One of the things I like best about the work that I do is the variety. For one customer I may be do a market study, for another a publicity campaign, for another I may develop a website. Occasionally I get to perform all these services for the same business.
The Carolina House, located on Route 9 in Kinderhook, was purchased by Michael J. Liptak in 1988 and his three daughters grew up working in the restaurant. From busing tables, to bar-tending, to waiting on guests, they experienced the business from all angles. Shortly after Michael Liptak passed away in 2004, the restaurant was closed, but the friends the sisters made and their desire to keep their father’s passion alive brought them back. In 2006 the three daughters reopened the restaurant and they have been running it successfully ever since.
I met Michele and Nikki in July of 2008. The sisters explained that the customers they had were frequent guests because loved the restaurant, the food and the staff. But the restaurant needed new customers, and this is how I could help.
- Our first goal was to understand the public’s perception of the restaurant. We developed a questionnaire that would be distributed to patrons with their checks and I conducted random face-to-face and phone interviews.
- Our second goal was to understand the competition. This involved creating a chart of over 150 restaurants within 30 minutes, their style, ambience, hours, price range and a sampling of their menus.
- Next I developed the brand. By defining the restaurant’s story, creating a positioning statement with key supporting messages, and itemizing design specs we were able to achieve consistent message that was unique and compelling.
- The last step of this project involved developing a 12-month public relations campaign.
In addition, I compiled valuable restaurant statistics and information such as which factors influence a customer’s decision on where to to dine, what is the average amount of time that people are willing to travel for a meal, what influences a person’s decision to eat out, and how effective are rewards programs at fine restaurants.
It was a thorough and extensive report and the results were powerful. Their strengths were confirmed, their weaknesses recognized, and opportunities identified.
After completing such an extensive study, I understood what made the restaurant special. When it came time to design the website, I was in the perfect position to create a site that accurately reflected their business. I knew who they were trying to reach and I understood what they were selling: good food, excellent service and a comfortable environment. Visit the website.
If your business or organization needs an objective analysis of your current situation, please give us a call at 518.392.0846 or email [email protected].