TECH: WiFi Analytics for Restaurant Marketing & Customer Engagement
Being noticed and remembered in a blizzard of marketing can seem almost impossible for indie restaurants. Fortunately, WiFi marketing can provide restauranteurs the solution they’ve been searching for. It is a relatively new marketing channel that can lead to highly successful email marketing campaigns, while also providing that all-important customer engagement that has proven to increase guest spending, frequency and satisfaction.
DID YOU KNOWS…
Supermarket Body Mystery
In January, construction contractors working at the now vacant No-Frills Supermarket of Council Bluffs, IA began taking down shelves and moving cooling units. As they did, they discovered a body that could’ve been there “for years.” The body was identified as a former employee of the store that went missing 10 years ago. Authorities don’t believe his death was foul play, but think he fell behind one of the cooler units which are so loud no one would’ve heard his cries for help.
The Most Popular Beer Brands in America (Map)
Do you know what beer is the most popular in your state? VinePair analyzed CGA data to determine just that. Bud Light won 22 states, making it the most popular beer in the US, but check out the infographic to see what brew your state loves the most.
Yahoo! Mets Nixed
Yahoo has canceled its planned NY Mets’ subscription site after the launch date has been pushed back a few times. Originally the media company and baseball team signed a three-year deal which would’ve included feature writers, columnists, and special events for subscribers – such as interacting with the Mets’ GM. Yahoo, however, still has its eyes on subscriber platforms.
I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE WORD TO YOU: PLASTICS [Video]
Why it matters to you: Single-use plastic may be coming to an end.
There’s a war going on out there and it’s coming to your front door very soon. This war is being waged on single-use plastics. The crisis escalated with China no longer accepting the US’s plastic refuse and US landfills increasingly under strain. But the situation is also creating some innovative ideas in how to address it. This slide show features several different ways sustainable and reusable materials are being substituted for the traditional Styrofoam or plastic container or cups we have known forever. One company is trying to create “no-plastic zones” by offering a subscription service for users can get a container or beverage cup for their carryout consumption. Guests are charged and then refunded when they return the cup. It’s an interesting model if you are in an urban setting where the economies of scale are achieved.
But how do we encourage restaurant operators and guests to address this really horrible epidemic of plastic pollution? Most operators are working on razor thin margins and won’t volunteer to do it, and consumers have already proven they won’t be inconvenienced if they can avoid it. That’s why any attempts to actually remove single-use plastic will only be achieved with the authority of a government. Sadly, this crisis can’t be solved by asking people to volunteer, which is exactly why Berkeley California has passed city ordinances that require they be single use plastic free by 2020. Sure, it’s an ambitious goal, but if we don’t act we will have to accept the consequences. As long as we all play by the same rules, then we will survive together.
[Source: Nation’s Restaurant News]
HICKENLOOPER, WHAT’S A HICKENLOOPER?
Why it matters to you: John Hickenlooper is our industry’s entrant into the 202 POTUS sweepstakes.
Restaurant operators have always been underrepresented in politics. So, when a former brew pub entrepreneur took over as Governor of Colorado, it was a proud day for our industry. Now that same brewer is running for President of the United States. While John Hickenlooper is a long shot to win nomination by the Democrats, he does represent our industry with his firm entrepreneurial chops. He grew his brewpub concept to 15 locations before becoming governor, and now he believes his experience as a restaurant entrepreneur qualifies him to be President. We haven’t formed any opinions about Hickenlooper, because, let’s be honest, he’s not polling very well.
It may be that he’s a bit of a centrist in a polarized America or it could be that his policy proposals aren’t making a splash. Either way, you will decide for yourself, when you read this article he wrote for Fortune magazine. In his piece, Hickenlooper outlines a focus on giving people the chance to succeed with higher minimum wages and apprenticeship programs to help people reach their potential. He also favors de-centralizing industry, which is code for there are too many companies that control too much of the market. In our opinion, Governor Hickenlooper is a bit of a mixed bag for our industry, but you have to decide for yourself. Read his words and decide, because this next election is gonna be a doozy and you need to be informed.
[Source: Fortune]
