If you've ever been to Carnegie Deli in New York City, you know there are two things you can count on every time you dine there, mile-high sandwiches and wait staff with attitude. The atmosphere is electric; the noise level is loud. The deli has firmly established its reputation as a quintessential NYC food fest destination.
Meanwhile, over at The Drake hotel in downtown Chicago, their English Afternoon Tea is a very fond and elegant memory. It beautifully mirrors the overall gracious experience the hotel offers its guests.
Experiential Restauranting
When patrons leave your establishment, what do you want them to remember? What do you want them to tweet about as they make their way to their next destination, while their impressions are fresh on their minds? Ideally, the lingering impression, the reason customers become regulars, is the imprint of a great overall experience.
The soul of your restaurant can emanate from the chef's personality and culinary skills, or be rooted in local culture and history. It can manifest through unique offerings like international flair; a quirky mix of wait staff that can sing, dance or act; rare and challenging recipes and ingredients; thematic interpretation; simple fare with comfortable surroundings. The ideas are simply endless.
The Key Elements of Experiential Restauranting/Style and Substance
- Clear concept of establishment style/type of cuisine, and the ability to articulate it
- Presentation of concept/personality that permeates all aspects of your operations
- Menu that not only reflects the concept but differentiates the restaurant
- Passion for food that radiates through the menu (think "Like Water for Chocolate" wedding feast)
- Service that reflects the concept and desired lasting impressions
- Identified and evolving "extras" which build the restaurant's cache over time
The Key Elements of Experiential Marketing/Mirroring Restaurant Ambiance
- Storefront and interior, name, and logo reflecting the intended personality
- Website look and feel, imagery, navigation, and content/writing style
- Advertising and promotions with insights into the dining experience
- Socialized marketing: Weaving different experience elements across select social media
- Mobile marketing: Patron outreach and restaurant locator tool*
- Bringing the dining experience full circle
* Example: Foursquare/Google Maps Mashup ("Musings of a VC in NYC" blog entry and comments)
Experiential Advice/Warning
When economic and/or other financial constraints stand to impact your bottom line, DO NOT, we repeat DO NOT sacrifice the quality of your ingredients or recipes to save money. Either reduce the number of menu items and/or incrementally increase the pricing. Consider changing your hours of operation or meals offered. Be sure to communicate why you are doing so with your patrons. If you choose to take the "easy" way out and cut the quality of your food and hope for the best, you are placing your core competency in jeopardy. The ultimate risk is the failure of your restaurant.
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