James Natsis wrote:RonnieD wrote:Marketing is the key piece that a lot of restauranteurs fail to account for. You have to let people know you exist and you have stay out in front of them at all times.
We've been J. Gumbo's since 2008 here in Louisville and when I tell people where I work and what I do, they still say "where's your restaurant?" and "I've never heard of it." And this is all because we have done virtually no mass marketing of any kind. But I bet people know who Wild Eggs is. They have a billboard.
This is why I'm pushing the Clifton Donut Shop so hard. Wonderful people and a great store in a great spot, but they probably don't have deep pockets to advertise. Sounds like the same situation with you, Robin, and this young lady. You make a personal connection with these small business owners and want really badly for them to succeed, but it's hard when the coffers dry up just getting the store open.
Please, anyone who is trying to open a restaurant, 25% of your start-up cost needs to be allocated for marketing. And once you get open spend 5% of your gross monthly sales on advertising of some kind. Word of mouth is great, and it can drive a lot of business your way, but it can only be so effective and then it wears off.
Good advice for any restauranteur.
Good advice for almost any business, IMO. .