SPORTS: Warmer Weather Means Bigger Crowds for Sports Bars with These Events
With crocus flowers starting to pop out of the ground (note to self: harvest saffron threads for paella) the arrival of spring is imminent. The sporting calendar is about to fill up faster than a pint glass on Paddy’s Day. As the sun stays out longer, guests will start flocking to your doors earlier and stay later. Pay special attention to these upcoming events while putting your own spin on them to differentiate yourself from your neighbors.
DID YOU KNOWS…
The Stars Aligned
More like planets, actually. All of March, you can see Mars, Saturn and Jupitar in the morning sky. Positioning will change throughout the month, but they will all be visible in the east-southeastern sky in the hours just before sunrise. Here’s more on how to find three of our cosmic neighbors.
OECD Slashes Forecast Amidst Coronavirus
Unsurprisingly, the epicenter of the outbreak is expected to be heavily affected by the epidemic. The OECD slashed its growth forecast for China from 5.7% to 4.9%, citing restrictions on the movement of people, goods and services as well as containment measures such factory closures as drivers of a sharp decline in domestic demand and manufacturing output.
Hey, I’m Walking Here!
A new report has found that pedestrian fatalities across the U.S. have soared to their highest level since 1988. Preliminary data shows that 6,590 pedestrians were killed on U.S. roads in 2019, a 5% increase on 2018. There are several reasons for the uptick such as a lack of safe road crossings, bad driving behavior, and a switch in U.S. vehicle sales away from passenger cars to light trucks. One of the chief reasons cited in the report, however, is the emergence of the smartphone and increasing levels of technological distraction both behind the wheel and on the pavement.
NEWEST SIGN THAT ROBOTS WILL RULE THE WORLD
Why it matters to you: When a device can emulate the quality of a professional bartender, we should all know the end is near. ;-)
But seriously folks, it appears the value of mixology has been degraded by technology, like so many other competencies. Witness this test of a new device called the Coaster, manufactured by Barsys, that not only mixes drinks, but directs the user step-by-step through the mixology. The Coaster device is aptly named because you place a mixing container on the “coaster” and in conjunction with an included app, guides you through making the drink. It also mixes it appropriately for service.
Hello, World!
In a video test of a professional bartender against the Coaster, three participants were offered identical drinks produced by both the bartender and through the device. The eye-opening aspect of the video is that all three people chose the drink made by the Coaster as the better of the two. In fact, they showed bias for the bartender by assuming the better tasting drink would be made with no machine intervention. They were wrong.
For those of you that don’t think automation will never going to replace human production, we say ahhh, maybe! The truth is that automation is inevitable. The question is whether service will become automated or just the production process. We are for anything that enhances the guest experience without making it cold or, dare we say, robotic!
[Source: Mashable]
“NOT” VIRAL BY DESIGN
Why it matters to you: BWW tried to get in on the chicken sandwich craze and it didn’t take. Why?
The genesis of the chicken sandwich wars was a challenge brought by McDonald’s franchisees to be more competitive with Chik-fil-A and their utter dominance in the chicken sandwich lane. The franchisees rightfully observed that customers really wanted a great chicken sandwich and they were all going to Chik-fil-A as a result of McDonald’s having no credible alternative. Enter Popeye’s and their truly viral entry. They were so successful that they saw a 38% increase in same store sales for the fourth quarter of 2019. Results like those will definitely attract the attention of your competition and Buffalo Wild Wings was clearly paying attention as well.
Even though they are in a completely different vertical than fast food, Buffalo Wild Wings was hoping that their product quality would be enough to turn their own chicken sandwich into a viral sensation. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Whether it was their branding -- which clearly defines them as a venue for sports with awesome wings -- or that they were out of their core market trying to compete with fast food operators, the sandwiches haven’t delivered the growth or excitement the chain sought.
Maybe the lesson here is to understand your lane. That doesn’t mean you can’t exit it, just that if you want to go big, it’s best to do so in what you are already known for rather than blazing a new trail.
[Source: Vice]
