Restaurants and Web 2.0?

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Restaurants in an economic downturn... We all know that they are not recession proof. So what is a small family owned restaurants to do? The biggest problem is loyalty for these restaurants. With the price of food increasing and wages decreasing, what is going to get customers in the seats...and well not at a chain restaurant like the Olive Garden.

My suggestion: humanization/personalization. A restaurant has to make itself feel like part of the family / network of its customers.

Using my knowledge of social networking, I have compiled a list of small tools that restaurants can use:

1. Blog: there is nothing better than keeping your customers up-to-date with what your chef is doing in the kitchen. The new recipes he is trying. The funny humanizing stories that happen in back. Their personal life. All these things have worked great for Matt, a gourmet chef in Arlington, VA. His blog provides a look at his life as a chef and allows his customers an inside look at what being a chef is like.

2. Social Network Groups: Everyone uses facebook. Why not create a group or allow users to "become a fan..." of your restaurant. This is a great way to increase PR through influential members of networks.

3. Twitter: engage your customers with twitter. Like a direct email campaign, it keeps loyal customers in the loop with updates on new menu items, entertainment and special events.

Of course there are alot more ways you can increase revenue. Internet marketing tools such as virtual marketing and mobile marketing are great as well. Regardless of what you do, small restaurants must remember that its not only important to have an amazing menu, a comfortable environment, and courteous staff...they must make their customers feel at home...so why not become part of their family.

Hmmm...Interesting

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Ok, so this actually isnt that bad of an idea. Dave Winer, on Scripting.com, discusses a new idea he thought of called the social camera. It basically connects all cameras within a certain radius and allows people to share and collect pictures. The idea seems a little weird, but it is definitely possible. We already do it via bluetooth but like he notes, it is currently too slow. Even though a social camera isnt something I would invest in, I definitely could see others doing so. Instead of taking 5 pictures with 5 different cameras, a group can now take one pic and then transfer it to the other 4 cameras.

I do believe however, it is a little stalkerish and creepy. Think about it. Some creepy dude could be within your radius and your picture would automatically be sent to him. A little sketchy, dont you think? I wouldn't want my picture to be sent to everyone in the area especially if i dont know them.

Instant Gratification

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Want coffee? How about a burger? With GPS ready phones, you can find this stuff almost instantly. Marc Cieslak in Rise and rise of the GPS mobile, discusses the many new developments with GPS Phones from being able to locate restaurants, landmarks and even your children.

In my marketing class, we discussed how companies are actually using the GPS to send a text with promotional info to your phone if you are walking by their store. I think the ability for you to find restaurants within the area and restaurants capable of finding you are amazing developments in mobile technologies. This is definitely the wave of the future. I know that when I am walking around in an unknown city, my GPS BlackBerry provides me with info about local spots that I would have only dreamed of a few years ago.

Talking down to constituents???

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That is how Sunny on Pickled Politics describes the old school way of using the web for politics. I actually tend to agree. With the creation of Web 2.0 features, politics online are more than just a website that acts like a virtual brochure. It has become a vehicle for interaction between the campaign and its supporters. She mentions how with Facebook, supporters can give donations and volunteer hours. This has revolutionized the way campaigns communicate with its supporters.

Being a political wonk myself that has worked on many campaigns, I can not agree more about how much social networks / Web 2.0 have changed politics. Much of what I did for the Romney campaign was grassroots mobilization on college campuses nationwide. I once helped set up a nationwide grassroots effort of phonebanking during the day and celebrating with a live webcast with the Governor at night. I was the Regional Director of the Mid-Atlantic and Southern States. Without the ability to communicate with volunteers throughout the nation via facebook, there was no way for me to effective and efficiently perform my job. In the end, the nationwide event was a huge success and our efforts made a huge difference going into the primaries.