Understanding Promotions

What have I learned about promotions?

Promotions are categorised in two types:  one to increase the average check of people that are already in the restaurant, the other to bring people into the restaurant in the first place.

The best promotions are those that are able to do both, but in a lot of cases (e.g. discount promotions), one must sacrifice average check in order to bring people in.

The reason it is important to understand our own branding is because that is what people see in us and expect from us.  And hence we will have a better chance of bringing people into the restaurant without sacrificing a/c if we are giving value to our guests in ways that is not just about money.  One clear differentiator would be that people come back for variety.

That all promotions need to be aligned with the brand.

And the brand is focused on "Best Ribs in Town" and "We bring the Real Smiles".  I think from an guest's perspective, we offer something "vaguely American" which is well received.

We would like to add "Best Coolers in Town" as there is a lot of room for creativity here.

In order to be true to the brand, we must continue to play in the space of ribs.  This includes new flavours, new cuts of ribs. We can even extend to different ribs, not just pork ribs.  It also gives our kitchen a great opportunity to express their creativity.