an expensive way to go about it. Remember that when you have done touring other establishments, researching books and magazines for restaurant gimmicks, go through a full analysis before you move forward.
A smart restaurateur will realize that restaurant gimmicks have their place but must make sense within the overall promotion of your business. If you're not careful when introducing your ideas, they may be seen as cheesy or simply a way of trying to squeeze extra dollars out of visitors. There is clearly a fine line between a great idea and something born out of desperation!
You will find that there is a certain negative connotation surrounding the idea of restaurant gimmicks, so you need to tread warily. Subtlety is the key word, especially when you are trying to capitalize on new trends in society. You may not want to take a leaf out of the book of KFC, who seem to be trying to change their very brand to sell grilled chicken instead!
If you can approach the concept of restaurant gimmicks from a less than serious perspective, you may be able to strike a better balance. Make the idea fun for the customer and for yourself and you might be able to create a hook to spread the word virally about your business.
Remember that people are looking for a degree of escapism when they join together with others to eat out. You can introduce some restaurant gimmicks to enhance this experience, but be careful not to overdo it.
About the Author
Jose L. Riesco is a restaurant marketing and consulting expert who has just published a book: Restaurant Marketing Strategies (available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com). His site Restaurant Marketing Strategies contains lots of free restaurant marketing information and ideas to help you improve your restaurant marketing.
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