If you go to school to study Marketing, you’ll likely learn about this in your very first lecture on your very first day. The Four P’s of Marketing are the foundation for just about everything we do… and that’s true for every kind of business out there. Often referred to as the Marketing Mix, it’s a crucial tool to help us understand how best to serve our audience. In reality we’ve talked AROUND this subject before, but have never tackled it HEAD ON.

What are the Four P’s? 

- Product
- Price
- Promotion
- Place

Also remember, I'm launching two summer workshops and admission is still half price anytime this month!!! 

On this week's episode we're talking all about ways to up your content game. One key way to do that is by hiring a professional to come in and shoot your food. I've been a food photographer here in NYC for the past 8 years and so I'm using everything I've learned to help you find a great creative to help you promote your restaurant. Topics covered: 

#1 - How do you go about finding a good food photographer? 
#2 - How to negotiate with a food photographer? 
#3 - How to prepare for the shoot? 
#4 - Tips for capturing the very best images possible. 

Also remember, I'm launching two summer workshops and admission is still half price anytime this month!!! 

Restaurants all over the country are being forced to do one of two things right now... shut down indefinitely, or pivot to a new model. I believe our ability to stay creative and nimble is going to determine who succeeds in the long term. In that vein I'm sharing 10 ideas from things I've seen myself. Take these ideas and use them... bend them to fit your business.

I've included all of them in a cheatsheet.

The episode was inspired by an interview in the New York Times with David Chang. You can read that by CLICKING HERE. 

LINKS TO TOPICS DISCUSSED ON THE SHOW:

New York Hospitality Coalition: https://www.instagram.com/nyhospcoalition/
NY State Senate Legislation Info - 8125A - https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/s8125
Olmsted IG - https://www.instagram.com/olmstednyc/
Camperdown Elm IG - https://www.camperdownelm.com/online-ordering/south-park-slope/menu
Delicious Hospitality Group - https://dhgnyc.com
Atrium Dumbo - https://www.atriumdumbo.com/#new-page-3
Beast & Bottles - http://www.beastsandbottles.com
Great Performances - https://www.greatperformances.com/blog/category/CovidCooking
Craft Reources - https://linktr.ee/craft_newyork
Petra and the Beast - https://www.petraandthebeast.com/news-and-updates
Amass Distillery - https://www.amass.com

Forbes Article about "The Pivot" - https://www.forbes.com/sites/alizalicht/2020/03/28/how-entrepreneurs-are-pivoting-their-businesses-during-crisis/#2fec8eef2f76

Also remember, I'm launching two summer workshops and admission is still half price anytime this month!!! 

If you find yourself overwhelmed by the news these days, then this is the podcast episode for you. For the past few weeks we’ve been inundated with scary numbers and stories about how the world is falling apart… but I’ll remind you that I’m still here and you’re still here and thousands of other listeners are out there as well. And while our industry has been upended, there are hundreds of restaurants out there with stories to tell… stories to inspire you. So that’s what this week’s episode is all about. I’m sharing six of my favorites: 

Finally a reminder about our two online workshops launching this summer! 

It's March, 2020. If you’re listening in real time your anxiety level is probably at an 11. All major sports have suspended play, Broadway shows have gone dark, schools across the country are closing, and now restaurants and bars have been ordered to close except for takeout and delivery service. Of course we’re talking about the Coronavirus — Covid-19 — and it is wreaking havoc on the economy… most of all our industry.

If you’re a small business owner you are undoubtedly feeling the effects of this global pandemic, and on this week’s episode I want to talk about our community and share some ideas for what you can do to come out stronger on the other side of this disaster. 

I'm urging everyone out there to stock for a second and view this not as a disaster, but as a much-needed break... a chance to address issues in your business so that you can come out better on the side of this crisis. So my challenge to you is two-fold: 

I share personal stories from my own clients... ways they're succeeding and failing, and the toll it's taking. 

Finally a reminder about our two online workshops launching this summer! 

Humans are storytellers. For thousands of years we've used stories to communicate things to each other. It's ingrained in us, and woven through just about every aspect of what we do… most especially in how we conduct commerce.

By that I mean, how we TRANSACT… how merchants sell things, and how consumers make decisions about what products to buy. 

So then how exactly do we use stories to sell? I think they fall into one of 5 categories. 

I'm sharing stories for a bunch of different restaurants and brands, hoping that you'll find inspiration to apply the lessons to your own businesses. 

Finally a reminder about our two online workshops launching this summer! 

I'm fascinated with how technology and hospitality are intersecting, and baffled at how slow our industry is to adopt new ways of doing things. I put out a call to listeners, asking for anyone who wanted to discuss the subject on the show. Well, I'm thrilled to say that Saleem Khatri answered that call. He is the CEO of Lavu, which as many of you know, was the original iPad POS software. In just 10 years they've captured huge market share and have expanded their offerings to include a bunch of new services: credit card processing, in-store kiosks, and more. 

Saleem gets to peak behind the curtains of thousands of restaurants, and so he brings a unique perspective to this conversation. He has ideas for how restaurant owners can make their businesses more profitable, predictions about the future, and most importantly... the data to back it all up. 

This week's episode is a bit of a departure from our normal interview format, but I think there's a lot of great insights to take away. 

CLICK HERE to visit Lavu's website

Contact Saleem through his assistant: [email protected]

Finally a reminder about our two online workshops launching this summer! 

As many of you know, I'm offering a pre-sale special for 2 summer workshops. The first is called KILLER CONTENT, all about capturing great food photography. But the second is E-MAIL STRATEGY FOR RESTAURANTS. Think of this week's episode as an "on ramp" of sorts, where I'm teasing out the kind of information you'll get by enrolling in one of the courses. 

E-Mail Marketing is perhaps the best, most efficient way to keep in touch with your fans and it's amazing to me just how few restaurants use it (or use it properly). One of the biggest objections I hear from chefs and restaurant owners is that they just don't know how to get started... meaning, how to even capture e-mail addresses in the first place. 

If you've said something like that in the past, then this episode is for you. I share 11 different ways you can start capturing addresses TODAY! 

Areas covered on today's episode: 

1 - Capture during reservations process
2 - Comment Card
3 - POS
4 - WiFi
5 - Website
6 - Content Upgrades
7 - Social Media 
8 - E-Mail Signature
9 - In store Signage
10 - Loyalty Apps
11 - Community Events

I hope you'll join us this summer for the E-MAIL STRATEGY Workshop. 

Fifty episodes feels like a milestone worth celebrating and so that's what we're doing this week. A bunch of listeners have been with us since the very beginning, but the majority of the Restaurant Strategy audience has found us just recently over the past few months... and so I want to recap everything we've discussed so far to provide a strong base of knowledge as we move forward. 

Topics covered: 

Important Links:

Finally, a reminder that I'm launching two online workshops this summer. Regularly priced at $197, I'm offering spots at 50% OFF until the end of March.

On this week's episode I had the pleasure of chatting with two Restaurant Stragey listeners, Bob and Kate Carpenter, who run a charming little cafe in Escondido, CA called Sunny Side Kitchen. The restuaurant is listed on Yelp's Top 100 in the United States (yes, the entire country) and is gearing up for their 5th Anniversary Celebration. 

All of this from a couple of people who, until they opened Sunny Side, had no experience in hospitality. As it turns out though, they've discovered the secret to their success and are sharing it on this week's episode.

Topics covered: 

Important Links:

Finally, a reminder that I'm launching two online workshops this summer. Regularly priced at $197, I'm offering spots at 50% OFF until the end of March. Plus... PLUS... the first 25 people who reserve a spot will get a FREE Restaurant Strategy Tote Bag. (We've got just a few left.)